Governors
Eton Park Junior 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 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.
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, 8 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 leadership team, 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 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.
For further details about the Trust Board please visit the website: https://www.deferrerstrust.com/16/our-governance
The Local Governing Body
The trust board has established one local governing body to oversee both Eton Park junior Academy and Lansdowne 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 them by the trust board in accordance with the terms of reference and scheme of delegation (located at the bottom of this page).
Our Chair of Governors Anne Andrews and she can be contacted via the Clerk to Governors by emailing zmellor@deferrers.com
Our Clerk to the Local Governing Body is Zoe Mellor. They can be contacted by emailing zmellor@deferrers.com
We currently have governor vacancies. If you would like to be considered or simply want further information on the role then please contact the Clerk to the Governors or visit The de Ferrers Trust's Website.
Meet our Local Governing Body
Ex-Officio Governor |
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The Executive Principal of our academy 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 Executive Principal. |
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Claire Shaw - Executive Principal |
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Appointed |
17th April 2023 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
LGB Meetings - 0/4 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Employed by the de Ferrers Trust |
Bio |
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I am the Principal at Eton Park and Lansdowne Academies. I believe that all children can achieve excellence in their learning. My philosophy of education is that our children’s emotional well-being, cultural experiences, health and wellbeing are as important as their academic achievements. |
Board Appointed Governors |
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Governors who are board appointed are appointed by the trust board. Their term of office is 4 years. At Eton Park Junior and Lansdowne the governance structure allows for 4 board appointed governors. |
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Madelaine Burkett |
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Appointed |
03 April 2020 |
Attendance for 2021/22 |
4/4 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Headteacher at Burton Fields School, Burton on Trent. Headteacher Governor at Burton Fields School - a member of Central Co-operative Learning Trust. |
Sharon Fox |
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Appointed |
14 July 2020 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
2/4 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Councillor Horninglow and Eton Parish Council |
Louise Walker |
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Appointed |
14 July 2020 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
1/4 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Member of East Staffordshire Labour Party. Elected East Staffs Borough Councillor Eton Park Ward - May 2021 |
We currently have a vacancy for a board appointed governor. If you would like to be considered or simply want further information on the role then please contact the clerk to the governors.
Parent Governors |
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Parent governors are elected by the parents/guardians of the students who attend Eton Park Junior and Lansdowne. 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 Eton Park Junior and Lansdowne the governance structure allows for 2 parent governors. |
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Joanne Quinn |
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Appointed |
31 January 2019 |
Resigned | 22 March 2022 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
0/2 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Grandparent of children within the Trust. |
Staff Governors |
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The Staff Governors are elected by the staff based at Eton Park Junior or Lansdowne. Our governance structure allows for two staff governors and we try to ensure we have a staff representative from each academy. When a staff governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all members of staff based at either Eton Park Junior and Lansdowne, depending on where the vacancy arises, and an election takes place. Their term of office is four years. |
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Emma Mason |
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Appointed |
03 September 2022 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
4/4 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Employed by The de Ferrers Trust at Eton Park Junior |
Bio |
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I am a teacher at Eton Park and enjoy every moment of it along with my role on the governing body. At Eton Park I am responsible for the provision for Pupil Premium children alongside being responsible for the computing curriculum. I have also recently begun to lead reading in the School. This year I am about to take on a distance part-time masters degree in education with Edge Hill University. |
Mrs Caroline Fotheringham |
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Appointed |
20 January 2022 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
3/3 |
Committee Membership |
None |
Register of Interests |
Employed by SARAC |
Resigned | |
Mrs Helen Phillips |
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Appointed |
01.09.2016 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
4/4 |
Resigned |
17.04.2023 |
Register of Interests |
Principal of Eton Park and Lansdowne |
Jane Casey |
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Appointed |
03.09.2018 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
3/4 |
Resigned |
02.09.2022 |
Register of Interests |
Employed by The de Ferrers Trust at Lansdowne Academy |
Muhalb Alsaffar |
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Appointed |
03.09.2018 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
2/4 |
Resigned |
02.09.2022 |
Register of Interests |
Employed by Avanade. Parent of a child within the Trust. |
John Widdowson |
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Appointed |
07.12.2021 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
1/3 |
Resigned |
12.05.2023 |
Register of Interests |
Employed by Burton Albion Community Trust |
Mrs Amanda Carvell |
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Appointed |
03.09.2022 |
Attendance for 2021/2022 |
N/A |
Resigned |
19.05.2023 |
Register of Interests |
Employed by The de Ferrers Trust at Lansdowne Academy. |