Meet the Governors

Welcome to the Governors' section!

Governing Body Information

The structure of the Governing Body.

Lapworth School has a Governing Body consisting of 15 Governors. We are committed to the DfE’s advised three core functions prescribed for all Governing Bodies:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff; and
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

The Governing Body is chaired by Ann Cotterill and David Oakley as Co-Chairs and meets at least once a term. To fulfil the expectations above and work as efficiently as possible, without duplication of time and effort, this governing body has decided to delegate almost all matters to its committees. The main committees and their key responsibilities are set out below:

Committee	Chair	Responsibilities
Governing Body (GB)	Ann Cotterill David Oakley Co Chairs	All Safeguarding matters Approval of the annual budget Appoint selection panel for Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher Organisational structure and constitution of the GB and its committees
Performance and Standards (P&S)	Kerry Newson	School Improvement Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Pupil Welfare
Resources	Karen Baker	Finance Staffing Health and Safety Premises
Pay	David Oakley	Pay policy Staff performance Annual pay decisions
Ethos & Values	Father Patrick Gerard	Maintaining the school’s ethos and identity as a church school Promoting awareness of Christian belief and practice Preparing for SIAMS inspections

In addition to the committees above, the Governing Body may also decide to establish working parties for specific projects and other areas which have a significant workload.

Governors Register of Pecuniary Interests

The following governors serve on the Governing Body during the school year 2020-21

Governor Name	Type of Governor	Chair (CH) or Vice Chair (VC)	Committee Chair	Resources Cmte member	Performance & Standards Cmte member	Ethos & Values Cmte Member	Connection to Staff (Yes or No) If Yes, who & how	Term of Office End Date	Other School Governor Posts Held	Business Interests Declared (Yes or No)

Mary McKay	LA			Y	Y		N	31 Jan 2023	N	Y see below
Ann Cotterill	CG	Co-CHAIR			Y	Y	N	29 April 2023	N	Y see below
VACANCY	CG
VACANCY	CG
VACANCY	CG
Fr Patrick Gerard	FOU		Y			Y	N	None	N	Y see below
Judy McCluskey	HT Ex Officio			Y	Y	Y	N	None	N	N
Heidi Copland	PG				Y		N	29 Nov 2020	Y see below	Y see below
Debbie Thompson	STF			Y			N	4 Oct 2024	N	N
Stuart Baines	FOU				Y		N	30 Sep 2024	N	N
Kerry Newson	AS		Y		Y		N	n/a	N	N
VACANCY	PG
Clare Kimpton	FOU					Y	N	30 June 2023	N	N
Karen Baker	PG		Y	Y					N	N
David Oakley	CG	Co-CHAIR		Y	Y		N	April 2022	N	N
David Woodbourne	PG			Y	Y			15 Dec 2023	N	N

Key:

LA – Local Authority nominated or appointed governor

PG – Elected or appointed parent governor

STF – Staff governor

FOU – Foundation governor, appointed by the Diocesan Education Service

CG – Co-opted governor, appointed by the Governing Body

AG – Appointed by the Trustees of the Academy

PTN – Partnership governor

AS – Associate Member

Mary McKay

WCC Governor Services – Associate Trainer since 2006 to present

Newport Educational – Trainer since 2006 to present

Heidi Copland

COO at the National Governance Association (NGA) since March 2016 to present

Fr Patrick Gerrard

Chairman of Parochial Church Council, Trustee of Lapworth Charity, Post holde at Diocese of Birmingham, Chair of Lapworth Old School Trust and Trustee of Melson Memorial Trust

Ann Cotterill

Director of Cotterill Creative Education Solutions Ltd – management consultancy for higher education providers Feb 2017 to present

Judy McCluskey

Husband is a director of Gilbert McCluskey Limited (dormant) and manager at Insight Trans Logistics which is a haulage company.

The following Governors serve on the Governing Body during the school year 2019-20:

Governor Name	Type of Governor	Chair (CH) or Vice Chair (VC)	Committee Chair	Resources Cmte member	Performance & Standards Cmte member	Diocesan Cmte Member	Connection to Staff (Yes or No) If Yes, who & how	Term of Office End Date	Other School Governor Posts Held	Business Interests Declared (Yes or No)

Mary McKay	LA			Y	Y		N	Jan 2023	Y see below	Y see below
Ann Cotterill	CG	Co-CHAIR	Y		Y	Y	N	29 April 2023	N	Y see below
VACANCY	CG
VACANCY	CG
Fr Patrick Gerard	FOU		Y			Y	N	None	N	Y see below
Judy McCluskey	HT Ex Officio			Y	Y	Y	N	None	N	N
Heidi Copland	PG				Y		N	Oct 2020	Y see below	Y see below
Debbie Thompson	STF			Y			N	Sep 2020	N	N
Stuart Baines	FOU				Y		N	Sep 2020	N	N
Kerry Newson	PG				Y		N	13 April 2020	N	N
Keisha Eve	PG	VICE CHAIR (until end of term of office)				Y	N	Nov 2019	N	N
Clare Kimpton	FOU					Y	N	7 July 2023	N	N
Karen Baker	PG		Y	Y				July 2019	N	N
David Oakley	CG	Co-CHAIR		Y	Y		N	April 2022	N	N
Denise Gumley	CG			Y				26 Mar 2023	N	N
David Woodbourne	PG				Y			15 Dec 2023	N	N

Key:

LA – Local Authority nominated or appointed governor

PG – Elected or appointed parent governor

STF – Staff governor

FOU – Foundation governor, appointed by the Diocesan Education Service

CG – Co-opted governor, appointed by the Governing Body

AG – Appointed by the Trustees of the Academy

PTN – Partnership governor

AS – Associate Member

Mary McKay

Other School Governor posts held – Chair of IEB at Salford Priors Primary since 2016 to present

WCC Governor Services – Associate Trainer since 2006 to present

Newport Educational – Trainer since 2006 to present

Heidi Copland

COO at the National Governance Association (NGA) since March 2016 to present

Fr Patrick Gerrard

Chairman of Parochial Church Council, Trustee of Lapworth Charities, Chair of Lapworth Old School Trust and Trustee of Melson Memorial Trust

Ann Cotterill

Director of Cotterill Creative Education Solutions Ltd – management consultancy for higher education providers Feb 2017 to present

The following governors served on the Governing Body during the school year 2018-19:

Governor Name	Type of Governor	Chair (CH) or Vice Chair (VC)	Committee Chair	Resources Cmte member	Performance & Standards Cmte member	Diocesan Cmte Member	Connection to Staff (Yes or No) If Yes, who & how	Term of Office End Date	Other School Governor Posts Held	Business Interests Declared (Yes or No)

Mary McKay	LA	Co-CHAIR		Y	Y	Y	N	Jan 2023	Y see below	Y see below
Ann Cotterill	CG	CO-CHAIR	Y		Y		N	Apr 2023	N	Y see below
Fr Patrick Gerard	FOU Ex Officio		Y			Y	N	None	N	Y see below
Judy McCluskey	HT Ex Officio			Y	Y	Y	N	None	N	N
Heidi Copland	PG				Y		N	Oct 2020	Y see below	Y see below
Debbie Thompson	STF			Y			N	Sep 2020	N	N
Stuart Baines	FOU				Y		N	Sep 2020	N	N
Kerry Newson	PG				Y		N	13 April 2020	N	N
Keisha Eve	PG	VICE CHAIR				Y	N	Nov 2019	N	N
Clare Kimpton	FOU					Y	N	July 2023	N	N
Karen Baker	PG							July 2019	N	N
David Oakley	CG				Y		N	April 2022	N	N
Denise Gumley	CG			Y				26 Mar 2023	N	N
Mike Sexton	CG			Y				26 Mar 2023	N	N
Patrick Hooper	FOU			Y				Term ended Jan 2019	N	N
Adam Marsden	CG		Y	Y				Resigned Oct 2018	N	N

Key:

LA – Local Authority nominated or appointed governor

PG – Elected or appointed parent governor

STF – Staff governor

FOU – Foundation governor, appointed by the Diocesan Education Service

CG – Co-opted governor, appointed by the Governing Body

AG – Appointed by the Trustees of the Academy

PTN – Partnership governor

AS – Associate Member

Mary McKay

Other School Governor posts held – Chair of IEB at Salford Priors Primary since 2016 to present

WCC Governor Services – Associate Trainer since 2006 to present

Newport Educational – Trainer since 2006 to present

Heidi Copland

CO at the National Governance Association (NGA) since March 2016 to present

Fr Patrick Gerrard

Chairman of Parochial Church Council, Trustee of Lapworth Charities, Chair of Lapworth Old School Trust and Trustee of Melson Memorial Trust

Ann Cotterill

Director of Cotterill Creative Education Solutions Ltd – management consultancy for higher education providers Feb 2017 to present

Governors Attendance at meetings 2019/20

Full Governing Body
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	01-Oct-19	27-Nov-19	06-May-20	13-Jul-20	Total attended
Mary McKay	1	0	1	1	3	out of 4
Ann Cotterill	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Fr Patrick Gerard	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Stuart Baines	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Keisha Eve	1	1	n/a	n/a		out of 2	Left the board after her term as a parent governor ended
Kerry Newson	0	1	1	1	3	out of 4	Attended as Associate after the end of her term as a parent governor on 16 April
Karen Baker	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Clare Kimpton	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Heidi Copland	1	0	1	1	3	out of 4
Debbie Thompson	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
David Oakley	1	1	1	0	3	out of 4
Denise Gumley	1	1	0	n/a	2	out of 2	Resigned as a governor
Mike Sexton	0	0	n/a		0	out of 2	Ceased to be a governor in Jan 2020

Performance & Standards
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	26-Sep-19	06-Dec-19	12-Mar-20	18-Jun-20	Total attended
Ann Cotterill	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	out of 1	Left the Resources Committee in Nov 2019
Mary McKay	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Stuart Baines	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Kerry Newson	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4	Became an associate at the end of her term of office as parent governor
Heidi Copland	0	1	0	1	2	out of 4
David Oakley	1	0	1	0	2	out of 4
Denise Gumley	0	1	0	n/a	1	out of 3	Joined the Resources Committee in Nov 2019
David Woodbourne	0	0	1	1	2	out of 2	Joined the Resources Committee in March 2020 after election as parent governor

Resources
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	22-Oct-19	16-Apr-20	17-Jun-20		Total attended

Mary McKay	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Karen Baker	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Debbie Thompson	1	1	1	3	out of 3
David Oakley	1	1	0	2	out of 1
Denise Gumley	1	1	n/a	2	out of 1
Mike Sexton	0	n/a	n/a	0	out of 1	Left the board in Jan 2020
David Woodbourne	n/a	1	1	2	out of 3	Joined the Committee in March 2020 after election as parent governor


Pay
Name of Governor	Date of meeting		Total attended
	22-Oct-19

Judy McCluskey	1		1	out of 1
Karen Baker	1		1	out of 1
Ann Cotterill	0		0	out of 1
David Oakley	1		1	out of 1
Denise Gumley	1		1	out of 1

Ethos & Values (prev Diocesan)
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	16-Oct-19	05-Feb-20	03-Jun-20	Total attended
Fr Patrick Gerard	1	1		2	out of 3
Judy McCluskey	1	1		2	out of 3
Clare Kimpton	1	1		2	out of 3
Keisha Eve	1	n/a	n/a	1	out of 1	Left the Board after her term as a parent governor ended
Ann Cotterill	0	1		1	out of 3

Deborah Yardley
Clerk to the Governing Body

09-Sep-20

Governors Attendance at meetings 2018/19

Full Governing Body
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	02-Oct-18	29-Nov-18	27-Mar-19	08-Jul-19	Total attended
Mary McKay	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Adam Marsden	1	0	0	0	1	out of 1	Resigned after meeting on 2 Oct 2018
Ann Cotterill	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Fr Patrick Gerard	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Stuart Baines	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Keisha Eve	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Kerry Newson	0	1	1	1	3	out of 4
Karen Baker	1	0	1	0	2	out of 4
Clare Kimpton	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Patrick Hooper	1	1	0	1	3	out of 2	Left the board in Jan 2019
Heidi Copland	1	0	0	1	2	out of 4
Debbie Thompson	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
David Oakley	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Denise Gumley	0	0	0	1	1	out of 1	co-opted at meeting on 27 March
Mike Sexton	0	0	0	0	0	out of 1	co-opted at meeting on 27 March

Performance & Standards
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	28-Sep-18	07-Dec-18	25-Jan-19	23-May-19	Total attended
Ann Cotterill	1	1	1	0	3	out of 4
Mary McKay	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Stuart Baines	0	1	1	1	3	out of 4
Kerry Newson	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4
Heidi Copland	0	1	1	1	3	out of 4
David Oakley	1	1	1	1	4	out of 4

Resources
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	23-Oct-18	12-Mar-19	20-Jun-19		Total attended

Mary McKay	1	0	1	2	out of 3
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Karen Baker	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Patrick Hooper	1	0	0	1	out of 1	Left the Governing Body in February 2019
Debbie Thompson	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Ann Cotterill	0	1	0	1	out of 1	Attended as Co Chair in absence of MM
Denise Gumley	0	0	1	1	out of 1	Joined the Committee in June 2019
Mike Sexton	0	0	1	1	out of 1	Joined the Committee in June 2019

Pay
Name of Governor	Date of meeting		Total attended
	23-Oct-18
Mary McKay	1		1	out of 1
Judy McCluskey	1		1	out of 1
Patrick Hooper	1		1	out of 1
Karen Baker	1		1	out of 1
Ann Cotterill	1		1	out of 1

Diocesan
Name of Governor	Date of meeting
	10-Oct-18	06-Feb-19	05-Jun-19	Total attended
Fr Patrick Gerard	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Mary McKay	1	0	0	1	out of 1	Left the Committee after the 10 Oct 2018 meeting
Judy McCluskey	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Clare Kimpton	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Keisha Eve	1	1	1	3	out of 3
Ann Cotterill	0	1	0	1	out of 3

Deborah Yardley
Clerk to the Governing Body
06-Sep-19



						Total attended

						4	out of 5
						3	out of 5
						5	out of 5
						3	out of 5
						4	out of 5	not invited to attend 13 Mar meeting
						5	out of 5
						5	out of 5
						4	out of 5
						4	out of 5
						3	out of 5
						5	out of 5
						4	out of 4	appointed Oct 2016
						4	out of 5	not invited to attend 13 Mar meeting

Meet the Governors

Ann Cotterill, Co Chair of the Governing Body

I am a management consultant working predominantly to support higher education providers meet their regulatory requirements and deliver high quality programmes. As a co-opted governor, I help to support Mrs McCluskey and the leadership team in maintaining high standards for pupils and staff. I have been a member of the governing body (GB) since October 2011 and am now Co-chair of the GB. I find being a governor is a highly rewarding role as it provides opportunities to see the educational progress of the pupils as well as their wide and varied achievements.

On a more personal note, I am Australian and lived in a sunnier climate throughout my formative years. I studied chemistry and gained my doctorate from the University of Melbourne. I have lived in the UK (England and Wales) for around 30 years and in the local area for the last 20 years. My child attended Lapworth Primary from Reception to Year 6 and is now enjoying secondary school.

Mary McKay, Local Authority Governor

In the autumn of 2013 I was privileged to be appointed to lead our governing body for the next three years.
I had two reasons for accepting this role.

The first is to do with my commitment to the school and to the wider community of Lapworth. Gordon and I moved here in 1981. Our sons were five and seven at the time and attended Lapworth school in the days before it moved into the current premises in Station Lane. Our sons loved their time at the school and were well prepared for their move to secondary education in Stratford. I want to make sure that the primary education experienced by my sons continues i.e. one which recognises the importance of academic achievement but also, crucially, provides a caring atmosphere in which all our pupils learn and grow.

My second reason is about my being able to contribute something to the governance of the school and, therefore, support the continued improvement of our school. I continue to work all over the country in my chosen career in education – as a specialist in school governance - training, reviewing and supporting governing bodies.

As Chair I can tell you the governing body has as one of its priorities this year improving communications with parents so you should notice we are in touch with you more regularly keeping you up to date with what we all our work. These are exciting times for our school with plans for expansion well under way but this does not distract us from the main job of providing the best possible education for all pupils who attend our school.

Father Patrick

Fr Patrick has been an ex-officio Foundation Governor since his institution as Rector of Lapworth in May 2010. Fr Patrick has degrees in Mathematics and Theology. He worked for British Gas for 16 years, including postings in India and Brazil negotiating pipeline contracts. He entered full-time ordained ministry in 2006. Currently he is chair of the Ethos & Values Committee.

Karen Baker, Parent Governor

I was initially elected as a parent governor in 2015 and then re-elected for a second term in 2019. As well as serving on the Full Governing Body, I am currently Chair of the Resources Committee. This committee deals with non-curriculum matters such as finance, HR, Health and Safety and premises. During my time as a governor, I have been involved with some exciting decisions and projects including the expansion of the school to one-form entry, the creation of The Orchard and bringing the Pre-School under the school's management.

I enjoy being a governor as it provides an opportunity to play an active role supporting the Head Teacher and the rest of the staff with the strategic management of the school. It also allows me to give something back to the setting which has played a significant and valuable role in our family's lives since our eldest child joined the Pre-School at the age of 2 back in 2010.

My professional background is as a chartered accountant and I have worked in both the private and public sectors. When my children were younger, I held the role of Treasurer on the committee of the Pre-School when it was run as an independent charity and I have also worked as a school business manager in schools in Birmingham and Warwickshire. This has provided me with relevant, current experience to bring to my role as a governor. I have lived in Lapworth since 2007. Having children here and getting involved in the community via the Pre-School, Scarecrow festival and the school has provided us with many friends locally and I am privileged to be able to give something back by supporting the school as a governor.

David Woodbourne, parent governor

My eldest daughter started Lapworth School in 2017 and, all being well, my youngest daughter is due to leave in 2032! As the school is such a large part of our lives rather than follow my natural introverted instincts, I took the opportunity to take an active role in supporting the school and became a parent governor.

In my first year I was involved in an OFSTED inspection, a pandemic, and elected chair of the Performance & Standards committee. Lapworth is a great school with fantastic teachers who have a desire to make a difference in the lives of our children and impart life lessons they’ll never forget.

It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to support them by influencing school strategies and policy. My perspective on primary education is it should nurture key skills such as imagination, cooperation, problem solving, communication, critical thinking, and empathy. I believe the common path to nurturing these skills, is to foster fun, happiness, play and creativity in the classroom.

Professionally I have a background in IT, currently managing a team responsible for a Universities' data warehouse and analytics architecture. My hobbies include rock climbing, squash, and running. However, it’s quality time with my family I value most, whether on the floor playing, reading stories, walking the dog or building yet another den.

Stuart Baines, Foundation Governor

I joined the Governing Body as a Parent Governor shortly after my eldest daughter started at Lapworth school and this year have all three daughters at Lapworth. Working with the Governing Body has given me the opportunity to give something back whilst my daughters enjoy the community, activities and learning that the school provides to all pupils.

During my time on the Governing Body I have learnt so much more about Primary Education than I ever understood before. From my role in the Performance and Standards Committee I have learnt about the teaching and monitoring of our pupils achievements. Working on Communications I have assisted with the setting up of this website and learnt about the challenges of communicating with the large audience that take an interest in our school. I hope to continue providing governance for Lapworth School in the exciting times that the proposed school expansion will bring.

Finally, some background, I have a degree in Engineering and work in Information Technology as part of a global team defining cloud technologies for business solutions. Since graduating I worked in Cambridge & London for 8 years but happily moved toLapworth over 15 years ago. I enjoy the rural surroundings and community in the village, taking advantage of the opportunity to walk to school some mornings with the Walking Bus on Station Lane.

Slideshow

Governing Body Meetings

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