Welcome to our Governors' section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Who we are:

Julie Taylor - Chair of Governors

I have worked in the market research industry for 18 years and am currently employed as a Senior User Researcher at the Department for Work and Pensions.  My day-to-day involves speaking to the general public and DWP staff to understand needs and wants with regards to DWP online systems, analysis and interpretation of data, project management, line management of junior personnel and presenting findings.  Through working in research I have developed skills in leadership, problem solving and strategic planning which I look forward to bringing to my role as School Governor at Wigton Moor Primary School. I passionately believe that all children can achieve great things with the right conditions and with teachers that are able to focus on helping them grow. I am excited about the opportunity to assist the team in securing the best possible outcomes for pupils.

 I live locally with my husband and two young children. Outside of work I enjoy family time, seeing live music and running.

Nadine Bleasby - Vice Chair of Governors 

I have spent the majority of my career working in the NHS working in various areas including managing student clinical placements for medical students in Leeds and York, working in the National Institute for Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre in Leeds, before moving to become Chief Operating Officer for a regional clinical research network across the North East and North Cumbria, and most recently as Chief Operating Officer for a business support unit in primary care. I have previously held the role of school governor for a primary school in Harrogate where I live, and am looking forward to bringing some of that experience with me as well as learning more about Wigton Moor through working with the governing body and teaching staff. I'm a keen swimmer, walker and avid reader as well as enjoying travel, good food and wine in good company.

Mike Allen - Chair of Resources Committee

I am an experienced finance professional, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant nearly 25 years ago. I have enjoyed roles in private practice and industry, at home and abroad, and have held senior leadership roles in corporate and commercial banking for the last 19 years. I am also a member of the Leeds City Region LEP's Business Investment Panel, advising the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on grant and loan applications. 

I have two children at Wigton Moor and my wife is a former pupil, so as a family we are very invested in the school, hence my desire to use my experience to assist the governing body. My pastimes outside of work and family revolve around sport, playing football and road cycling on a weekly basis.

Jessica Mellor

Chair of Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support

I started my career in Education as a teacher of history and politics before being appointed to various leadership positions across a successful Multi Academy Trust. In my current role as Deputy Head of School Effectiveness and Workforce Development I have the privilege of  working with a wide range of schools in the region and beyond to support school improvement priorities. As the Director of a SCITT I recruit and train teachers new to the profession and support teacher retention through the implementation of the Early Career Framework. As the Director of an Education Endowment Foundation Research School I am committed to supporting teacher development through an evidence informed approach that connects schools with the ‘best bets’ to improve pupil outcomes. I have a Masters in Education with Teacher Inquiry.

I have grown up in the local area and I am delighted to take on the role of Governor at Wigton Moor where I hope to use my experiences and knowledge of the school system to support the journey of the school. 

Outside of work I have two very young children who keep me busy and I enjoy spending time with my extended family and friends.

Kat Jury

Teacher Governor

I am the staff governor. I have been teaching at Wigton Moor Primary School for a number of years. My role as part of the governing body is to represent the voice of the staff. I am excited about this new challenge and I am looking forward to working with an outstanding team and improving the school even further.

Kathryn Wilkinson

I have over 25 years’ experience as a governor in a number of different schools and settings and am a member of the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) Education Reference Group. I have experience of teaching both at primary and secondary level and am currently manager of the Governor Support Service (GSS) at Leeds City Council where I have worked for 20 years. GSS is responsible for ensuring effective governance across all maintained schools in the authority through providing training and development opportunities, a clerking service and advice and support from governance professionals.

I am delighted to have been appointed as the LA governor at Wigton Moor Primary School in July 2021 and look forward to working with the rest of the governing body, the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the best outcomes for all children.

Andy Atkins

I have worked in education all my working life and I am dedicated to supporting teachers, children and schools to improve and develop their learning. I trained as a teacher and taught in Suffolk, and then I was a consultant and Lead Advisor for Essex County Council schools where I provided extensive support for schools and professional development and training for teachers. Since 2012, I have worked at a number of universities on their Initial Teacher Training programmes as a Senior Lecturer. I was previously a governor at a primary school in Northampton. I have recently moved to Leeds and am keen to work with the team at Wigton Moor Primary School to support the staff and children, and in my spare time explore the lovely countryside in Yorkshire.

Sharon Kelly

My whole career has been in Finance, initially with Arcadia Group for 3 years and subsequently Hermes Parcelnet Ltd for the last 15 years during which time I have held a wide range of roles which has included managing various sized teams and dealing with wide ranging topic areas including supporting non-financial stakeholders and ensuring their decision making is based on accurate financial data which needs to be translated to them in a way that is easily understood.

I have a son currently in Year 4 at Wigton Moor and a daughter who is now in Year 7 but also attended Wigton Moor through her whole primary school education.  This link to the school has given me a desire to give what I can back to a school that has provided so well for my two children and I am hoping to share some of my skills and expertise as I take up the Parent Governor role.

As a family we are always out walking, cycling or exploring the local community.

Laurence Sacks

I began my career as a criminal solicitor in private practice.  I was then invited to join the judiciary part time in the social entitlement chamber.  A further invitation came to become a Deputy County Court Judge before in 2003 being appointed a full time Immigration Judge.  During my past part time appointments in the judiciary I also work as a part time lecturer in the law department at Park Lane College.  After my retirement in 2015 I was invited by Bradford Council to talk to primary children both in schools and in the synagogue about the Jewish religion.  I am an avid bridge player and cricket spectator.  I am still involved in the education system as I have 6 grandchildren all in various stages of education and the youngest two still live with me.

Farheen Azfar

 I have a Doctor of Pharmacy qualification and have clinical pharmacy experience. In the past number of years, I have completed many qualifications specifically focused on safeguarding children. I have completed a parent inclusive program covering Strengthening Families and Communities specialising in Racial Equality and I have specialised in Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health. I have an Advanced Diploma in Child Psychology. I am also a qualified Paediatric First Aider. I am also qualified in Nutrition and Health. I have a BTEC qualification in Essential IT skills, I am also Certified Microsoft Technology Associate MTA. I have a BTEC qualification in Customer Services.

I have 2 lovely children at Wigton Moor Primary School. I have an interest in finding different opportunities to learn and gain experience, thus becoming a Governor at Wigton Moor Primary School has also been a great opportunity for me. I hope this journey of Governance will always be fantastic with the wonderful staff of Wigton Moor Primary School.

Linda Feldman

I have worked in the NHS for a number of years, currently with NHS England who oversee the training and development of the health and care workforce.

I am educated to degree level and qualified in Change Management and Project and Programme delivery. I have led on establishing a self-assessment diagnostic tool to determine current levels of digital literacy within the workforce.

As a Government Digital Service Standard Lead Assessor, I support, promote, and encourage the development of consistent and user-friendly end-to-end government digital services, ensuring recognised standards are achieved.

I am keen to give back to the community and create an impact on the next generation and support them on their educational journey.

My hobbies include swimming having recently swum the distance of the English Channel, Amalfi Coast and Marathon round Athens.

Eugene Uwagie – Ero (CMgr) 

I’m excited to be part of Wigton Moor Primary School Governors Board, with a responsibility to inspire young pupils within and outside our local community. Through planning , provide an enabling environment for children to flourish. I’m pupil’s manager and currently working for HM Revenue & Customs.  I’m an alumina of Aberdeen business school (Robert Gordon) and an affiliate of the Chartered Management Institute(CMI). With over 20, years working experience across public and private sectors (Banking and Finance, HR Peoples Management, Operational delivery, Projects, and Programmes).

I live locally and have a desire to give back in every little way to the society, role modelling and making positive influence on “ young people’s lives. This has resulted in my volunteering work with numerous government and private organisations i.e., Inspiring the future,  DWP Jobcentre Plus, Askham Byram Colleague, Manchester Academy, Mosaic, Princes Trust and CMI. I’m new to the role of school governance however I’m surrounded with very experienced governors. And I’m confident and looking forward to bringing some of my transferable experience and knowledge. Whilst taking every opportunity to learn about Wigton Moor and governance through collaborative working with staff and governing board members. Ultimately, to deliver a strategy that ensures at Wigton Moor Primary “ Everyone Learns, and Everyone  Achieves! Because Everyone Matters.”      

Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Board of Wigton Moor Primary School September 2022-August 2023

1. The Board of Governors September 2021 - August 2022

The Board of Governors maintain a skills matrix which demonstrates the diverse skills held across the Board. This document informs any appointments to ensure the Board of Governors maintain the skills required to be effective. Our governors bring real strength to the strategic leadership of the schools through their skills and experience which include:

• Chartered accountancy
• Budget management
• Education, including school improvement and initial teacher training
• Legal practice
• Governance, through a national leader of governance (NLG)
• Chief operating officer having oversight of HR, finance and IT functions
• Market research solutions including project management

2. Committees

Members of the governing body work through two main committees. Attendance at these meetings and at the full governing body meetings can be seen in section 5 of this statement.

Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support Committee

The Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support committee has delegated authority for monitoring and evaluating the quality of education, including ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum is being taught. The committee holds the headteacher and senior leaders to account for target setting, pupil assessment and outcomes, and the quality of teaching.

The committee also has delegated authority for holding the school to account for pupil behaviour, safeguarding, attendance, children’s spiritual moral social and cultural development, children, parent and staff voice, equality, diversity and inclusion, extra-curricular activities and cluster and other partnership work.

Resources committee

The Resources committee has delegated responsible for staffing including the SENCO being suitably qualified, staff performance management, finance including assurance that school achieves best value, particularly for service level agreements / other external contracts, property management, health and safety and risk management, including GDPR.

The committee is also responsible for overseeing the school's financial stewardship, including oversight and approval of the school's budget.  Committee members aim to assist the smooth running of the school's operations, effectively supporting Wigton Moor's strategic priorities.  

Committee membership

The current committee membership is:

Resources Committee:

Governors:  Mike Allen (Chair), Elaine Bown, Nadine Bleasby, Laurence Sacks, Sharon Kelly.

Associate Members:  Jon Goodall (School Business Manager), Pete Hadfield (Assistant Headteacher).

Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support Committee:

Governors:  Jessica Mellor (Chair), Elaine Bown, Julie Taylor, Kathryn Wilkinson, Farheen Azfar, Andy Atkins and Kat Jury.

Associate Members:  Gillian Dudley (Deputy Headteacher)

Pay Committee/Performance Management Committee

Governors:  Kathryn Wilkinson, Julie Taylor, Nadine Bleasby

This academic year governors have also been allocated additional responsibilities according to their skills experience and interests, and the priorities of the school, as below:

• Child protection and safeguarding – K. Wilkinson
• SEND – J. Mellor
• Early Reading and Phonics – M. Allen
• Pupil Premium and Attendance – J. Mellor
• Literacy – J. Taylor
• Maths – L. Saks
• Science – A. Atkins
• Music – K. Wilkinson
• Humanities – History/Geography – S. Kelly
• PE (including government funding) – N. Bleasby
• Training Governor – J. Taylor
• Equalities – N. Bleasby
• Health and Safety – K. Jury
• EYFS – Julie Taylor   
• English  - Farheen Afzar
• Complaints Kathryn Wilkinson 

3.Training undertaken by Governors September 2021-September 2022

During the academic year Governors have attended training sessions run by the local authority, in person, on-line and e-learning modules. When considering the skills and training Governors require, particular attention is given to three core strategic functions of the Board of Governors:

• 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.

The following training has been undertaken:

• Governor induction training
• Committees for effective governance
• Early reading and phonics
• Ofsted training for governors
• Child protection and safeguarding
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
• Developing the role of Chair

4. Impact of the Governing Board September 2021-August 2022

At the start of the academic year the Chair and Vice Chair conducted a skills audit assessment of all the current governors. This involved an online questionnaire followed by an individual video call to really understand governors’ motivations, values and priorities from their valuable role. This gave us the opportunity to review our roles and the experience, knowledge and skills we individually bring to the Board, ensuring there are no gaps that could affect our efficient governance of the school.

We have recruited three new members to the board to replace some of our valued governors who have now left and have provided support and mentoring as needed to help these new governors to fulfil their roles.

The school priorities in the improvement plan are discussed regularly and governors monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the school improvement plan. The priorities for the academic year were as follows:

1 - Prepare and build confidence in staff, governors and pupils for a potential Ofsted visit

2 - Ensure the delivery of the curriculum across school is exceptional overall

3 - Improve the school assessment system to ensure a consistent approach is delivered across the school and that the most accurate assessments are made in core and foundation subjects

4 - Implement the new EYFS curriculum and changes to evidence collection in Reception
5 - To improve support for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and improve engagement of some non-PP families to ensure pupils always make the greatest gains possible.

The governing board strive to support the school in a strategic role in ensuring that the fulfilment of these priorities. Examples of this activity are given below:

At the start of the academic year each governor was given responsibility for the oversight of a specific curriculum area. Governors spent time reviewing the National Curriculum and the school policies and publications relating to that subject. Armed with that understanding governors spent time with subject leaders and in some cases, time observing lessons, seeing the resources and provision available for the subject and speaking to pupils. We are really pleased to see the level of governor engagement (and therefore knowledge) increase now that we are able to make in-person visits to school.

Conversations with staff have also been a great opportunity for them to vocalise their knowledge and both staff and governors to grow in confidence in preparation for Ofsted. Governors prepared specific detailed visit reports which have been circulated between all members of the Governing Board. Governors are confident that school goes to great lengths to ensure the curriculum is accessible for all pupils as far as is possible. We always ensure discussions with subject leads include understanding how Pupil Premium, SEN pupils and those not making age related progress are catered for and where possible evidence shown for plans to dimmish the gap. Targeted interventions such as the use of the tutoring and inclusion teams have been successful as has the schools swift understanding and focus on initiatives to build skills lost during the pandemic. 

The SATS results achieved this year were excellent and pupils and staff across the school should be congratulated on the outcomes particularly in achieving such fantastic results after facing the challenges posed by the pandemic.

This year the school went through a substantial process of ‘deep dives’ into subject areas, providing a good opportunity for staff and pupils to vocalise learning and knowledge retention and recall; supporting the whole school focus on oracy. Reports from these deep dives have been provided to the Governing Board giving the curriculum content against intent / implementation / impact the scrutiny it deserves.

Governors have welcomed presentations from subject leaders at the beginning of each Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support Committee meetings as a valuable addition to develop knowledge and confidence on the curriculum. It has been agreed that these will continue in the new academic year.

School appears to be settling into using the new phonics scheme (Essential Letters and Sounds) well. We believe content and delivery are certainly matching expectations and, overall, the scheme appears to be assisting in accelerating learning.  We have a designated governor responsible for early reading and phonics who feeds back observations to the Governing Body. 

Governors have a key role to play in ensuring pupil attainment is monitored and maximised. Teaching, Learning and Support Committee have termly access to pupil outcomes, progress and predictions by year group, including predictions for specific cohorts and groups including SEND, pupil premium and EAL. There has been regular data provided and good use of assessment this year from a variety of formal sources including SATs and NFER, Phonics screening and as well as teacher formative assessments.  Governors agreed that next year the scheduled of meetings should be better aligned with the data capture points and the SATs results.

Safeguarding visits have been conducted throughout the year. In an initial visit to school, the safeguarding lead governor Kathryn Wilkinson identified that some aspects of record keeping were not as rigorous as they should be, and that the leadership of safeguarding was not as strong as it could be, although it was clear that the culture of safeguarding in school was strong. The headteacher and deputy headteacher were aware that changes needed to be made. All suggestions noted in the report were quickly addressed and evidence provided at the subsequent visit.

The link governor for Equalities has made visits to school throughout the year and had opportunity to meet with the Equality Council and PSHE and Equalities Lead both of which provided clear evidence of the extent to which school embraces and celebrates equality, diversity and inclusion in school e.g. whole school celebrations, pupil wall displays and themed assemblies.

School has a strong reputation for supporting SEN children based on a principle of inclusion by default and multi-agency specialist support is secured as appropriate to facilitate equal access; all support interventions are tailored to the individual needs of the pupil. With regards to Pupil Premium pupils, trips and visits are subsidised by school (as long as parents/ carers are in receipt of benefits) to ensure they are able to access the full extent of activity.

The PSHE / RSHE is embedded throughout the curriculum from Reception to Y6 and is designed to equip children with relevant life skills with regards to being able to keep themselves safe (physically and emotionally), understand and appreciate difference and how to communicate this.

School has a very active Equality Council, which supports children in challenging discriminatory behaviours of any type, this continued awareness helps maintain the momentum and means that such behaviours seldom escalate or become sustained. Next year school will focus on the RED (Respect Equality & Diversity) Award.

School follows best practice with regards to recruitment and senior staff and 3 Governors have attended relevant recruitment training, including Safer Recruitment provided by LCC which are union endorsed.  All staff have undergone SEN, Inclusion, EPI Pen and Disability training.

As a governing body, we continue to review policies and procedures to ensure that these are fit for purpose and meet not only our legal responsibilities but also our vision and aims for the school and our pupils. The children and staff remain at the forefront of our decisions as we endeavour to provide the best educational environment for them.

We continue to closely monitor the school budget to ensure the school can cope with rising costs. Whilst savings have been made due to the pandemic and the school is fortunate to have a relatively healthy carry forward. Over the next three years there is significant capital expenditure planned all of which will be carefully planned and work tendered out. The much-needed renovation of the AV facilities in the School Hall will involve a significant outlay but will bring a benefit to learning and activities for the whole school. 

Members of Resources have, as part of their role, monitored the use of the statutory ringfenced grants of both the sports and pupil premiums. All members of the Resources committee have taken part in a self-assessment financial skills audit. Working closely with the School Business Manager, we also reviewed and agreed the Schools Financial Value Standard, ensuring this was completed comprehensively before submitting to the local authority.

As we look forward to the 22/23 academic year, our focus will be on continuing to deliver our three core responsibilities:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

5. Governor Attendance

The minutes of Governing Body meetings can be read by contacting the office.