Governing Board of Westacre Middle School

The school is a local authority (LA) community school and it reconstituted in line with the Statutory Guidance, on the instrument of government. There are 11 Governors appointed:

1. 1 Headteacher
2. 2 Parent Governors
3. 1 Nominated by the Local Authority
4. 1 Staff Governor
5. 6 Co-opted

The three core strategic functions of Westacre Middle School Governing Body are:

• that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined;
• that the headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the school;
• the sound, proper and effective use of the school's financial resources.

Governors are also responsible for ensuring that the school meets statutory requirements with regard to Safeguarding, Health and Safety, the Curriculum and Finance.

The Full Governing Body meets 6 times a year; Governing Body committees also meet termly.

The Governing Body has established a number of committees to which it delegates day to day responsibility for the oversight of various aspects of the running of the school:

Finance, staffing and premises (FSP) Committee

Initial oversight and management of the annual budget drawn up by the school; Ensures the school maintains an appropriate system of internal financial control; Agrees priorities for revenue and capital funding. The committee also considers matters related to staffing and premises, including health & safety and assets & risk.

The Chair is Fiona Piercy

Curriculum, teaching, learning & pastoral (CTLP) Committee

Ensures the school offers a broad and balanced curriculum in accordance with the National Curriculum; Reviews term dates and the length of the school day; Receives reports of faculty reviews and monitors the Link Governor scheme; Reviews school performance data, monitors safeguarding processes and attendance; Provides strategic advice and guidance on teaching and learning.

The Chair is Mike Horton

Please read below for some more information about each of our school governors:

Laura Constable

I am a staff governor and a year 7 teacher at Westacre Middle School, with my teaching role including being Personal, Social, Health and Economcics lead, Eco lead, House leader and lead for the Junior Duke Award. Having previously served as a police officer and a nurse, I bring a diverse skill set to education. These previous roles have instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility, an ability to navigate complex situations and a compassionate approach to understanding others. Now, as a teacher, I harness these skills daily, ensuring a supportive environment for our pupils. Becoming a staff governer is an opportunity to use my first-hand knowledge of day-to-day school life, using it to contribute meaningfully to our school's governance. My dual perspective as both a teacher and a governer enable me to offer insights that bridge classroom realities with administrative decisions.

Craig Taylor

I am a retired engineer and have been a co-opted governor at Westacre for 5 years. I live in the local area and have family and friends that have attended the school. I enjoy the various roles and find it a fascinating insight into the running of a school, its interaction with the local community and authority. I enjoy meeting with staff and pupils and seeing their pride in the school and the hard work and dedication of those involved. Having spent 35 years working in managing and running engineering firms, I have a wealth of Health and Safety experience and an in depth knowledge of best practice in Design and Technology. I have a firm understanding of finance and have controlled budgets and contracts for Tier 1 car component manufacturers. I am able to audit and interrogate systems to ensure compliance and deliver strong analysis. I enjoy working with the other governors and senior leadership team to ensure the school provides high quality education and opportunities for all of the children at Westacre.

Sue Barkway

I worked for more than thirty years in education, starting as a teacher before becoming a headteacher, Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools (HMI) and a Regional Director for Ofsted. Since retirement, I have been a governor at three schools. My relationship with Westacre began in 2013 when I inspected the school for Ofsted and, several years later,  became a member of the governing body. I have two grown-up children and three grandchildren; one of whom attends Westacre.

Mike Horton

Having worked in education for over 20 years, I am currently a senior leader at another middle school in Worcestershire, leading on data, outcomes, assessment and Pupil Premium, as well as being Deputy DSL. I have a daughter in year six, who loves attending Westacre. As a parent governor, I support the school with English and Pupil Premium, sitting on the FGB and CTLP committee.

Judy Mayo

I work for Worcestershire Children Services as a Social Worker. I have one child at Westacre School, and had an older child attend the school previously. I became a Governor as I wanted to support the school and its community with their ongoing developments and ideas for the future and support the school to continue to build on their existing strengths in providing a good education to children. I feel I contribute to the Governors panel by being a parent as well as my professional skills and experience of working with children and families for over 20 years.

Iain Williams

I work for a multinational techonology company that provides identity related security services including facial recognition and other biometric identification products and software to private companies, governments, mobile network operators and car manufacturers. I have two grown up children with eldest being 27 years old and have been involved in school governance since they were at first school. I have been a governor at a Droitwich first school, a Worcester secondary school and at Westacre for the last 5 years. I enjoy working with the other governors and senior leadership team to ensure the school and each child achieved their maximum potential.

Katie Donaldson

I have been a teacher for nearly 20 years, currently teaching Reception in a First School. I lead English and have a real passion for early reading and phonics.  My eldest currently attends Westacre and loves the nurturing environment. I have been on two other Governing bodies and hope to bring my experience of working with schools to improve to my role as Parent Governor.

Westacre Governing Body - Declarations of interest

Governor Attendance 2023/24