Governance

The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust. The Academy Governance Committee (AGC) is part of the governance structure within the Trust, who are responsible for overseeing strategic decisions within school. The governance structure for the trust as a whole is outlined in the governance structure documents here.

As an Academy Governance Committee, we work in close partnership with the Headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure the best quality education is provided to every child. It is our responsibility to support, challenge, ask questions and ultimately represent the school community. The Academy Governance Committee acts as a ‘critical friend’ to the senior leadership team, questioning and challenging decisions in a constructive and professional way.

Academy Governance Committees have key roles in relation to: providing support, monitoring and challenge around educational experience and performance; church, community and stakeholder engagement and supporting alignment with Trust strategy, approach, ethos and values. The AGC Members meet regularly, visit the school when possible and attend special events.  As a team, we are able to support the school to function well and strive to provide a high standard of education.

As a Church of England Academy (part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust) all the AGC Members support the school in being a place of inclusive welcome and education for everyone.

Linda Ryan - Chair & Foundation AGC Member

Linda cares passionately about the power of education to shape and change lives.  She has felt the personal impact of that in her own life, and wants to help support the great team at Leamington Hastings as her local community and church school so that others get a great start in life.  Currently, she is also a Governor (and Head of the Audit Committee) at a University, Trustee (and Chair of the Investment Committee) of a large pension scheme and a Justice of the Peace.

Dr Karen Holmes (Anthony) - Community AGC Member

Karen has worked in Higher Education for over 15 years.  She studied Bio-chemistry at the University of Leeds and was awarded a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from King’s College London in 2009.  She spent her post-doctoral years at University College London before taking up a lectureship at the University of Northampton in 2015.  Now an Associate Professor and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Karen leads a research team and international collaborations to investigate the molecular basis of rare neurological disease.  She also works as an international consultant advising pharmaceutical companies on pre-clinical and clinical drug development. Based at a teaching intensive university (rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework), Karen is experienced in quality assurance, curriculum and assessment design and validation in the higher education sector.  Karen also works as a national STEM ambassador and is a strong advocate for women in science.  

Joe Twinn - Community AGC Member and Vice Chair

Joe was a Parent Governor for 18 months and started as a Community Governor in February 2021. He has been local to the Leamington Hastings area for the last 7 years.  He is a Procurement Manager at National Grid and supports the maintenance and management of the entire estate of over 350 substations, compressor stations and office.  Prior to joining National Grid, Joe has worked in national and international supply chain and procurement functions for Macfarlane Packaging and Avon Cosmetics - supporting a number of functions and developing strategic and commercial sourcing options for a wide range of products.  Joe holds a BA (Hons) from Durham University in Chinese, an MBA from Warwick University and a Diploma in Chinese Language from the People's University in Beijing.

Suzanne Marson - Staff AGC Member (Ex-Officio)

Suzanne is the Head of School at Leamington Hastings C of E Academy, taking responsibility for the day to day leadership of the school.  Following the completion of a Psychology Degree and a PGCE at the University of Warwick, Suzanne has previously held the positions of Class Teacher, Key Stage One Phase Leader, Local Authority Moderator and Deputy Head, and has led many different curriculum subject areas. She has also achieved the NPQH qualification and the national SENCo award. 

Liz Wooldridge - Staff AGC Member

Liz is the EYFS Lead at Leamington Hastings C of E Academy.  She originally became involved with the school as a parent during the time her children attended.  She then supported the school as Chair of the PTA and is now proud to be part of the staff team.  Having worked as an Electronics Engineer (BEng Hons) for 10 years, Liz decided to re-train as a teacher after supporting various year groups as a Teaching Assistant.  Liz re-joined Leamington Hastings Academy in 2018 and is passionate about supporting all children to reach their full potential, both academically and socially. 

Melanie Bailey - Parent AGC Member

Melanie is a registered Veterinary Nurse and holds a post graduate certificate in advanced veterinary nursing (anaesthesia), practicing since 2000. She lives on an arable farm in the local village. Melanie believes that Leamington Hastings is a fantastic rural school, providing a nurturing Christian environment that sets the children up with the best start for their futures and education. The children are all individuals in the Leamington Hastings family and not just a number on a list. Her husband attended at the school as a child 30+ years ago, and now their children do too. They have thrived and grown in confidence and think of school with enthusiasm and positivity. She became a school governor to help safe guard Leamington Hastings future, so that it is here for future generations to enjoy too.

Mike Young - Foundation AGC Member

Mike has retired after a career in computing. He was involved in the development of networking services for the IT outsourcing business of a major corporate service provider. He held both technical consultant and management roles. He was invited to become a school governor by the vicar at St. Mary’s Cubbington when a longstanding foundation governor retired in 2017. His first thought was – why should I do this? However, prayer convinced him that this was a new direction in his life. He has been vice chair of the Coventry Diocesan Governors’ Reference and Advisory Group established by the Diocesan Board of Education in 2018. In addition to Cubbington CoE Primary School (where he lives with his wife Liz who is clerk to the governors) he also has the role of substitute ex-officio foundation governor at Meriden CoE Primary School. He was invited to join the AGC at Leamington Hastings following a previous foundation governor standing down in 2022. He feels strongly that our pupils and their families deserve the best comprehensive education and support we can give them to enjoy “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10).

Joanna Combes - Parent AGC member

Joanna is an experienced key stage two teacher and has been teaching since 2008, leading the subject of writing and supporting the Local Authority with the end of key stage moderation.  She lives in the local area and is passionate about the school. 

Joanna believes that Leamington Hastings is a nurturing, rural school which values each child as an individual and supports them to thrive and achieve their full potential, developing their Christian values as they progress through Leamington Hastings. Her children attend Leamington Hastings and during their time there they have spoken very fondly of their time in school as part of the Leamington Hastings 'family', fully embracing school life and all of the opportunities it has offered them. She became a governor to support the school, championing the excellent work that it does to develop the children that attend here.

Anya Kinsella - Community AGC member

Anya has been teaching in secondary schools for 20 years specialising in English and in teaching and learning and is now in post as a Deputy Headteacher specialising in data and curriculum. During her career, she has led on transition and developed relationships with primary feeder schools.  She has also previously served as a governor for several years for a different school, during which time it converted to an academy and later a multi-academy trust. She has taught various subjects across the curriculum and enjoys performing around the country in a folk band.

Anya has two children, the youngest of whom is in year 6, and Anya believes passionately in the positive impact that the right nurturing school can have on young people from an early age.  She feels strongly that Leamington Hastings C of E Academy is a vital and valuable asset to this rural community and wishes to support its work in providing a local and familial education.

Contact details for the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Academy Governance Committee are:

Linda Ryan - linda.ryan@leamingtonhastings.covmat.org  

Joe Twinn - joe.twinn@leamingtonhastings.covmat.org 

Both can be contacted via the school office :

Leamington Hastings Academy, Birdingbury Road, Hill, Rugby, CV23 8EA

01926 632359

Information regarding the Multi Academy Trust members and board of directors can be found on the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust website.