Academy Council
The Academy Council plays a key role in helping oversee the strategic direction of the school and works in partnership with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team. The main aim of the Academy Council is to ensure the delivery of a high standard of education for all pupils in its care.
The Academy Council has three main roles:
Strategic
The Academy Council sets the general direction of the school, looking at how it should best develop and improve. This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, setting targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives. Strategic thinking is not always linked with the curriculum and it does not mean just responding to weakness.
Critical Friend
The Academy Council works with the Headteacher and creates a clear understanding of the challenges faced in managing the school. The Academy Council is able to question and challenge. A good working relationship is essential as a real critical friendship is only achieved where there is trust and mutual respect.
Accountability
The school is a business and its stakeholders are the learners. The Academy Council has a professional attitude and uses its collective skills to benefit the learners. It gathers views, ask questions and decides what is best for the school and the children. The governing body is answerable to the parents and the wider community.
|
Name |
Type |
Committee Chair |
Connections to Staff Yes or No If Yes, who and how. |
Term of Office Start Date |
Term of Office End Date |
Attendance at FGB meetings for the previous academic year 01/09/2019 - 31/08/2020 |
Business & Financial Interests Declared |
|
Mrs Christine Freeman |
Co-opted Governor |
No |
19.05.2018 (originally started 2.5.2000) |
18.5.2021 |
7/7 |
Yes, None Stated |
|
|
Mrs Emma Gater |
Head Teacher |
|
Yes related to Mrs Wheeldon |
01.09.2013 |
N/a |
7/7 |
Yes, Husband works for British Gas |
|
Mrs Miranda Burgess |
Staff Governor |
No |
08.10.2019 |
07.10.2023 |
5/6 |
Yes, None Stated |
|
|
Mrs Diane Swift |
Co-opted Governor |
No |
19.05.2018 (originally started 19.5.15) |
18.5.2021 |
5/7 |
Declared Business Interests: Director of Keele & North Staffs Primary SCITT which comes under the governance of the Shaw Education Trust. Other School Governor Posts: Associate Academy Council Member at Seabridge Primary School |
|
|
Mr Tony Mathews |
Co-opted Governor |
Finance Committee Chair | No |
05.12.2019 (originally started 05.12.2016) |
04.12.2023 | 5/7 |
Yes, Lay Member of North Staffs GP Practice. Wife is School Business Manager at Merit PRU. Finance & Commercial Director of MLCSU until 1.6.20 |
|
Mrs Fiona Stagg |
Co-opted Governor |
No |
07.02.2020 (originally started 08.02.2017) |
07.02.2024 |
6/7 | National Leader of Governance, Owner of SBW Governance (Governance consultancy), Clerk to Governing Boards in Stoke and Staffordshire, Chair of Trustees at Children First Learning Partnership Academy Trust, Biddulph, Governor at Walton Priory Middle School, Stone | |
|
Mr Kevin Williams (Vice Chair) |
Parent Governor |
No | 04.10.2018 | 03.10.2021 | 5/7 | Yes, None Stated | |
|
Mr Stuart Shickell (Chair) |
Co-opted Governor |
No | 29.11.2018 | 28.11.2021 | 6/7 | Yes, Children attend school | |
|
Mrs Charlotte Woodall |
Parent Governor |
Yes, married to Mr Woodall | 25.11.2019 | 24.11.2022 | 4/4 | Yes, None Stated | |
|
Governors from the previous 12 months |
|||||||
Mrs Lindsay Armstrong and Miss Amy James also attend meetings in the capacity of Associate Members.
Associate Members do not have any voting rights.
|
Link Governors |
|
|
Safeguarding Link Governor |
Fiona Stagg |
|
Health & Safety Link Governor |
Chris Freeman |
|
Standards Link Governor |
Stuart Shickell |
|
Statutory Grants Link Governor |
Di Swift |
|
Finance Link Governor |
Tony Matthews |
How to contact the Chair of Governors:
Mr Stuart Shickell (Care of the School)
The Meadows Primary Academy,
Poplar Drive,
Blurton
ST3 3AZ
Email Address – office@themeadowsprimaryacademy.org.uk
