If you wish to have a conversation about any aspect of academisation and the process please contact Liz Townend.
The Diocese of Bristol Academies Company (DoBAC)
Company limited by guarantee
Reg. in England and Wales: Company 07688544
Registered office: Diocesan Office, First Floor, Hillside House, 1500 Parkway North, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8YU
DoBAC is a separate incorporated company limiting liability to the Diocesan Board of Finance. In effect, it is a committee of DBE and works to the DBE remit.
Key Responsibilities:
- To be a corporate Member of each Church-led Multi Academy Trust (MAT) and CE Single Academy Trust (SAT) and through these Members to hold schools to account for these responsibilities:
- the Christian Distinctiveness and SIAMS outcomes of their CE schools.
- key educational performance outcomes;
- financial outcomes and 3 year forward projections;
- legal compliance of their CE schools.
- To oversee due diligence checks on proposed Church-led MATs or converting CE schools joining existing or Church-led MATs and agree or prohibit change.
- To appoint Foundation Directors, Members and Local Board Foundation Governors to schools in Church-led MATs and CE SATs, within the terms of the Articles of each Company.
- Ensure engagement with appointments of Church-led MAT Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Principals in CE Academies and Members as outlined in the Articles of each Company and any Memorandum of Understanding/Diocesan guidance.
Additional DBE working groups are formed as necessary to carry out specific project work.
DoBAC Directors
David McGregor
Chair of Board of Directors of DoBAC and Member of DoBAC
David is a teacher by profession, having been Headteacher of two secondary schools locally the last being the CE St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. He was Director of Education for the Diocesan Board of Education for 2.5 years and has been a consultant school improvement officer for 10 years before retiring from that role in 2017. He is a Foundation Governor of Westbury-on-Trym Academy and is an actively involved with Westbury-on-Trym PCC, the Local Deanery and Diocesan Synods. Married to Margaret with three children and 9 grandchildren life is very busy. David was the first Chair of the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust and worked with fellow Directors and officers to grow the Trust to 11 schools. As a committed and passionate educationalist he seeks to ensure all our Church Schools provide a fully inclusive education where children can be fully alive and come to know Christ through the schools excellent teaching and relationships.
Liz Townend
DDE and Director
Liz was a primary teacher for many years, before joining the South Gloucestershire LA Education team where she provided RE support to schools, and subsequently organised a wide range of leadership and curriculum professional development opportunities for newly qualified teachers through to headteachers. Liz taught on national leadership qualifications and was an Ofsted Inspector.
Liz has worked for the diocese for five years with the Diocesan Education team and the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust. She is recently appointed as the new Director of Education for the Diocese.
Liz is a school governor in Patchway and active member of her local PCC and church in Sutton Benger where she plays the piano and organ for her local church and sings in the village choir. Liz loves to see children flourish and thrive in all they do, so promotes church school education that builds wisdom, hope, dignity and helps all to live in loving, inclusive communities.
Emma Langley
Emma Langley is a parish priest in Westbury Park, Bristol. Having come to faith by going to a church primary school she is passionate about them. She has been a school governor in different schools for over 20 years and is currently chair of governors at Westbury Park Primary School. Emma was delighted to be asked to become a Director of DoBAC and looks forward to being able to support the work of excellent education across the Diocese
Oliver Home
Oliver Home is the Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Bristol, leading the team that supports churches and church schools and overseeing the management of the Dioceses resources.
Olivers national Church of England responsibilities include as a Peer Reviewer and as Chair of the National Procurement Group.
Prior to joining the Diocese in 2005, Oliver worked in the book publishing industry, including educational publishing. He has served as a governor in a community primary school and is Vice-Chair of the Foundations of St Matthias, an educational grant making charity. Oliver worships with his family in the Parish of Bishopston & St Andrews, Bristol, where he lives. He is passionate about children and young people experiencing an education that enables them to flourish educationally, emotionally and spiritually and the role of Church Schools in enabling development.
Celia Morgan
Celia is currently a director of DoBAC, member of DBE and Vice Chair of Governors at Easton Primary CE Academy. She has, for 30 years, been part of the church family at Redland Parish Church where she is Chair of Redland Education Centre Management team and leads childrens Sunday groups. Having a Primary teaching and Leadership background (London, Oxford and South Gloucestershire) she knows how important Christian distinctiveness is in education and wants to support church school education and outstanding RE teaching. She is married with two sons and two grandchildren and now tutors pupils at home.
Alan Barr
Alan has been a member of Redland Parish Church for over 30 years, serving in various capacities. He retired from Burges Salmon, a large UK commercial law firm, in 2018 having specialised, since qualifying in the City of London, in corporate law, latterly advising on the creation of the best structures to encourage good governance and meet the objectives of and help embed the values of businesses and organisations in the most efficient manner, advising clients as varied as Arla Foods Co-operative, The Crown Estate, John Lewis Partnership and C & J Clark Family Council. His interest in education was stimulated in advising a sponsor on the creation of one of the first academy schools in Bristol and then as a Governor of Bristol Grammar School. He would not claim any specialist education sector skills or knowledge of Education Law but hopes to bring to DOBAC a positive, solution-seeking approach to creating an efficient structure within which the Church of England Schools, under DOBACs supervision, are able to focus on delivering life enhancing education to their pupils, having simplified and streamlined the necessary compliance and regulatory responsibilities and obligations rightly imposed on academy schools by law.
Paul Jacobs
Paul is a secondary teacher by profession. After several senior leadership positions in secondary schools in the West of England, Paul joined Local Government. He has had experience as Assistant Director and then Director of Education and Skills in North Somerset and then Bristol Local Authorities. Paul is now an education consultant supporting individuals, schools, Multi-Academy Trusts and Local Government.