Governors

A message from the Governing Body

As governors, we are immensely proud of Ash Grove and the tremendous progress it has made.  Children at Ash Grove are given a wonderful and well-rounded experience, enabling them to meet the demands of the curriculum and learn about life beyond the classroom.  Ofsted recognised this in our inspection of May 2024 when we were found to be OUTSTANDING in all areas. 

This kind of achievement would not be possible without the truly talented teaching and support staff at Ash Grove, all of whom are dedicated to ensuring every pupil achieves, and who go 'above and beyond' every day.

At Ash Grove, we want our children to be respectful, caring, curious and co-operative, and to achieve success in all areas of their lives.  We help this process by enriching their experiences at every stage, with educational visits and residential trips, visitors in school, and a wide range of exciting activities which also help to ‘ignite interest’ in future careers.

Our standards in terms of national tests compare favourably with any school in the country. Our children’s behaviour around school is courteous, considerate and, most of all, focused on their learning. All of this makes Ash Grove Academy a great place to be – for children, for parents and carers, for visitors and for governors. We enjoy our connection with Ash Grove and hope to meet you soon.

Kind regards,

Katie Siddall (Chair of Local Academy Committee)

 

As a school we recognise that a diversity of thought, voices and perspectives is essential to good governance and the effective running of any organisation. We regularly collect diversity information from our governors and, depending on current data, can use this to: 

• target recruitment to address gaps in experience and diversity 
• develop and adapt board practices to ensure full participation 
• prioritise training and awareness-raising in identified areas 
• address potential ‘blind spots’ through seeking wider advice and perspectives on current and upcoming opportunities, challenges and risks 

However, we are unable to publish this information as it would mean that individual members of our governing body are identifiable. 

 

Role of the Governing Body 

The school’s governing body, referred to as the Local Academy Committee (LAC), is made up of staff (including the Principal), co-opted (community) and parent governors.    Local Academy Committee Governors are experts on their school and its community, and help the Trust Board understand its unique context, challenges and strengths.  

LAC governors encourage school improvement by providing effective support and challenge to the school's senior leadership team with a particular focus on Standards, Inclusion, Safeguarding and Stakeholder communication with parents, pupils and the school’s wider community.  

Click on the link below to find out more about governance within our Multi Academy Trust - Governance within the Aspire Educational Trust 

The Department for Education (DFE) Academy Governance Guide details that the purpose of governance within Academy Trusts is to provide: 

• strategic leadership 

• accountability and assurance 

• strategic engagement

The Trust Board has collective accountability and strategic responsibility for the trust. It has a focus on ensuring that the trust delivers an excellent education to pupils while maintaining effective financial management. The board must ensure compliance with: 

• the trust’s charitable objects 

• regulatory, contractual and statutory requirements 

• its funding agreement 

The board also has strategic and statutory responsibility for: 

• safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) arrangements within (and across) the academy trust 

• promotion of pupil welfare 

• keeping the trust’s estates safe and well-maintained 

• making sure that it delivers its commitment to other schools and academies 

In the Aspire Trust, the Trust Board delegates responsibility for some of these items to the LAC, in accordance with our Scheme of Delegation, whilst maintaining oversight and overall responsibility. Click on the link below to find out more about governance within our Multi Academy Trust - Governance within the Aspire Educational Trust 

Governors are responsible for the effective use of public funds, so the LAC oversees the school's annual budget and financial forecasts as well as ensuring the school's grounds and buildings are well maintained and safe. 

The LAC is advised by the Aspire Central team, as well as sharing ideas and best practice with other schools in the Trust. 

To learn more about Finance with the Trust please visit Aspire Educational Trust - Finance 

If you have a query about governance within Aspire, or want to find out more about becoming a governor in one of our schools, please contact our Trust Governance Professional Lisa Benskin – lbenskin@aet.cheshire.sch.uk  

The Governors

All of our governors have a four-year term of office, apart from the Principal who is Ex Officio; their term will end when they leave their post.

Current governors and terms of office:

Name	Who appointed	Start date	End date	Relevant business and pecuniary interests
Katie Siddall (Chair)	Parent	1/11/19	05/12/27
Sally Veale (Principal)	Ex Officio	N/A	N/A
Mark Reddiough	Co-opted	14/1/19	13/1/27
Nick Evans	Co-opted	6/5/25	5/5/29	Married to Kathryn Evans (bursar)
Nicola Knapper	Co-opted	8/10/25	7/10/29
Elysia Martinez-Dickman	Parent	6/12/24	5/12/28
Laura Taylor	Staff	3/10/25	2/10/29
Jennifer Brewin	Staff	3/10/25	2/10/29

All Trustee information for the Aspire Educational Trust can be found on the Aspire website.  Please click HERE to find out more.

If you wish to contact the Ash Grove Academy governors, please contact the Chair, Katie Siddall, at chair@ashgrove.cheshire.sch.uk