Governance

We are an FE college and a charity governed by a Trustee Board

In this section

The Corporation

The Ada, National College for Digital Skills Corporation is an exempt charity formed under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The College was incorporated on 8th August 2016.

The Instrument and Articles (I&A) of Governance set down the powers, membership, roles and responsibilities of the Corporation.

The Corporation’s Board is accountable for the use of public funds and has a duty of care for the assets of the College. The role of its members is similar to that of non-executive directors or trustees. This body is advised by a clerk who is employed directly by the Corporation and who has access to independent professional advice.

The Board’s composition is drawn from businesses, the community, students and staff. View the list of the members and their personal profiles.

The Board meets at least five times a year. A number of committees have been established to undertake more detailed work. These are: Education, Audit, Remuneration, Finance & Resources and Board Membership Committees.

Statutory information

Below are quick links to a range of key statutory documents relating to the college’s performance and other important aspects which parents/carers and other stakeholders may find useful.

Statutory Information	Links to Information
College contact details: Name of college, postal address and telephone number, name of the member of staff who deals with queries, name of the principal as well as name and contact details of the chair of the governing body	Contact Us page Executive Leadership Team page page
Admissions Arrangements: open days and process for applying	Sixth Form Admissions page
Link to OFSTED Inspection Dashboard	Dashboard
The college’s most recent Exam Results: Attainment, Retention and Destinations	Exam and Assessment Results page
Link to college’s Performance Tables	www.education.gov.uk
College Curriculum: 16 to 19 study programme requirements	Curriculum page
Behaviour Policy	Policies page
Public Sector Equality Duty: the school’s Equality Objectives.	Policies page
SEN Information Report Full SEN policy can be found on our policies page	SEN Information Report Policies page
Careers programme information	Careers page
Sixth Form Complaints Policy	Policies page
Apprenticeship Programme Complaints Policy	Policies page
Whistleblowing Policy	Policies page
Governance Information	This page
The structure and remit of the members, board of trustees, its committees and LGBs, and the names of the chair of each as well as the register of interests.	This page
2024 – 2025 College Accountability Agreement
Executive Pay information: Employees with a gross annual salary and benefits of £100,000 or more Salary and benefits (salary, NI and pension): £110,000-120,000 No of employees: 1
College’s Values and ethos	About Us page
Request a paper copy of the information on website	Contact Us page

Public benefit

In setting and reviewing the College’s strategic objectives, the Governing Body has had due regard for the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. In delivering its mission, the College provides the following identifiable public benefits through the advancement of education:

Delivery of outstanding teaching, learning and assessment
Provision of a broad and enriching programme of learning opportunities focussed on helping students acquire essential work experience and employability skills, particularly in the digital sector
Embracing of the diversity and achievement of every individual to ensure that they are valued and respected

Click here for the current Board and Sub-Committee structure for 2024-2025.

Audited accounts

Corporation board minutes

Full Corporation meetings take place at least 5 times per year. Committee meetings take place each term and have designated members. In the interests of openness and accountability, public copies of Corporation and committee minutes are available below. However, the Corporation may, on occasions, exclude some or all of the minutes of a meeting – this may include minutes relating to a named person or any matter which by reason of its nature the Corporation is satisfied should be dealt with on a confidential basis.

Key documents

Board minutes 2024-25

Board Minutes – 11 December 2024 (to add)
Board Minutes – 2 April 2025
Board Minutes – 25 June 2025

Board minutes 2023-24

Board minutes 2022-23

Board minutes 2021-22

Board minutes 2020-21

The Corporation has developed a Committee Structure of 5 Committees – 2 of which are statutory: Audit and Board Membership (formerly Search). Governors cannot be members of both the Audit and Finance & Resources Committees. Each committee has Terms of Reference (ToR) which are reviewed and agreed annually by the Corporation. Each Committee meets regularly, mostly on a termly basis, concentrating on various aspects of the College and these are:

AUDIT is concerned with the adequacy and effectiveness of the College’s systems of internal control and risk management. Audit ToR
BOARD MEMBERSHIP relates to recruitment to the Corporation. Board Membership ToR
EDUCATION reviews and contributes towards the College’s strategic and operational plans. Education ToR
FINANCE & RESOURCES deals with the College’s compliance to financial requirements and oversees issues relating to College staff. Finance & Resources ToR
REMUNERATION deals with the appraisal and remuneration of senior post holders. Remuneration ToR

NB Minutes from the Board Membership and Remuneration committees are confidential.

Audit Committee minutes

Audit Committee minutes 2023-24

Audit Committee minutes 2022-23

Audit Committee minutes 2021-22

Audit Minutes – 11 July 2022

Audit Committee minutes 2020-21

Audit Committee minutes 2019-20

Education committee minutes

Education Committee minutes 2023-24

Education Committee minutes 2022-23

Education Committee minutes 2021-22

Education Committee minutes 2020-21

Education Committee minutes 2019-20

Board of Governors

Chris Cherry

Chair of Board of Governors
Nick Wilcock

Chair of Remuneration Committee
Amali De Alwis MBE

Committee member: Audit and Board Membership
Dame Zarine Kharas

Committee member: Board Membership and Finance & Resources
Gillian Lancaster

Chair of Audit Committee
Steven Stanley

Member of the Education Committee and interim Safeguarding advisor
Imran Razzaq

Member of the Audit Committee and EDI link Governor
Kathryn Skelton

Committee member: Education
Susanna Lawson

Member of the Education Committee and Careers link Governor
Anna Douglas

Co-opted member of Education Committee
Alice Ward

Co-Opted member of Education Committee
Gurpreet Kaur

Co-Opted member of Audit Committee
Jacky Gearey

Clerk to the Board
Mark Smith

Chief Executive Officer (Co-Founder) and Ex-Officio Member of the Board Membership, Education and Finance & Resources Committees
Ben Rix

Staff Governor
Louise Jones

Committee member Finance & Resources and Renumeration