Role of the Governors
School governing bodies are responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the headteacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school's aims and policies. As well as this they hold the headteacher to account for pupil attainment and progress, performance management, financial performance and have a number of duties which include the appointing and dismissal of staff, ensuring pupil and staff are safe, hearing appeals and setting standards. The role of the governor is very important to our school.
Proposed Dates for Full Governor Body Meetings for 2023-2024
Autumn 2023 Monday 9th October 2023, 5.30pm
Autumn 2023 Monday 4 December 2023, 5.30pm
Spring 2024 Monday 5 February 2024, 5.30pm
Spring 2024 Monday 25 March 2024, 5.30pm
Summer 2024 Monday 20 May 2024, 5.30pm
Summer 2024 Monday 8 July 2024, 5.30pm
Click here to access governor meeting minutes and other documents (password required)
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Instrument of Governors
Contacting the governors
You can contact our governors in the following way;
email:- chairofgovernors@lockingstumps.co.uk
In writing by sealed envelope to;
Governing Body, Locking Stumps Community Primary School, Glover Road, Locking Stumps, Warrington, WA3 7PH
or
The Clerk to Governors, Locking Stumps Community Primary School, Governor Advisory & Support, Warrington Borough Council, 1 Time Square, Warrington, WA1 2NT
Meet our Governors
Alison Fisher (Chair of Governors)
Type of governor: Co-opted (Appointed by Governing Body)
Governor since: November 2017
Alison lives in Locking Stumps with her family. She previously attended Locking Stumps Primary School before moving up to Birchwood High School. She now has a son in Year 2 and a daughter at the High School.
Alison has worked in the nuclear industry for 21 years and currently leads the Decisions Analysis team within a local nuclear consultancy firm. Her work involves direct stakeholder engagement to assist clients with understanding their issues and requirements by providing support and reasoned challenge. Her skills lie within the themes of influencing and relationship building.
Alison is committed to supporting the school, and has been Chair of the PTA since November 2019. In November 2022, Governors elected Alison to the position of Chair of Governors (no pecuniary interests).
If you would like to find out more about our governing body please feel free to send an email to: chairofgovernors@lockingstumps.co.uk
Appointed: 27.11.2017 - 25.11.2025
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Colin Burrows (Vice Chair)
Type of governor: Local Authority (Appointed by Warrington Borough Council)
Governor since: 1996
Colin has five sons and a daughter all of whom have been through Locking Stumps. He works as an accountant and is also active in youth work and as an elder at Thomas Risley Church. Colin is our longest serving governor.
Other Governorships: Birchwood Community High School, Warrington (A pecuniary interest)
Appointed: 8.11.1996 - 07.11.2024
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Dr. Paul Speake (Vice Chair of Governors)
Type of governor: Co-Opted (was a parent Governor)
Governor since: 2017
Following an eighteen year career in academia Paul is currently a full time dad, and is very active in the local community. This includes being Chair of the Risley Moss Action Group and an active member of the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum Committee as well as supporting the local scout group.
Appointed: 22.05.2017 - 21.05.2025
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Dr. Penny Haughan
Type of Governor: Co-opted (Appointed by the governing body)
Governor since: 2013
Penny has lived in Warrington for over 30 years. She is Pro Vice Chancellor (Student Life and Learning) at Liverpool Hope University and has much experience with students who are training to be teachers. She has two daughters who are currently at University.
Appointed: 21.11.2013 - 20.11.2025
Jamie Vermiglio
Type of governor: Staff (by virtue of role - Headteacher)
Governor since: 2017 (observer since 2013)
Jamie was appointed Headteacher from September 2017. He was previously the Deputy Headteacher for four years and before that was the Assistant Headteacher at another Warrington School. Jamie is married to Carla (who is also a teacher) and has two young children (Sam and Emily). Jamie is also the manager of Buxton F.C. and spends more than 40 saturdays a year watching a football match!
Appointed: 01.09.2017
Helen Stewart
Type of Governor: Staff (Appointed by the staff)
Governor since: 2022
Helen has taught at Locking Stumps since 1996 and prior to working at Locking Stumps, she taught at a school in Poynton. She was previously a Key Stage Leader and Acting Deputy Head, but stepped down to spend more time with her girls when they were younger.
Helen loves teaching at our school and being part of the Locking Stumps Community.
Appointed: 14.11.2022 - 14.11.2026
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Jo Roscow
Type of governor: Co-opted (Appointed by the governing body)
Governor since: 2013
Jo has worked at Birchwood Community High School for fourteen years and has been the assistant Headteacher but as recently stepped down from that role to fully concentrate on her Special Educational Needs role - she is very passionate about incusive education and provides lots of support and challenge in this area. Jo also leads transistion for children with additional needs.
Appointed: 10.09.2013 - 09.09.2025
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Sheila Jaeger
Type of governor: Co-opted (Appointed by Governing Body)
Governor since: October 2019
Sheila is a retired teacher and lives in Warrington. She worked briefly at Locking Stumps CP when she first qualified as a teacher almost twenty five years ago. For eighteen years, she worked at a local specialist school where she was Director of Services for ten years until she retired in 2016. Her interests are SEND and she is passionate about autism spectrum disorders in particular. She has two grownup children and spends a lot of time with her young grandchild.
Appointed: 14.10.2019 - 13.10.2027
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Robert Oakes
Type of governor: Parent Governor (Appointed by parents)
Governor since: April 2021
Robert is the Deputy Head Pastoral at The Grange Independent School in Northwich. He has been at the school for 4 years and in education for 17 years. He has has two children currently at Locking Stumps Primary School and one who left two years ago for High School. Robert is passionate about the wrap around care a school can offer a student and their family with a current focus on supporting Mental Health. He is also a keen footballer and runs a local U11’s teams with several players from the school.
Appointed: 03.04.2021 - 02.04.2025
Claire Ellison
Type of governor: Parent Governor (Appointed by parents)
Governor since: January 2022
Claire moved to the area in 2010 and has loved becoming part of the community. She has a son and a daughter that currently attend Locking Stumps Primary School. She has several years’ experience in education, having previously worked as a secondary maths teacher at Rainhill High school and now working as a lecturer in the School of Science Engineering and Environment at the University of Salford, where she is the education lead and helps undergraduates pursue a career in teaching.
Appointed: 24.01.2022 - 23.01.2026
Ben Duncanson
Type of governor: Co-opted (Appointed by Governing Body)
Governor since: January 2023
Ben has lived in Warrington his entire life. He has recently graduated from Lancaster University where he achieved his degree in Politics.
Since leaving education, Ben now works for Warrington Borough Council as a SEND Panel Officer. Ben’s main interests involve Pupil Premium and SEND where he is passionate about making sure every child has access to an excellent education. Outside of work, Ben enjoys travelling around the world – having been places such as Thailand and America.
Appointed: 16.01.2023 - 15.01.2027
Dannielle Beaumont
Type of governor: Co-opted (Appointed by Governing Body)
Governor since: March 2022
Dannielle joined the governing board in March 2022. She joins us with experience of educational HR and school operations - in particular staffing, safeguarding and wellbeing. Dannielle currently works for Hollingworth Learning Trust, a Multi Academy Trust based in Rochdale. Her role within the Trust is the HR Manager and this is an area that she is incredibly passionate about – there is always something new to learn (or educational changes to keep up with).
Dannielle has a daughter who attends Locking Stumps. Outside of work, Dannielle enjoys day trips to the beach build sandcastles with her daughter, and coastal and mountain walks for her own wellbeing – most recently having walked up Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the UK!).
Appointed: 21/03/2022 to 20/03/2026
Attendance Registers
Interested in becoming a Governor?
The governing body of a school has a number of functions. In its ‘Governors’ Handbook’ the Department for Education summarises them in this way:“In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.”
Present government policy is to give all schools more autonomy, and in the current climate the capacity of Local Authorities to monitor, support and challenge schools is being reduced, making the role of the governing body in self-regulation even more important.
Governors don’t need to be experts on education but they do need to be interested in children and in how schools can do the best they possibly can for their pupils; they do need to be able to get on with people and to be able to work as part of a team, but still be able ask the difficult questions when it’s necessary – and sometimes the easy questions too, like ‘why do we do it like that?’. Governors, as volunteers, also need to be able to make time to come into school sometimes during the school day, and to attend evening meetings regularly – two or three meetings a term usually.
Lord Nash, the schools minister, said recently: “All schools make two vital decisions. Who is the head and who sits on the governing body … Governors can effect significant change … Although governance is a voluntary role that does not mean it’s an amateur one. It’s a highly professional, highly responsible job, performing an absolutely critical role.”
At Locking Stumps we take our voluntary role very seriously. If you think you might be interested in joining us please email us (lockingstumps_primary@sch.warrington.gov.uk) and address it to the Chair of Governors, to find out more. We look forward to hearing from you.
Historic (left within the last 12 months)
Organisation of Committees
Curriculum and Well Being
Meet as part of the Full Governing Body Meeting - every half term
Finance and Personnel
Meet as part of the Full Governing Body Meeting - every half term. Colin meets with the LA budget officer 3 times per year with the headteacher and business manager.
Chair's Committee
Mrs Alison Fisher
Dr Penny Haughan
Mr Colin Burrows
Dr Paul Speake
Meet every 2-3 weeks
Pers. Staff, Dismissals, Appts'
Committee formed when required.
Complaints and Appeals
Mrs Alison Fisher
Committee formed when required.
Headteacher Review Panel
Mrs Alison Fisher
Mrs Penny Haughan
Dr Paul Speake
Meet December and April
Staff Dismissal Appeals
Committee formed when required.
Pupil Discipline
Committee formed when required.