Governance | Wickhambrook Primary Academy

Local Governance at Unity Schools Partnership

According to the Department of Education, the three core functions of governance in a Multi Academy Trust are:

Giving the school a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Ultimate responsibility for these tasks is held by the central Board of Trustees but support from local governing bodies is vital in providing local representation and acting as the eyes and ears in each school community. Local governors work alongside school staff, to support them in improving the outcomes and wellbeing of all the children in their schools. Feedback from each local board is reported to the Trust Board, and taken into account during decision-making.

Local governors follow a Governance Charter, which is summarised here:

Scheme of Delegation

Please click here to view our Unity Schools Partnership Scheme of Delegation, which gives a more detailed breakdown of the role of a local governor.

Governance at Wickhambrook Primary Academy

The Chair of Governors at Wickhambrook Primary Academy is Peter Nicholson. They can be contacted by email via the school office.

More information about all members of the governing body, including any relevant declarations of interest and attendance at meetings, can be found in the table below:

Name	Category of Governor	Term of office end*	Relevant business or pecuniary interests	Governance roles in other educational establishments	Relationship to school staff	Meeting attendance in 2024/25 (annual year)
Vicky Doherty	C	9/12/29		Executive Head at Kedington & Steeple Bumpstead		3/4
Cara Field	C	10/5/29				3/4
Michael Lavelle	C	25/2/28		Chair of Wickhambrook Parish Council		4/4
Peter Nicholson	C	6/7/27		– Trustee of Ursuline Prep School Ilford. – Governor at Samuel Ward and Westfield. – Member at Epping Forest Schools Partnership.		4/4
Rosie Kerr	HT			Governor at Glemsford Primary.		4/4
Oliver Hiner	P	29/11/27	Caterlink	Works for another company under parent company as Caterlink.		3/4
Lucinda Pritchard-Gordon	P	5/12/27				4/4
Sophie Wearing	S	13/3/26			Lorraine Jolland (Aunt) works at Wickhambrook and Lynsey Jolland who is the Payroll Manager at the Trust. Also Ellie Jolland (cousin) works at Kedington Primary.	3/4

Abbreviations

C: Community Governor, Trust appointed

P: Parent Governor, elected by parents

S: Staff Governor, elected by staff

HT: Headteacher

AY: Academic Year

* Please note: The duration of all terms of office is four years.

Past Governors

Information about governors who have stood down from the Governing Body over the past 12 months can be found here:

Name	Category of Governor	Term of office end	Relevant business or pecuniary interests	Governance roles in other educational establishments	Relationship to school staff	Meeting attendance in 2024/25 (annual year)
Glen Starkey	C	17/5/25

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.

TERM OF OFFICE 10th December 2021 to 9th December 2025.

TERM OF OFFICE 26 February 2024 to 25th February 2028.