--- title: "Meet the Govorners" description: "Lowerplace primary school governorship" url: "https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/meet-the-govorners" school: "Lowerplace Primary Academy" --- # Meet the Govorners #### The Role of the Governing Board All academys in England have a Governing Board which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the academy. The Governing Board works in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the academy, the governors main three roles include: - **Strategic:** The governing board sets the general direction of the academy, looking at how it should best develop. This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives. - **Critical Friend**: A governing board should work with the Headteacher and create a clear understanding of the challenges face in managing a academy. - **Accountability**: - A academy is a business and its stakeholders are the learners. The governing board must have a professional attitude and use its collective skills to benefit the learners. It must gather views, ask questions and decide what is best for the academy. The governing board is answerable to parents, the wider community and the local authority. Academy governors are drawn from different parts of the community. This helps to ensure that the governing board has sufficient diversity of views and experience but does not mean that governors of a particular category "represent" that group on the governing board. The different categories of governor are as follows: **Parent governors** Elected by parents to serve on the Governing Board **Staff governors** To include the Head Teacher if they wish to be a governor. Remaining staff (both teaching and non-teaching are represented) governors are elected by other members of staff at the academy via elections. **Authority governors** Local Education Authority ( LEA ) governors are appointed by the LA . LAs can appoint any eligible person as an LA governor. **Co-opted governors** Appointed by the Governing Board to represent community interests. They can be persons who live or work in the community served by the academy, or persons who do not work or live close by, but are committed to the good governance and success of the academy. **Further Information** Please click [here ](http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/schools-and-education/Pages/school-governors.aspx)for further information on the Rochdale council website about a governors role. Please click on the link to go to Governors Website [www.governornet.co.uk/](https://www.governornet.co.uk/) | **Name of Governor** | **Type** | **Declared Business Interest** | **Sub Committee Details** | **Appointed and Expiry Date** | |---|---|---|---|---| | Victoria Fee \- Vice Chair | Co-opted | None | Personnel and Pay Implementation Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Pupil Discipline Committee Staff Discipline Appeals Committee Headteacher Appraisal Committee Complaints Appeal Committee Resources Committee | 12 Nov 2024 to 11 Nov 2028 | | Mohammed Imran | Local Authority | None | Complaints Committee Personnel and Pay Implementation Committee Curriculum and Standards committee Pupil Discipline Committee Staff Discipline Appeals Committee Resources Committee | 09 Jul 2025 to 08 Jul 2029 | | Karen Martin \- Headteacher | Academy | None | Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee | 20 Apr 20 until not in post | | Martha Mead | Co-opted | None | Staff Discipline Appeals Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee Pupil Discipline Committee Complaints Appeal Committee | 14 Mar 2023 to 13 Mar 2027 | | Laura McBride | Co-opted | None | Complaints Committee Headteacher Appraisal Committee Personnel and Pay Appeals Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Pupil Discipline Appeals Committee Resources Committee Staff Discipline Appeals Committee | 15 Nov 2023 to 14 Nov 2027 | | Ghulam R Shahzad | Co-opted | None | Staff Discipline Appeals Headteacher Appraisal Committee Personnel and Pay Implementation Committee Pupil Discipline Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee | 30 Jun 2024 to 29 Jun 2028 | | Laura Pharaony | Parent | None | Pupil Discipline Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee | 13 Nov 2024 to 12 Nov 2026 | | Sharon Tighe | Staff | None | Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee | 21 Dec 2022 to 20 Nov 2026 | | Neelam Jabeen | Parent | Parent Governor | Curriculum and Standards Committee Personnel and Pay Implementation Committee Pupil Discipline Committee Resources Committee Staff Discipline Appeals | 23 Jan 2024 to 22 Jan 2028 | | Dave Watson \- Chair | Co-opted | None | Personnel and Pay Appeals Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee Staff Discipline Committee Complaints Committee Headteacher Appraisal Committee Personnel and Pay Implementation Committee | 01 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029 | | Ellen Bullock \- Deputy Headteacher | Associate Member | | Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee | 12 Dec 2023 to 11 Dec 2027 | #### **Governor Information** - **Governor Link Roles** [Link Governor Roles 2025/26](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/files/documents/Link_Governor_Roles_2025_-_2026.pdf) **Governor Attendance at Meetings** | Date | Number of Governors Attending (Out of 10 in Post) | Any Apologies | |---|---|---| | 13th November 2025 | 10 | 0 | | 13th November 2025 (FGB) | | | | 4th December 2025 | | | | 15th January 2026 | | | | 12th February 2026 (FGB) | | | | 26th February 2026 | | | | 30th April 2026 | | | | 21st May 2026 | | | | 11th June 2026 (FGB) | | | | 16th July 2026 | | | - **Governor Line of Enquiry Days** **The purpose of a line of enquiry day:** - Focus on a single area identified for improvement through data and linked to the SDP - Governors to gain an understanding of the issue and use this to consider how to support the academy forward in moving this aspect forward - Thereby contribute to governor development plan, identifying future areas for exploration **People responsible:** - Governor Standards lead in partnership with Headteacher | **Date** | |---| | 6th November 2025 | | 15th January 2026 | | 4th June 2026 | **Name and address of the Clerk to the Governing Board** Diane Ainscough Governor Support Team Number One Riverside Smith Street Rochdale OL16 1XU **Name and address of the chair of the Governing Board** Dave Watson c/o Lowerplace Primary Academy Kingsway Rochdale OL16 4UU ### Our Academy - [Headteachers Welcome](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/headteachers-welcome) - [Meet the staff](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/meet-the-staff) - [Meet the Governors](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/meet-the-govorners) - [Vision and Values](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/vision-and-values) - [Academy Policies](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/school-policies) - [Consultation on Proposed Academisation](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/our-school/consultation-on-proposed-academisation) - [Ofsted Reports](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/105777) - [Contact Us](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/contact) - [Information Meeting](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/parents/information-meeting) Academy@Worden is an exempt charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England under company number 08360915. Registered offices: Westfield Drive, Leyland PR25 1QX [ ![Ofsted](https://lowerplace.rochdale.sch.uk/theme/worden/img/ofsted.png) ](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/)