Governance
Governance in Wessex Learning Trust plays a crucial role in ensuring that the Trust operates effectively and efficiently while maintaining high educational standards.
Our governance structure encompasses the following:
- Members – Our Trust Members have a limited but crucial role in ensuring the Trust’s effectiveness. Members appoint trustees and have the power to amend the Trust’s Articles of Association. They hold trustees to account for the Trust’s performance.
- Trustees – Our trustees are non-executive directors and are responsible for the overall strategic direction and oversight of the Trust. They ensure that the Trust complies with its charitable objectives, adheres to legal and financial regulations, and delivers high-quality inclusive education. Our trustees are volunteers and bring diverse skills and experiences to the Trust Board.
- Executive Leadership – Our Executive Leadership Team, led by the Chief Executive, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trust. Our executive leaders implement the strategic vision set by the trustees and manage the Trust’s operations, including educational performance and finance.
- Local Partnership Boards – Local Partnership Boards (LPBs) operate at school-level. They focus on improving the outcomes for children and young people in their schools, providing support and challenge to school leaders. Chairs of Local Partnership Boards meet regularly with the Chair of Trustees, ensuring a link between local and central governance.
Wessex Learning Trust Members and Trustees – Dates of Appointment, Terms of Office and Attendance for the Academic Year 2024-25
| Wessex Learning Trust Members | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Role | Date of Appointment | Member's meeting Attendance 2024-25 |
| Neil Day | Member | 01/10/2019 | 2/2 |
| Brian Kirkup | Member | 01/09/2016 | 2/2 |
| Jeff Savage | Member | 01/10/2019 | 2/2 |
| Gill Stobart | Foundation Member | 20/05/2024 | 1/2 |
| Wessex Learning Trust Board of Trustees | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Role | Date of Appointment | Term of Office | Date of Re-Election (If Applicable) | Full Board Attendance 2024-25 |
| Gavin Ball | Trustee | 01/09/2017 | CEO | n/a | 6/6 |
| Emily Bott | Trustee | 28/03/2022 | 4 years | n/a | 5/6 |
| Ed Bowen-Roberts | Trustee | 11/07/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 5/6 |
| Melanie Casey | Trustee | 18/03/2020 | 4 years | 18/03/2024 | 5/6 |
| Maggie Cooper | Trustee | 11/07/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 6/6 |
| Antony Durbacz | Trustee | 14/09/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 6/6 |
| Paul Jacobs | Foundation Trustee / Chair of the Trust Board | 30/11/2017 | 4 years | 30/11/2021 | 5/6 |
| Paul Jenkins | Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 18/03/2020 | 4 years | 18/03/2024 | 6/6 |
| Kirsten McCann | Trustee | 12/10/2022 | 4 years | n/a | 1/6 |
| Simon Osborne | Trustee | 12/10/2022 | 4 years | n/a | 5/6 |
| Ruth Smith | Foundation Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 18/05/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 6/6 |
| Becci Stickley | Trustee | 28/11/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 6/6 |
| Sylvia Such | Foundation Trustee | 13/11/2023 | 4 years | n/a | 6/6 |
The Trust Board delegates aspects of its responsibilities to committees that focus on specific areas, facilitated by trustees with expertise in those areas. The committees allow for more detailed scrutiny and specialized oversight, enabling the Trust Board to function more efficiently.
Wessex Learning Trust Board has the following committees:
Standards and School Improvement (SSI), responsible for monitoring and evaluating the quality of education and student outcomes.
| Standards and School Improvement (SSI) Committee Membership | Committee Attendance 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball | Trustee (ex-officio) and Accounting Officer | 2/3 |
| Emily Bott | Trustee | 2/3 |
| Ed Bowen-Roberts | Trustee | 2/3 |
| Maggie Cooper | Trustee / SSI Committee Chair | 3/3 |
| Paul Jacobs | Foundation Trustee / Chair of the Trust Board | 2/3 |
| Ruth Smith | Foundation Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 1/3 |
| Sylvia Such | Foundation Trustee | 3/3 |
Finance and Business Services (FBS), responsible for ensuring prudent financial management and accountability across the Trust, as well as Human Resources.
| Finance and Business Services (FBS) Committee Membership | Committee Attendance 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball | Trustee (ex-officio) and Accounting Officer | 3/4 |
| Melanie Casey | Trustee / FBS Committee Chair | 4/4 |
| Antony Durbacz | Trustee | 3/4 |
| Jane Hutton | Director of Operations | 4/4 |
| Paul Jenkins | Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 3/4 |
| Kirsten McCann | Trustee | 0/4 |
| Simon Osborne | Trustee | 2/4 |
| Becci Stickley | Trustee | 2/4 |
Audit and Risk (A&R), responsible for identifying and mitigating risks that could impact the Trust’s operations and reputation.
| Audit and Risk (A&R) Committee Membership | Committee Attendance 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball | Trustee (ex-officio) and Accounting Officer | 2/4 |
| Melanie Casey | Trustee | 2/4 |
| Maggie Cooper | Trustee | 2/3 |
| Richard Holmes | Co-opted committee member | 3/4 |
| Paul Jenkins | Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board / A&R Committee Chair | 4/4 |
| Ruth Smith | Foundation Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 0/3 |
Values and Ethos (VE), advises the Trust Board on matters relating to the Trust’s overall position in respect of upholding and supporting its vision and values throughout the Trust.
| Values and Ethos (VE) Committee Membership | Committee Attendance 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball* | Trustee (ex-officio) and Accounting Officer | 1/1 |
| Maggie Cooper | Trustee | 2/3 |
| Libby Fidock* | Deputy Chief Executive | 2/2 |
| Paul Jenkins | Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board | 2/3 |
| Ruth Smith | Foundation Trustee / Vice-Chair of the Trust Board / VE Committee Chair | 3/3 |
| Sylvia Such | Foundation Trustee | 3/3 |
*Gavin Ball replaced Libby Fidock as ELT representative on the VE Committee on June 16 2025
In addition, the Chairs of Local Partnership Boards meet regularly with the Chair of Trustees, ensuring a link between local and central governance. The details of our current Chairs are as follows:
| School Name | Chair of Local Partnership Board |
|---|---|
| Axbridge Church of England First School | Toni Hael |
| Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School | Bev Gore |
| Cheddar First School | Vacant |
| Crispin School | Kate Frapwell |
| Croscombe Church of England Primary School | Simon Butcher |
| Stoke St. Michael Primary School | Simon Butcher |
| Draycott and Rodney Stoke Church of England First School | Adrian Warman |
| Shipham Church of England First School | Adrian Warman |
| East Brent Church of England First School | Roland Smith |
| Lympsham Church of England First School | Roland Smith |
| Sandford Primary School | Nerys Blower |
| Winscombe Primary School | Nerys Blower |
| Elmhurst Junior School | Hazel Callaghan |
| Fairlands Middle School | Phil Maddock |
| Mark Church of England First School | Lorraine Clarke |
| Kewstoke Primary School | Vacant |
| Kings Academy | Lisa Clark |
| Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School | Sue Moreman |
| Nailsea School | Sue Renny |
| St Cuthbert’s Church of England Infants School | Minnie House |
| St Cuthbert’s Church of England Junior School | Phil Michael |
| Weare Church of England First School | William Fox |
| Wedmore First School | Keith Boulnois |
The calendars of attendance and business interests for all our Local Partnership Boards can be found by accessing the schools’ websites, links to which can be found here.
Structure of Wessex Learning Trust Governance
In accordance with the Academy Trust Handbook (1.45), Wessex Learning Trust keeps a register of business and financial interests for Members, Trustees, Local Partners and Senior Employees. The register for 2025-26 is as follows:
| Member | Nature of Interest | Date Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Kirkup | Director KFL | 09/09/2025 |
| Jeff Savage | Director KFL | 09/09/2025 |
| Neil Day | Nil | 09/09/2025 |
| Gill Stobart | Member at Partnership Trust, Governor at East Harptree and Ubley Schools (LSP), Member at Futura Learning Partnership (Halycon from 01.01.2026) | 09/09/2025 |
| Trustee | Nature of Interest | Date Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball | Brother is painter/decorator | 03/09/2025 |
| Emily Bott | Headteacher at E-Act Venturers Academy, Children at Hugh Sexey Middle School | 25/09/2025 |
| Ed Bowen-Roberts | Nil return | 08/10/2025 |
| Mel Casey | Employee at The Society of Merchant Venturers, Director at ANOM Consulting Ltd | 29/09/2025 |
| Maggie Cooper | Grandchildren at Cheddar Pre-school/First School and Fairlands Middle School | 11/09/2025 |
| Antony Durbacz | Governor at Bath Spa University, Board member at RUH Bath NHS Trust | 16/10/2025 |
| Paul Jacobs | Director - PJ Leaders At Your Service, Trustee - Bagley Baptist Church, Daughter-in-law employeed at Wedmore First School | 30/09/2025 |
| Paul Jenkins | Charity Trustee - Rotary Club of Wrington Vale, Charity Trustee - Shiva Charity (UK) | 25/09/2025 |
| Kirsten McCann | Nil return | 07/10/2025 |
| Simon Osborne | Nil return | 21/09/2025 |
| Ruth Smith | Proprietor of various rental properties, Director at Avon Court Management, Chair of Trust Local Committee at Worlebury St Paul's Church School, Bath and Wells MAT, Member of DBE at Bath and Wells DBE Trust, Chair of Resource and risk committee at Bath and Wells DBE Trust, Member/Chair of members at Quantock Education Trust | 18/09/2025 |
| Becci Stickley | Husband co-opted member of Audit & Risk committee as IT advisor | 25/09/2025 |
| Sylvia Such | Nil return | 25/09/2025 |
| Co-opted Committee Members | Nature of Interest | Date Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Holmes | Nil return | 20/09/2025 |
| Paul Stickley | Director - Sticks IT consultancy | 07/10/2025 |
| Executive Leadership Team | Nature of Interest | Date Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Ball - Chief Executive | Brother is painter/decorator | 03/09/2025 |
| Libby Fidock - Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Primary | Husband is employed at Crispin School | 11/09/2025 |
| Louise Hulbert - Director of People & Culture | Child at Trust School | 04/09/2025 |
| Jane Hutton - Director of Operations | Local Partner at Cheddar First School | 02/09/2025 |
| Richard Palmer - Director of Estates | Nil return | 16/09/2025 |
| Ian Squire - Director of SEND | Local Partner at Kewstoke | 15/09/2025 |
| Dawn Tomkies - Safeguarding and Learner Welfare Manager | Nil return | 17/09/2025 |
| Dave Wiltshire - Director of Secondary Education | Non-executive Director at Angling Trust | 17/09/2025 |
| Nicola Windridge - Director of Finance | Nil return | 03/09/2025 |
| Extended Leadership Team | Nature of Interest | Date Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Lisa Fairchild - Trust Data Manager | Director at Maneford Consulting Ltd | 17/09/2025 |
| Jenny Foster - Governance Professional | Children at Trust schools | 03/09/2025 |
| Emma May - Procurement Manager | Children at Trust schools, Clerk at East Brent and Lympsham First Schools | 03/09/2025 |
| Chris Oakley - Trust IT Manager | Nil return | 08/09/2025 |
| Chris Partridge - Executive Headteacher | Nil return | 17/09/2025 |
Local Partner interests can be found on the school's individual websites.