We are actively seeking School Governors and Trustees to join Leading Edge Academies Partnership.
Jackie Eason, Chair of the Trust board, shares her experience below:
“I first became a School Governor when we moved back to Cornwall, it was a great way to meet new people and become involved in my son's education. I started off just attending meetings, but as I became more confident, I discovered that I enjoyed learning about how the school works behind the scenes, and how we measure ‘success’.
Things have changed enormously over recent years, it used to be all about progress and attainment data, then we wanted to know what the children were learning, ‘the curriculum’.
Now we are really focussed on how we can help our children strive in their learning, whilst supporting their mental health and well-being so they can evolve into happy, confident adults.
There's no time like the present; NOW really is an exciting time to get into Governance, either as a Trustee or a School Governor. Everyone has valuable skills to offer, why not pop into school and chat with someone about a role that you could play?”
***For more information please contact Helen Peerless (Director of Governance): hpeerless@leadingedgeacademies.org and visit our ‘Vacancies’ page.
Dave Sharp - Chair of Governors at St. Hilary and Vice Chair of the Trust board:
Born and educated in Nottingham, Dave comes from an engineering background and previously ran a small plastic engineering company. He made the move to Cornwall in 2002 with his six year old daughter who joined St. Hilary school. Dave speaks very highly of his daughter’s experience at St. Hilary and loved watching her confidence flourish.
St. Hilary’s Headteacher at the time, invited Dave to be a school Governor whilst his daughter was at the school, but he politely declined until she reached year 6. He continued as a Governor long after his daughter had left the school and is now the Chair of Governors at St. Hilary and Vice Chair of the Trust board at Leading Edge Academies.
Dave says:
‘Being a Governor or Trustee is a voluntary role but it provides a great insight into how a school is run both operationally and financially. It is an amazing opportunity for personal growth and continuous professional development. I wanted to give something back to the school and local community to thank them for providing my daughter with such a positive educational experience whilst at St. Hilary. If you have even the slightest interest in children’s education then do give it a go - you might surprise yourself.’
Dave possesses an enthusiasm for childrens’ overall educational experience, increasing community engagement and watching schools thrive – the sense of reward is evident in both children and staff members’ happiness and success.
Some of Dave’s commitments consist of:
- Attending four Trustee meetings and three committee meetings per year
- Monitoring school visits
- Involvement with Ofsted inspection
Benefits of being both a school Governor and on the board of Trustees at Leading Edge Academies:
- Share knowledge and ideas across all Leading Edge schools
- Share the same goals, mission and values linked to the School Improvement Strategy (SIS)
- Understand how each school is run operationally and financially
- Monitor and challenge decisions about the Trust
- Stay up to date with all legislation and polices
***For more information please contact Helen Peerless (Director of Governance): hpeerless@leadingedgeacademies.org and visit our ‘Vacancies’ page.