Our Governance Structure

The de Ferrers Academy is an academy within a Multi-Academy Trust namely The de Ferrers Trust.

The de Ferrers Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee and as such they are required to comply with charity law and company law.

The Trust is one legal entity with one set of Articles of Association that governs each Academy within the Trust.  The Trust has a Master Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State and then each academy has a separate Supplementary Funding Agreement. All documents referred to are located at the bottom of this page. 

From 23rd March until the 20th May 2020, the work of the LGB was suspended and all decisions were made by the full trust board due to logistical pressures of Covid-19.

The de Ferrers Trust is currently recruiting for governors in both primary and secondary schools.  Should you be interested please do not hesitate to contact Karen Mills at the academy or visit The de Ferrers Trust's website.

Governance structure

The Members

The Trust consists of five members who are very similar to shareholders in a normal company.  They are often considered as the custodians of the Trust and act as a ‘check and balance’ on the performance of the Multi-Academy Trust.  The members have the power to appoint or remove Trustees, amend the Articles of Association and, if necessary, wind up the Multi-Academy Trust.  To ensure robust accountability within our governance structure the members are independent of the Trust Board.   The members will meet as often as is necessary to carry out their duties, but at least on an annual basis.

List of Trust Members 

The Trust Board

The Trust Board have strategic oversight and ultimate responsibility for all of the management decisions within the Multi-Academy Trust.  The Board consists of at least eleven trustees, eight of whom are appointed by the members.  The Directors are appointed purely on a skills basis.  The Board’s key responsibilities are to ensure, through their governance structure and leadership teams, that the Multi-Academy Trust is making proper and effective use of public funds and for the quality of provision.  The trust board will meet as often as is necessary to carry out their duties, but at least five times per year.

The trust board has established three sub-committees to assist them, namely the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, the Standards Committee and the Resources Committee.  Each Committee operates with its own set of terms of reference which can be located at the bottom of this page.  The Finance, Audit and Risk and the Standards sub-committees will meet as often as necessary, but at least three times per year.  The Resources Committee will meet as often as necessary, but at least on an annual basis. 

Meet our Trustees 

The Local Governing Body

A Local Governing Body (LGB) has been established for The de Ferrers Academy. The LGB carry out the Trust’s vision, policies and priorities and engage with the academy's key stakeholders (our students, parents, staff and members of the community).  They will play a support & challenge role and will seek assurances on behalf of the board in regard to academic performance and quality of care and provision for their academy.  They are responsible for making decisions by way of the powers delegated to it by the Trust Board in accordance with the Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation (located at the bottom of this page). 

The Local Governing Body has established one sub-committee, namely The Pay Committee, which seeks assurances on behalf of the trust board that the processes around pay progression for our teaching staff are fair and robust.  The Pay Committee operates with its own set of terms of reference which can be located below.    Our Chair of Governors is Lesley Wells and she can be contacted via the Clerk.

Our clerk to the LGB is Karen Mills, who can be contacted via email:

kmills@deferrers.com

Meet Our Local Governing Body

Ex-Officio Governor

The Principal of our Academy also sits on our Local  Governing Body as a governor.  She is referred to as an ex-officio governor.  This means that she will remain a governor for as long as she is employed in her role as Principal.  

Board Appointed Governors

Governors who are Board Appointed are appointed by the Trust Board.  Their term of office is four years.  At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for four Board Appointed Governors

Parent Governors

Parent Governors are elected by the parents/guardians of the students who attend The de Ferrers Academy.  When a parent governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all registered parents and guardians and an election takes place.  Their term of office is four years. At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for two parent governors. 

Staff Governor

The Staff Governor is elected by the staff based at The de Ferrers Academy.    When a staff governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all members of staff based at The de Ferrers Academy and an election takes place.  Their term of office is four years.   At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for one staff governor.

Co-opted Governors

At The de Ferrers Academy, the governance structure allows for the local governors listed above to co-opt to four further local governors to the local governing body in order to bring a specific skill set that will add value to the academy, making local governance even more efficient and effective.  Co-opted governors have a term of office of four years.

Mrs Ali Bickle: Ex-Officio Governor

Date of appointment: 1 September 2022 (Acting Principal)

Attendance 2021/2022:  n/a

Committee Membership:  None

Register of Interests:  Parent of children at The de Ferrers Academy

Bio:  To follow

Lesley Wells - Board Appointed Chair of Governors

Appointed: 

01st November 2022

Resigned co-opted governor 31st October 2022

Attendance 2021/22: 
LGB meetings: 4/4

Attendance for 2020/21:

LGB meetings: 4/4

Attendance for 2019/20:

LGB Meetings 3/4

Attendance for 2018/19:

LGB Meetings 4/5

Committee Membership:

Pay Committee 2018

Register of Interests:

Trustee and Chair of the Friends of Royal Derby Hospital.  Secretary of Uffa Magna WI.

Bio:

I joined the de Ferrers Academy Governing Body in 2011 when I was co-opted to represent the Burton Co-operative Learning Trust Primary & Special Schools which feed and work alongside the Academy. I have previously been the Headteacher, Executive Headteacher and Governor at four schools in both Staffordshire and Kent, two of them being judged outstanding by Ofsted. In August 2018 I retired from the post of Headteacher and Governor at Outwoods Primary School.

Since September 2018 I have also been on the LGB at Horninglow Primary School, becoming Vice Chair in December 2018. My role is to provide both LGB's with information on primary education and staffing matters which they use to help them carry out their role as strategic leaders.

I am both the Chair and designated Safeguarding Governor for The deFerrers Academy.

I volunteer at The Royal Derby University Hospital League of Friends, sing in the Derbyshire Rock Choir, sit as a member of both the Staffordshire Admissions and Exclusions Appeals Panels, belong to various groups at the Derby U3A, & Vice-Chair of our local Practice Reference Group & the Secretary of Uffa Magna WI.

 

Karen Mills - Clerk to Governors

Appointed: 1st January 2017

Attendance for 2020/21:

LGB meetings 4/4

Attendance for 2019/20:

LGB Meetings 4/4

Pay Committee

Attendance for 2018/19

LGB Meetings 5/5

Register of Interests

None

Bio:

I was appointed in 2001 as a Personal Assistant to the Vice Principal on the Dove Campus, and since this time it has been my privilege to work with and to support the academy's dedicated leadership team.

Vikki Riddell - Board Appointed Governor

Appointed: 13th July 2021

Attendance for 2021/22:

LGB meetings: 2/4

Register of Interests:  

None

Bio:

TBC

Andrea Clark - Parent Governor

Appointed: April 2019

Resigned:  12 December 2022

Attendance 2021/22:  0/4

Attendance 2020/21:

LGB meetings: None attended - NHS worker

Register of Interests:

Children attend the Academy

Bio:

I am the current parent governor for The de Ferrers Academy.  My work experience is as a senior manager in the NHS delivering services across various settings.  I have extensive experience in finances managing budgets as well as staff management and development.  Working in a heavily regulated environment governance considerations around safeguarding, finance, risk management and forward planning are all elements I have undertaken.  

 

I have 2 children both have attended de Ferrers with my youngest still in attendance.  I am keen that children access the best possible education that sets them ready for their adult life giving them skills both educational and vocational to meet their needs.

 

My hobbies are limited at the moment but I am a regular gym goer and believe sport and exercise is an important tool for mental health, socialising and keeping fit.

Jayson Burns - Staff Governor

Appointed: 1st April 2019

Terms of Office: 27/03/23 to 26/03/2027

Attendance 2021/22:  4/4

Attendance for 2020/21:

LGB meetings: 4/4

Register of Interests:

None

Bio:

I have been a teacher of English at The de Ferrers Academy for seven years and am proud to represent the staff on the governing body.

I have been a teacher for twenty eight years in Schools and colleges in the Midlands and have a wealth of experience to draw on in the field of education.

I am currently the Director of Learning for English and am committed to the academy vision and to helping our students to be the best that they can be.

Graham Milnes - Co-opted Governor

Appointed: 21st April 2019

Appointed Vice Chair May 2022

Attendance 2021/22:  3/4

Attendance for 2020/21:

LGB meetings: 3/4

Committee Membership:

None

Register  of Interests:

None

Bio:

I have been a Governor at The de Ferrers Academy for over nine years, starting as a Parent Governor when my daughter was at the School. I have continued as a Governor since my daughter left, as I enjoy the role and hope my involvement helps towards the academy’s journey of being one of the best Academy’s in the country.

I have lived in Burton all of my life and have just retired having completed 46 years’ service at Molson Coors where I joined after attending The Burton Boys Grammar School.

Resigned Governors

Christopher Moss  

Appointed Vice Chair: 15th December 2020

Resigned: 1st January 2022

Attendance for 2020/21: LGB Meetings 4/4  

 

Amardeep Dhadwal 

Resigned:  29 September 2021 

Appointed: 3rd December 2019 

Attendance 2020/21:

 LGB meetings 4/4 

Attendance for 2020: LGB meetings: 3/3 

Register of Interests:None  

 

Alex Jeffries 

Resigned: 25 April 2022 

Appointed: 3rd December 2020

Attendance 2020/2021: LGB Meeting: 2/3 

Register of Interests: Child attends the academy  

 

John Atkinson  

Resigned: 29 April 2022 

Appointed: 4th December 2019 

Attendance for 2020/21: LGB meetings: 3/4

Attendance for 2020: LGB meeting: 2/2 

Register of Interests: None

 

John Scattergood

Resigned: 21st April 2023

Appointed:  28.06.2022

Attendance 2021/22:  1/1

Attendance 2020/21:  n/a

Register of Interests:  Parent of a child at The de Ferrers Academy

 

Mohsin Ashraf

Appointed:  24 May 2022

Resigned: 15th May 2023

Attendance 2021/22: 

LGB meetings: 0/1

Attendance for 2020-2021: 

n/a

Committee Membership:  None

Register of Interests:  Employed by the NHS

Bio:  To follow

John Anderson - Co-opted Governor

Appointed: 21st April 2019

Attendance 2021/22:  3/4

Attendance for 2020/21:

LGB meetings 3/4

Committee Membership

None

Register of Interests:

Proprietor of JA Properties, Proprietor of J.A.Coaching,Chair of Outwoods Parish Council, Chair of Horninglow and Eton Parish, Chair of FISH2013, Treasurer of Tutbury Market, Chair of Burton HOPE, Chair of the Beyne SchoolsFoundation. Public Governor for East Staffordshire at The University Hospital

Bio:

I have been a resident in and around Burton Upon Trent for most of my life. I am married to Rachael and am very proud to say that my son attended The de Ferrers Academy and  flourished both academically and socially.

I have been self employed since 1981 and currently run my own property maintenance business, am a private sector landlord and a licensed angling coach.

I am a great believer in the community and spend most of my spare time volunteering by supporting community groups and projects, including being chairman of Outwoods Parish and an East Midlands Public Governor for Burton NHS Trust. 

I feel honoured to have the opportunity to support young people in my roles as a licensed coach, de Ferrers Academy governor and Duke of Edinburgh Trustee.

I enjoy outdoor activities including angling, kayaking, climbing, shooting and walking. As a governor, I have been fortunate to go on various school outings; some of which have been quite adventurous. It is great to see the students (and staff!) expanding their horizons!

I believe in our academy and try my best to rise to the challenges of being a good, involved member of our excellent Local Governing Body.  I am the designated Governor for the SEND Faculty.

Nick Oxford Board-appointed Governor

Appointed: 12th July 2022

Attendance 2021/22: 

N/A

Committee Membership: 

None

Register of Interests: 

None

Bio: 

To follow

Caroline Wakelin - Co-opted Governor

Appointed: 01/11/22

Jacqui Botten - Co-opted Governor

Appointed: 01/11/22