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The role of the school Governors:
Governors play a key role in any school. The governors at The Kassia Academy are an important part of the school family and help to ensure the school is supported at every turn.
The key core functions are:
Kassia’s governance is overseen by the Governor Hub which oversees both The Kassia and Arbour Academy. All members of the Governing body are appointed by the full committee and agreed by the Trust Board. Community and Associate members are chosen and selected to bring relevant skills to support the school. Staff and Parent members are then approved by the full committee.
I became the Chair of Governors at The Kassia Academy in October 2024 and I am very committed to contributing fully to both the Governing Body and the School community.
I live in Westbrook with my wife Caroline and am very active in the local education community.
As well as my role as a Governor at Kassia, I am a Governor at Callands Primary, I am also Chair of Governors at another Warrington Primary School and a co-opted Governor at a third Warrington School. I consult on the e-safety groups for six Warrington Primary Schools and act as Data Protection Officer for another local school.
I have owned and operated EDAC Solutions for almost twenty years, providing ICT support exclusively to Warrington Schools and, through this, I have become deeply involved in the Warrington Education Community with the interests of all our young learners at heart.
I have a very unusual hobby, which the children in our school find fascinating. I keep many of the worlds most venomous snakes, assisting in research into anti-venom for developing and third world countries. This research saves many many lives.
I work as a Sales & Marketing Manager for a worldwide inspection company where I am responsible for expanding our commercial profile, sales and coverage, both here in the UK and globally.
I graduated from the University of Salford with a BSC Honours Degree in Information Technology, then started work as IT Manager for Pacific Brands UK Limited, before moving into sales and becoming a Senior Sales Executive for Sheridan UK.
I am also a volunteer at Cycling Projects/Wheels for All (a national UK cycling charity which promotes inclusive cycling through a range of successful community engagement programmes that give people the opportunity to cycle on a regular basis; through help, support and guidance). In my spare time I enjoy Travel, Cooking, Reading, Languages, Walking & Fashion/Dressmaking
I have worked for Oakwood Academy since 2010 and held many positions within this time. I started as a 1.1 worker progressing to Teaching assistant, learning mentor, lead learning mentor and inclusion manager/ Deputy safeguarding lead. I am also the staff governor, representing both staff and pupil voice to all governing bodies.
More recently, alongside my role as Inclusion Manager I have taken up the position of the Director of Trust Safeguarding, working for Kings Academy Trust, overseeing the safeguarding practices and procedures for all trust schools working in collaboration with them to ensure outstanding practice throughout.
From the moment I began my career at Oakwood, I realised my passion for supporting the most vulnerable young people in the community, being an advocate for them and their families to ensure their safety and inclusion, not just within an education environment but for their future lives.
Throughout my teaching career I have worked in large comprehensive 11-16 high schools. My career has taken me from teaching maths in Stockport, through Head of Department in a central Manchester high school, to senior leadership in Tameside and Headteacher in Salford. I have been in my current post since June 2019. I believe that children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences need the highest levels of support and care to help them achieve and participate as active members of their community and that high quality alternative education provision is key to this.
I currently work as the Head of English at Oakwood Academy.
I have a passion for literacy and ensuring our pupils have the greatest opportunities to achieve to their highest potential.
I have high expectations for all learners and believe that every child has the right to a quality education.
I have worked at Oakwood Academy for 9 years, after training through St Patrick's and MMU on the school direct programme.
Prior to training to teach, I worked at St Patrick's RC high school for a year as a Graduate TA. In 2024 I achieved my NPQ in Literacy Leadership. I have been Head of English at Oakwood for the last 4 years and have been part of two Outstanding Ofsted teams.
I look forward to supporting Arbour and Kassia.
Having become disillusioned from the mainstream education system I moved to The Canterbury Centre (Arbour Academy) in 2014. As well as teaching math's, I am also a certified yoga teacher and hold a further qualification in ‘Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to Teenagers’.
I believe that having a diverse range of views an essential part of making up a successful management committee, and look forward to this exciting opportunity to set a strategic direction where we can embed an ambitious curriculum, invest in CPD for staff and hold leaders to account for the academic and social outcomes of our pupils.
Name | Role/Type | Term of Office | Subcommittee membership register | Signed business committees | Pecuniary Interests |
Nigel Spencer | Chair of Governors | 20.10.24 - 19.10.28 |
Curriculum & Pupil |
||
Amanda Breward | Vice Chair | 02.09.24 - 01.09.28 |
Standards and Effectiveness |
||
Simon Lennox |
Community | 25.03.21 - 24.03.25 |
Standards and Effectiveness, Pupil Premium |
Yes | None declared |
Sangeeta Shakos |
Staff | 12.05.23 - 11.05.27 | Staff and Pupil Welfare | Yes | None declared |
Sinead Mannion | Governor | 02.09.24 - 01.09.28 | Standards and Effectiveness | ||
Michelle Navin | Governor | 26.10.24 to 25.10.28 | Attendance and SEND |
Name | Role/Type | Term of Office | Subcommittee membership register | Signed business committees | Pecuniary Interests |
Miss Jacqui Hughes |
Community (Chair/ (Resigned) |
05.01.21 - 04.01.24 |
Appeals Committee, Curriculum & Pupil Welfare – Chair, Finance, Staffing, Premises & H&S |
Yes | Trustee on Oakwood Academy Trust Board |
Ms Rachel Knight |
Community Governor (Resigned) |
11.07.22 - 13.03.24 | Standards and Effectiveness | Yes | None declared |
Mr Lee Darwin |
Parent Governor (Resigned) |
17.02.23 - 13.09.23 | Staff and Pupil Welfare | Yes | None declared |
Mr John Leonard |
Community Governor (Resgined) |
25.03.21 -06.07.23 | Staff and Pupil Welfare, Safeguarding- Kassia | Yes | None declared |
Mrs Jacqueline Bowen |
Community Governor (Resigned) |
15.03.24 - 13.06.24 | Standards and Effectiveness, Attendance | Yes | None declared |
Miss Heather Burke |
Staff Governor (Resigned) |
18.04.23 - 30.09.24 | Staff and Pupil Welfare | Yes | None declared |
Mr Jacob Bond |
Chair/Safeguarding Governor (Resigned) |
24.02.21 - 23.02.25 | Staff & Pupil Welfare, Safeguarding for Kassia Academy, Careers, Health & Safety | Yes | Trustee Greater Manchester West Country Scout Council, Employee Great Academies Education Trust, Trustee Ellesmere District Scout Council |
Mrs Julia Chapman |
Community Governor (Resigned) |
01.01.24 to 31.12.28 | Standards & Effectiveness, SEND | Yes | None declared |
Mrs Paula Kearney |
Staff Governor (Resigned) |
04.03.24 to 05.11.24 | Staff and Pupil Welfare | Yes | None declared |
Mrs Louise Atkin |
Community Governor (Resigned) |
13.12.23 to 28.10.24 | Staff and Pupil Welfare | Yes | None declared |
Name | Local Governing Body Meeting Date: TBC |
Staff & Pupil Welfare Committee Date: TBC |
Standards & Effectiveness Committee Date: TBC |
Jacob Bond | |||
Heather Burke | |||
Julia Chapman | |||
Lee Darwin | |||
Donna Hindley | |||
Jacqui Hughes | |||
Rachel Knight | |||
Simon Lennox | |||
John Leonard | |||
Julie Owen | |||
Lindsay Regan | |||
Sangeeta Shakos |
Name | Local Governing Body Meeting Date: 10.5.23 |
Staff & Pupil Welfare Committee Date: 13.6.23 |
Standards & Effectiveness Committee Date: 20.6.23 |
Jacob Bond | Attended | Attended | N/A |
Heather Burke | Apologies Accepted | N/A | Attended |
Julia Chapman | Apologies Accepted | N/A | Apologies Accepted |
Lee Darwin | Apologies Accepted | Apologies not Accepted | N/A |
Donna Hindley | N/A | Attended | Attended |
Jacqui Hughes | Attended | Attended | N/A |
Rachel Knight | Apologies Accepted | N/A | N/A |
Simon Lennox | Attended | N/A | Attended |
John Leonard | Apologies Accepted | Apologies not Accepted | |
Julie Owen | Attended | Attended | Attended |
Lindsay Regan | Attended | Attended | Attended |
Sangeeta Shakos | N/A | Attended | N/A |