Governors

Labour Councillor for Rusholme Ward.  Councillor Akbar is Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and serves on the following Committee(s): Executive, Licensing Policy Committee and Personnel Committee and is appointed to serve on the following Joint Authority: Greater Manchester Waste Committee

Currently Associate Director, Delivery at Ambition School Leadership, my involvement in the delivery of leadership programmes for leaders in challenging contexts is one that occupies my everyday life. I have been lucky enough to be part of Ambition, what was Teaching Leaders, since its inception outside of London in 2011. Having worked as direct participant support, middle leadership programme management and now an Associate Director overseeing the delivery of large operational activity, understanding what makes leaders tick outside of the classroom is what I spend my time doing! Trying to understand how we can support all educators to engage in training and development without being a burden is something I know well. Additionally, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting and watching the organisation grow across England and especially with a focus on the North of England, ensuring our means of delivery reflects what is actually workable and achievable for teachers. Understanding the landscape in this area is especially exciting as we become an even bigger organisation and work with more and more teachers across the sector.  My passion is to make a difference to lives of real people in real communities. My current role allows me to do this through the medium of education but prior to this I worked with NEET groups in long-term unemployment across Greater Manchester, supporting people back into work through community projects during which I met some of the most fantastic people and was inspired day after day.   Growing up in Oldham, I know first-hand the current lottery of postcode when it comes to a child’s life chances. I have chosen to make it my career goal to contribute towards changing this and supporting MEA Central in any way I can is another small step towards achieving that goal and support children in my, now local, area. 

Frances trained as a physics teacher in 2008 but chose to head into the not-for-profit education sector where she has worked for the last decade, including managing programmes on diversity and inclusion in science, and now professional development for school leaders working in disadvantaged communities.  Alongside her professional experience, she founded and grew a small education charity, the Lightyear Foundation, working in Ghana and the UK to make hands-on science available for all young people. In 2016, her work was recognised with the award of a Prime Minister’s Point of Light.  Frances lives in Burnage and leads a local Girl Guide group.