Governors
Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
The Local Governing Board's role
In accordance with the Governance handbook, all governing boards have three core functions:
- to ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- to hold executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the academy and its pupils, and the performance of staff
- to oversee the financial performance of the academy and make sure its money is well spent
Odyssey Collaborative Trust have chosen to have a Local Governing Board in each of the schools across the MAT (Multi-Academy Trust). The LGB is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a 'critical friend': to support, to challenge, to ask questions and ultimately to represent the school community. The LGB works in close partnership with the Head Teacher, Staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Head Teacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with such decisions as staffing, curriculum, school buildings and finance. They ensure the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives.
The Board of Trustees (Odyssey Collaborative Trust), work in collaboration with the LGB to ensure these functions can be fulfilled; the LGB and Board of Trustees maintain regular contact and put procedures in place to ensure the LGB report back to the Board of Trustees about the performance of the academy they oversee and the LGB's delegated functions.
How we work
The Local Governing Board was formed on 01 April 2019 when the school converted to Academy status. They meet at least three times in an academic year and additionally carry out governor monitoring visits in school. The first meeting of the academic year 2024-2025 will take place in the Autumn Term 2024 on 24 September. Further governor meetings are scheduled for 14 January 2025 (Spring Term) and 22 April 2025 and 21 July 2025 (Summer Term). Attendance of governors at meetings is published retrospectively. The standard term of office for a governor is 4 years. Staff Governors normally serve for 2 years. The Chair and Vice Chair of Governors are elected annually at the first meeting of the academic year.
Who we are
Paul Appleton | Head Teacher |
Jennie Christie Designated Teaching and Learning Governor | Parent Governor Joint Chair |
Duncan Elliott Brown Designated Health and Safety Governor | Parent Governor |
Caroline Ferguson | Staff Governor |
Claire Farris Designated Pupil Premium Governor | Co-opted Governor Joint Chair |
Laura Russell Designated Safeguarding Governor | Co-opted Governor |
Natalie Whitehead | Co-opted Governor Vice Chair |
Stacey Hughes | Co-opted Governor |
| Shane Parker | Co-opted Governor |
| Sophie Walters | Co-opted Governor |
| Rachael Harvey | Clerk to Governors |
The School's current Constitution is 10:
- 6 x Co-opted Governor
- 2 x Parent Governors
- 1 x Head Teacher
- 1 x Staff Governor
If you are interested in becoming a school governor, or have any general queries regarding governance, please contact Rachael Harvey (Clerk to Governors) via the School
Our Chair of Governors can be contacted c/o Cherry Tree Hill Primary School, Lime Grove, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 6WL