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

julie.taylor@wigtonmoor.leeds.sch.uk

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.

Bethany Webb

Teacher Governor

I am the staff governor at Wigton Moor Primary School, second year Early Career Teacher (ECT) and a Year 2 class teacher. Before becoming a teacher, I went to the University of Leeds and received a degree in Broadcast Journalism (BA). I then worked in the TV industry as a Researcher for three years, gaining experience working with children on Britain’s Got Talent and The Yorkshire Vet. In mid-2021 I decided to chase my dream of becoming a Primary School Teacher and re-trained through the RedKite Alliance SCITT to become a qualified teacher. Since then I have worked across Wigton Moor Primary School, first as a KS2 HLTA, then as a Year 4 teacher and now as a Year 2 teacher. I also volunteer weekly to teach children as part of the Community Learning After School Study Support (CLASSS) charity on a Thursday evening in Chapel Allerton. I truly enjoy working at our school and am excited to work with the rest of the Governors to continue to strive for excellence.

Chris Dyson

I am a very proud dad of two little girls at Wigton Moor and am delighted to be a parent governor.  I am a former maths teacher and maths graduate, qualified accountant and chartered quality professional.  My work has mainly been in internal audit and financial controls roles, and I have worked across wide variety of sectors from my time in practice, including education.  Following this my time has mainly been spent in construction and large retailers in senior leadership positions.  I hope I can add value to this great school by sharing some of my knowledge and expertise, bringing ideas and fresh thinking and a little bit of fun, whilst holding the Leadership to account.

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.

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.

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.

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.”      

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.

Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Board of Wigton Moor Primary School September 2023-August 2024

1. The Board of Governors September 2023 - August 2024

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
• 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), Nadine Bleasby, Elaine Bown, Linda Feldman, Sharon Kelly (resigned April 24), Laurence Sacks, Eugene Uwagie-Ero, Chris Dyson (joined July 24).

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

Teaching, Learning and Pupil Support Committee:

Governors:  Jessica Mellor (Chair), Andy Atkins, Farheen Azfar, Elaine Bown, Linda Feldman, Bethany Webb, Julie Taylor,

Associate Members:  Gillian Dudley (Deputy Headteacher), Kathryn Wilkinson (resigned December 24)

Pay Committee / Performance Management Committee:

Governors:  Julie Taylor (Chair), Nadine Bleasby, Sharon Kelly (resigned April 24)

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:

3. Training undertaken by Governors September 2023-August 2024

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:

• Child protection and safeguarding
• Governor induction training
• Headteacher Performance Management
• Governors also regularly undertake additional reading around their link subjects by way of informal learning

 4.Impact of the Governing Board September 2023-August 2024

The start of the 23/24 academic year witnessed the eagerly anticipated visit from Ofsted. The school community knew it was imminent and as a governing body we felt confident that school was as prepared as we could be. The new Ofsted framework is ambitious, rigorous and challenging, evidenced by the rapidly declining numbers of schools retaining Outstanding judgements. We were delighted that Wigton Moor was recognised as an ‘Outstanding’ school and that it is Outstanding in all five areas of the inspection – a remarkable achievement and one to celebrate.

In the previous academic year (2022-23), only 5% of primary schools inspected were rated ‘Outstanding’, and less than 40% of those previously rated Outstanding retained that rating. This demonstrates how significant an achievement this is for Wigton Moor, and serves as a reminder of the work, dedication and commitment of all involved. Over the course of the inspection, the teachers, senior leadership team, school staff, governors, parents and - most importantly - the children were able to interact with the inspectors and demonstrate how much they value the school and their experiences within it. Governors agreed that the report was excellent and comments on the quality of teaching, delivery of the curriculum and the development of learning throughout the school were extremely positive.

Whilst everyone could breathe a sigh of relief that the inspection had been done and the school recognised for its achievements, as an Outstanding school there will of course still be a focus on continuous monitoring and development. 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. 1. Continue to achieve exceptional standards in English: oracy & writing
   2. Continue to have the highest quality curriculum
   3. Remind and refresh everyone’s understanding of equality & inclusion
   4. Explore new research on EYFS & KS1 environments and display

The FGB strive to support the school in a strategic role in ensuring that the fulfilment of these priorities. Examples include:

• Governor monitoring structured around curriculum areas and responsibilities to report back to the full governing body on the intent, implementation and impact of the curriculum.
• Reports shared with governors that demonstrate the ongoing comprehensive monitoring of teaching & learning shows that teaching remains very strong and that effective support ensures there is a continuation of this for teachers new to Wigton Moor and those new to teaching. Governors are encouraged to show professional curiosity in interrogating reports.
• Over the past three academic years subject leaders have made presentations to the Teaching and Learning and Pupil Support (TLPS) Committee to speak about the implementation and delivery of specific areas of the curriculum. This has been open to all Governors via MS Teams, with presentations uploaded to DB Primary and has enabled regular engagement of Governors with the school’s wider leadership team and the opportunity to ask questions directly of Subject Leaders. In the 23/24 academic year TLPS received the final curriculum presentation and agreed that moving forwards Subject Leaders should be asked to produce progress reports on their key priorities including actions and impacts.
• All of the above knowledge is further supplemented by Governor visits to school, spending time with teaching staff and in conversations with pupils to see the curriculum in action and understanding how learning is acquired, retained and recalled. Visit reports are circulated to all Governors and uploaded to DB Primary with the opportunity for further discussion at FGB meetings.

As governors we conducted 15 visits across the year, some of the highlights from these included:

• Meeting with the Equality Council who had prepared a presentation, which they delivered (demonstrating excellent oracy skills), explaining how the Equality Council was comprised and the work they did regarding a whole school approach to appreciating difference and similarities.
• Early Years visit to understand how the reception cohort had settled and changes in staffing to accommodate differing levels of need across classes.
• Statutory Safeguarding, SEN and Pupil Premium visits to ensure provision is in line with statutory requirements.
• Literacy monitoring to discuss pupil progress and initiatives such reading ambassadors and how they contribute to pupil progress.
• Visit to Reception and Year 1 to observe reading and phonics lessons and discussions to ensure ongoing progress using the Essential letters and Sounds (ELS) programme.
• Science monitoring including a tour to see science on display in the classrooms, speaking to pupils and the Subject Lead to ensure that the good practice and development shown for the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) has been maintained and used to develop and enhance science provision.

Discussions with Subject Leaders automatically include detailing how this is managed for Pupil Premium, SEN pupils and those not making age related progress and where possible evidence is shown for plans to dimmish the gap.

The SATs results achieved this year were excellent once again and pupils and staff across the school are to be congratulated on the outcomes. The results demonstrate continued high level of academic standard achieved against national and Leeds data.

Governors have a key role to play in ensuring pupil attainment is monitored and maximised. TLPS 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 (English as an additional language). 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 as well as teacher formative assessments.  Triangulation of evidence has been supported by presentations led by Subject Leaders alongside the insights captured through visits to school. The committee explores all aspects of the distinctive characteristics of teaching and learning at Wigton Moor including what happens in the classroom and other wider initiatives.

Safeguarding visits have been conducted throughout the year. Checks have been made on the recruitment and selection of staff through the single central record and staff personnel files. Any discrepancies in paperwork have been followed up quickly and addressed by the school Business Manager. The leadership of Safeguarding is strong under the direction of the deputy headteacher and designated safeguarding lead (DSL), Gillian Dudley and Caroline Lee, Learning Mentor and deputy DSL. It is clear from talking to staff and the children that there is a strong whole school approach to safeguarding which is interwoven through the curriculum. This was commented on by Ofsted in their report. A safeguarding audit conducted by the Local Authority is due to happen March 2025.

Shortly after the Ofsted visit the school had a face-to-face re-assessment by the Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Team, which triangulated the Ofsted findings and Wigton Moor were awarded Healthy Schools Beacon status. This additional award is highly valued by all members of the school community and is reflected in the school’s vision which ensures that achievement is not solely measured in terms of academic success. The assessor had been impressed by the pupils and the provisions in school which were above and beyond what was required. Specifically, the assessor noted how much the school values of everyone being included and respected comes through in daily life at the school. They also picked up on the exceptional range of opportunities available to pupils through different trips, visitors and experiences, as well as varied lunchtime and after school clubs providing a huge benefit to children. The Healthy Schools Beacon status also recognises the drive to ensure children are physically active throughout the school day, regularly in excess of the statutory 30 minutes per day which school is responsible for, the provision to support social, emotional and mental health of the whole school community and the work being done to improve cooking in the curriculum. From a governor’s perspective, discussion regarding Healthy Schools is a regular feature of monitoring visits of the link governor for PE & Sports Premium.

As a governing body we have had a few personnel changes and Kathryn Wilkinson, Sharon Kelly and Jessica Mellor stepped down during this academic year due to changes in circumstances. We would like to put on record a thank you to each of them for their commitment and contributions as governors during their time with us.

At the end of the academic year the governing body carried out a skills audit with each governor taking part in a survey followed by a one-to-one conversation with the Vice Chair (Nadine Bleasby). This was a successful exercise to help us to think about how best to use the skills and interests of remaining governors to think about a possible change of focus in roles and responsibilities in the next academic year.

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.

In addition to the ongoing oversight of appropriate human resource provision across school, the Resources Committee continued to monitor Health & Safety policies and procedures and school buildings maintenance. These, along with the provision of curriculum materials to support teaching and learning, have been continually monitored within the context of managing a balanced financial position.  The most significant capital expenditure was the final payment of the toilet refurbishment project which straddled two financial years and is a welcome asset to the fabric of the school.

The Resources Committee reported a robust full year financial performance (fiscal year 2023/24) with the year-end position well within tolerance of our budgeted numbers, and with a financial surplus to carry forward into 2024/25.  The Committee has again, working with the Senior Leadership team, ensured that relevant income streams including grants have been maximised to the benefit of the school. Our financial controls continue to be appraised as strong via our Schools' Financial Value Standard self-assessment.  

The Resources Committee will continue to offer support and challenge to the school's Senior Leadership team and will maintain excellent stewardship over our assets and financial performance. 

As we look forward to the 24/25 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

Governor Meetings Attendance Records

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