WE CURRENTLY HAVE A VACANCY FOR A BOARD-APPOINTED GOVERNOR AND A CO-OPTED GOVERNOR. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED OR SIMPLY WANT FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ROLE THEN PLEASE CONTACT THE CLERK TO GOVERNORS VIA EMAIL - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Governance at Granville Academy
The Granville 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 is 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 throughout this page can be located below.
Our 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.
To see a list of the trust's members please click here.
The Trust Board
The Trust Board has strategic oversight and ultimate responsibility for all of the management decisions within the multi-academy trust. The board consists of up to 11 trustees, eight of whom are appointed by the members. The trustees are appointed purely on a skills basis. The board's key responsibilities are to ensure, through their governance structure and leaderships 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 two sub-committees to assist them, namely The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and The Standards Committee. Each committee operates with its own set of terms of reference which can be located at the bottom of this page. The sub-committees will meet as often as is necessary, but at least three times per year.
To meet the trustees please click here.
The Local Governing Body
A Local Governing Body (LGB) has been established for Granville 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 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 them by the trust board in accordance with the Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation (located at the bottom of this page).
The LGB 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 Kim Geering and she can be contacted via the Clerk to Governors by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our Clerk to the Local Governing Body is Rhiannon Poulson, who can be contacted by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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.
Jo Kingswood
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Appointed: 5 September 2017 Attendance for 2017/18: 6/6 |
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| Bio: I have worked as a teacher since 1987 and have a wide range of experience prior to being appointed as Principal at Granville. I worked as Deputy Head at Lees Brook School for 25 years in charge of behaviour and pastoral care before moving to overall responsibility for teaching and learning. | ||
Board Appointed Governors
Governors who are board appointed are appointed by the trust board. Their term of office is 4 years. At Granville Academy the governance structure allows for four board appointed governors.
Kim Geering – Chair of Governors
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Appointed: 1 September 2017 Attendance for 2017/18: 5/6
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Bio: I am 47 years old, married to Peter, and have a son at Granville. I grew up locally and attended William Allitt School, worked for British Car Auctions, Toyota and Coors for a number of years with a background in the motor industry and a post-graduate degree in Business Administration. After leaving the brewery in 2006, was successful in becoming a Magistrate with the South East Staffordshire bench where I gained experience in both Adult and Family Courts. I am now sitting on the Southern Derbyshire Bench at Derby courthouse. I volunteered for two years as Deputy Safeguarding Manager for Staffordshire with England Rugby, gaining substantial knowledge in child welfare and protection, and currently volunteer for Citizens Advice. I enjoy volunteering and worked in Accreditation for the Rugby World Cup in 2015, the ICC Champions Trophy, ICC Women’s World Cup and London Athletics in 2017. I served as an LEA Governor at Woodville junior school. I was elected as Parent Governor at Granville Academy in 2016. I am passionate about learning, and will do everything I can to support the Academy in providing a safe, nurturing environment for all students. I am looking forward to being a champion for the views of parents, and will be supportive and proactive to help guide the continuing improvement of the Academy. |
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David Gaskin
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Appointed: 1 September 2017
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Bio: I joined as a Parent Governor at Granville 3 years ago before becoming a Co-opted Governor and have been Chair for the last year. I am married with two sons who have now left Granville. My wife and I also attended Granville (where we first met). The Academy is in our local community and we want it to provide the best opportunity of success for our local children. I work in Derby for Davlyn Construction Ltd, a medium sized local construction company specialising in commercial projects across the country. I hope that my business background has offered, and will continue to offer, a useful perspective to the work the Governing Body at Granville undertake. |
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Declan Royston-Webb
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Appointed: 15 May 2018 |
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Bio: Having worked with children and young people for many years, I have developed an understanding of the fundamental role of high-quality education for all students. I am passionate about young people being afforded every opportunity to achieve their potential both academically and personally and it was this passion that led me to join Granville Academy as a governor in May 2018. I have a BA (Hons) degree in Childhood & Youth Studies and have experience working within Local Authority Children’s Services as well as continuing voluntary roles in strategic positions with two local children’s charities. As a child, I grew up within Swadlincote and whilst I have since moved out of the area, I still have links with the local community. I am pleased to have been appointed as a governor for Granville Academy and I am hopeful that I can bring additional useful skills and experience to the team. |
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Parent Governors
Parent governors are elected by the parents/guardians of the students who attend Granville Academy. When a parent governors vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all registered parents and guardians and an election takes place. Their term of office is four years. At Granville Academy the governance structure allows for two parent governors.
Peter Geering
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Appointed: 5 March 2018 |
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Bio: I have lived and worked in the local area for most of the last 30 years, initially for Bass / Molson Coors and for the last 9 years for Coca-Cola. I have a degree in Biochemistry and I am a qualified Brewer and through my career I have strong experience in business and financial management I have a son in year 8 at Granville and have a strong interest in helping the effective governance of the Academy both now and for the future. |
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Staff Governor
The staff governor by the staff based at Granville Academy. When a staff governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all members of staff based at Granville Academy and an election takes place. Their term of office is four years. At Granville Academy the governance structure allows for one staff governor.
Sarah Hewart
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Appointed: 1 September 2017 Attendance for 2017/18: 4/6 |
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Bio: I have been part of Granville since January 2014, teaching Maths and overall responsibility for Numeracy. Within this time, I have become part of the extended Leadership Team which has allowed me to utilise my experience and skills from my previous school. I have experience of all aspects within student support and guidance, including behaviour, attendance and learning policies. I have worked in a school that was placed into Special Measures, and was part of the team that moved the school out of this category into “Good.” So I understand the pressures and challenges that categories place on a school, the students and staff as a whole. I was appointed to the Governing body at the end of June 2017, a role that I am proud to hold. I believe that being a part of a strong Governing body will support and challenge Granville to not only become the Academy of choice but to keep growing from strength to strength. |
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Co-opted Governors
At Granville Academy the governance structure allows for the local governors listed above to co-opt up 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.
Malcolm Gee
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Appointed: 18 September 2017 Attendance for 2017/18: 4/6 |
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Bio: Having been a Governor at Granville for a number of years, serving 4 years as Chair, I now feel the journey we are on is heading forward and very positive, being at the low end and now reaching out for better than good results the hard work and commitment from the Principal, the senior leadership team, the staff and the amazing students. My link at the Academy is safeguarding, link to P E and student wellbeing. I have attended many open evenings and events experiencing the Year 7 students growing and maturing into adults an enjoyable journey. In the local community of Woodville I have served as a parish councillor for 17 years the latter 5 serving as Chair, this role has allowed me to meet a vast array of people helping to understand what has to be done during these difficult times that we are all experiencing, Granville being a focal point.
Driving the Academy minibus, attending Academy visits, home and abroad have been an exciting fact on my CV, the de Ferrers Academy that we are now a part of is the route to greater success for all involved and I am proud to be a part of it. |
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Michelle Hurley
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Appointed: 11 October 2017 |
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Bio: Recently appointed (Sept 2017) Co-opted Governor for Granville Academy, I am very much looking forward to helping to steer and support the right decisions to ensure that the Academy provides a successful learning environment for all students. I care passionately about the future of our next generation and ensuring that they receive the best education and support from their schooling, and as a local parent of two children, one of primary age and one recently started at Granville, I also have a personal vested interest in the quality and performance of the Academy.
I work within professional services for a global accountancy firm and have experience of various senior business support roles, including: HR performance management and recruitment, administrative team management, headcount and finance budget control, MI analysis and manpower planning and deployment. I am confident that my skills and knowledge can be applied to my role as Governor, and in turn benefit the students and staff within the Academy. |
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Lynn Ault (resigned)
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Appointed: September 2017 Resigned: January 2019 |
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John Ault (resigned)
Appointed: September 2017
Resigned: September 2018
Committee Membership: None
Register of Interests: None
All documents mentioned can be found below.
To access the Annual Report and Financial Statements please click here.
Supplementary Funding Agreement
Terms of Reference for the LGB
Terms of Reference for the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
Terms of Reference for the Pay Committee
Terms of Reference for the Standards Committee
Should you need to request these documents, you can do so from the Director of Governance and Compliance – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.