Governance
Local Governance at Unity Schools Partnership
The UnitySP Trust Board, through the Articles of Association, has committed to Local Governing Bodies to work in partnership with the Executive and Leadership Teams to fulfil the three core responsibilities of Governance.
These are:
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
We have married these to our Governance Charter and our Scheme of Delegation. These documents, together with the USP Handbook for Local Governance, clearly set out the role and responsibilities of our Local Governing Bodies (LGBs). You can access these documents from the links below or directly from the Unity Schools Partnership website.
Our Governing Body
The Governing Body of the academy is made up of people from a variety of backgrounds. The Academy Governors are a group of individuals who are elected, nominated or co-opted and are representative of parents, staff, the local authority and the local community. Academy Governors work with the Headteacher and are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the school. Full Governing Body meetings are held twice per term and smaller committee meetings are held in addition to these main body meetings.
Governors are all volunteers each giving up considerable personal time. We are fortunate to have a committed governing body membership who offer a diverse range of skills, experiences and opinions. We all share a determination to see the best possible education provided for all children attending the school, enriching their lives and ensuring their successful development and wellbeing.
If you would like more information on the Governing body or would like to contact any of the Governors please contact the Chair of Governor’s at parents@wickhambrookschool.co.uk.
In the interests of transparency, we must publish up-to-date details of our governance arrangements. Our Governance Transparency Information document, which is available in the attachments section, will give you details about:
- the structure and the full name of the chair,
- for each governor who has served at any point over the last audited year, their full names, date of appointment, date they stepped down (where applicable), and relevant business and pecuniary interests,
- attendance records at governing body meetings over the last academic year.
Meet Our Governors
My wife and I have lived in Wickhambrook since August 2018 following my retirement from thirty years headship in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. I have been involved as part of senior leadership in schools since 1981 whilst being chair of governors in four schools. In addition, I served as a Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Currently as well as being chair at Wickhambrook, I am a governor at Samuel Ward Academy.
My teaching experience has been varied. I taught history from Year 1 to Year 8 and also Medieval Church History at A level. I specialised in English between Year 5 and 7 and had a particular interest in the transition between primary and secondary spheres and the distinctiveness of how boys and girls learn and the impact of this on the curriculum.
The importance of extracurricular enrichments was met through encouraging music and drama – the school choir sang in several cathedrals including in Rome and as part of West End productions – and through sports: I was a qualified RFU coach. I led a large number of residential field trips and educational day trips.
In retirement, it has been a privilege to be able to maintain some input into local school life. I also have been producing a history blog aimed for pupils between Years 4 and 8 based around four hundred years leading up to the Battle of Hastings during lockdown.
Our three daughters and two grandchildren remain delightful distractions.
TERM OF OFFICE 7th July 2023 to 6th July 2027.
I have lived in Wickhambrook for 34 years with all three of my children attending Wickhambrook School in the 1990s and 2000s, during which time I was a Parent Governor.
In 2019, I retired from teaching, having been a Deputy Head in three local schools, teaching Maths and PE to pupils in Years 5 to 8. During this time, I also had a role as Head of Year 5 and was heavily involved with pupil transition from Year 4.
My responsibilities as Deputy Head included the progress of all pupils, Safeguarding Lead, and Teacher Governor.
I have been a Community Governor at Wickhambrook since June 2021, having been the Chair of Governors at a school in Bury St Edmunds.
My hobbies include walking, cycling, knitting and cross-stitch. I am also kept busy helping my children with their houses and gardens and supporting their four elderly grandparents.
TERM OF OFFICE 11th March 2021 to 10th May 2025.
I lived in Wickhambrook from birth until 2019 when I moved to Red Lodge, I was a student at the school myself and when I saw there was a position for a class teacher in 2017, I had no hesitation in applying.
I was over the moon when I was given the job at Wickhambrook so that I could give back to the community and make a difference in the same way that my teachers had an impact on me at the school.
My mum even found my school report from when I was in Year 1 where I said I wanted to be a teacher when I am older!
My parents still live in the village along with my grandparents and other family members, so I love that I am still a part of the community by working in the school.
I have been a teacher since 2014 after gaining my PGCE (teaching qualification) and love the family feel of working at Wickhambrook.
I have worked in both Year 3 and 4 at the school and am currently the subject leader of Maths, Computing and DT.
I had considered being a Staff Governor, so jumped at the opportunity when it arose to further contribute to the ethos and vision that we have at Wickhambrook Primary Academy.
TERM OF OFFICE 14th March 2022 to 13th March 2026.
My name is Lucinda Pritchard-Gordon and I have lived in the village for four years and currently have three children at the school.I have always had a passion for art and design/interior design and have previously worked in fashion and as an artist and illustrator but have recently started my own business making bespoke homewares which enables me to work from home around school hours.In my spare time I love sewing, cooking, gardening and generally being creative in any way I can. I also enjoy walking our four doggies – invariably past the school on the off-chance I can wave at the children!
TERM OF OFFICE 6th December 2023 to 5th December 2027.
My name is Oliver Hiner and I have been a resident of Wickhambrook since 2019, moving to Suffolk from Essex to be nearer to our family.
We have two young children, and our eldest started at Wickhambrook Primary school in 2022.
We have been so impressed with the level of education and care, I am delighted, and feel privileged, to be able to support the school and helping to ensure it continues to excel for all that are a part of it and as a key part of our local community.