Governance

Mrs Joanne Hewson

Headteacher

Responsibilities: Is responsible for the strategic leadership of Chapelford Village Primary School and to implement the strategy and policy approved by the board. Appointment to the board: Joined the school in September 2002 and appointed as Headteacher in September 2007. Current directorships/business interests: Staff Governor at Chapelford Village Primary School. Career experience: Joanne has worked in primary schools across Warrington since 1996. Her teaching career began at Cobbs Infant School and Nursery and after four years she was seconded to a school requiring special measures to support school improvement at key stage 2. Following this experience she secured a post teaching at Cinnamon Brow Primary School leading key stage 1 and then became Deputy Headteacher of Sycamore Lane Primary in 2002. As part of her career she was a leading teacher for Literacy and undertook some worked alongside the Department of Education on the development of the Primary Literacy Strategy as part of this role. Skills and experience: Joanne has a vast amount of experience working across all key stages in various educational settings since qualifying in 1996. She has experience of leading a variety of subjects and whole school initiatives and improvements. Her subject specialism is in Literacy and the Arts and she also has significant experience in teaching, learning and assessment across the primary age range. Joanne has gained a National Professional Qualification for Headship and Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership with the University of Manchester. She works alongside an alliance of schools on school improvement and system leadership.

Ms Heather Da Luz

Chair Of Governors, Co-Opted Governor

Responsibilities: Responsible for ensuring the robust review and challenge of the financial information provided to the board and of the curriculum and school improvement information. Appointment to the board: Joined the governing body as a Parent Governor in 2010. Current directorships/business interests: Parent Governor at Chapelford Village Primary School. Career experience: heather has previously worked as a Project Manager on large European Funded projects most recently at the University of Manchester and currently works on a self employed basis as the Finance Officer for a Laser Engineering company specialising in research and exports to China as well as running her own craft supply business. Skills and experience: Heather has been a Parent Governor at Chapelford Village Primary School since 2010 and has supported the school in a number of roles in this time including Pupil Voice Governor, Community Cohesion Governor and is currently the Maths Governor. Heather was nominated as Chair of Governors in September 2021

Mr Steve Tottie

Vice Chair, Co-Opted Governor

Responsibilities: Supports the Chair of Governors in fulfilling their role. Holds Leaders to account and ensures that appropriate challenge is raised of the school leadership team. Provides strategic oversight on Health and Safety. Appointment to the board: Joined the governing body in 2007. Appointed as Chair in 2008 until 2021. He is now Vice Chair of Governors. Current directorships/business interests: Vice Chair of Governors at Chapelford Village Primary School, Health and Safety link governor Career experience: Although retired, my profession was with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for 35 years where I was fortunate to be responsible for fire stations in and around the Warrington area and later further afield in mid and south Cheshire. Skills and experience: Through his professional life and governance experience, Steve brings a wealth of strategic, commercial and business management experience to the governing body.

Mrs Anne Marie Worrall

Co-opted Governor

Safeguarding Governor

I have over 21 years experience in the Primary Education sector since graduating from Lancaster University. I have a vast amount of experience in teaching all year groups from EYFS to Year 6, as well as being responsible for Maths, ICT, Music, Phonics Champion, RE Leader, Performance Management Reviewer, Behaviour Support, ITT lead, Safeguarding Lead and Assessment Leader. My experience has also included my roles as substantive Headteacher of a school, as well as supporting other schools with Interim Headships, Data Analysis and external validation of school-based moderation. I am a firm believer that every young person, regardless of their starting points, deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged through an effective teaching and learning community, such as Chapelford. As a Governor, I aspire to work alongside the school to support and develop students to achieve their full potential, through the development of the whole person – teaching core values, creating a strong mindset for excellence and nurturing them to be responsible, caring individuals, through a personalised curriculum and learning plans, meetings with staff and external advisors in order to address potential barriers to progress, enabling Chapelford’s Mission Statement of ‘Learn, Achieve, Respect’ to be lived out successfully for all.

Mrs Helen Buckley

Staff Governor

Responsibilities: Responsible for ensuring the robust review and challenge of the financial information provided to the board and of the curriculum and school improvement Appointment to the board: Joined the governing body as a Parent Governor in 2004 and was appointed as a Co-opted governor in 2015. Helen then subsequently joined the school as a member of support staff, but has remained as a Co-opted governor. Current directorships/business interests: Co-opted Governor at Chapelford Village Primary School. Career experience: I graduated with a 2:1 in Human Psychology and Law, followed by a Master Degree in Industrial Psychology from Liverpool University, and am a graduate member of the Institute of Personnel and Development. I have worked extensively in administration, recruitment and selection and in staff training, in the Service, Manufacturing and Education sectors. I worked at Sycamore Lane Community Primary School and then Chapelford Village Primary School since February 2011 initially as a Parent Governor (since 2004), a Midday Assistant, in Admin Support, and for the last 8 years as Office Manager. Skills and experience: I have 2 children who have both attended Chapelford Village Primary School in the past, My 21 year old Daughter now attends Laine Theatre Arts in London, and my 17 Year old Son attends Barrowhall Collage. Having seen our school grow and evolve under the stewardship of Mrs Hewson, I am passionate about ensuring that we are able to meet and exceed the needs of the children in our community both now and in the future as our numbers on role continue to increase. I am in a very privileged position as I witness every day the commitment and dedication of the teaching and support staff in our school, who continually strive to ensure our children thrive and progress. I love being part of our school community, being able to help and support Parents and Children on a daily basis, while also providing support and challenge to the Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team on the strategic direction and effective management of the school.

Mrs Jayne Power

Co-Opted Governor

Mr Paul Duffy

Parent Governor

Paul has worked in the public sector for over 20 years and moved to live in Warrington at the start of his career to work as a psychologist in the prison service. He moved into social care about 15 years ago, and now works in Warrington as the lead responsible officer for the safeguarding adults board, the safeguarding children partnership, the domestic abuse partnership and the council’s customer services department. Much of his role involves working with police, health agencies, the council, schools and academies, charities and third sector organisations to help improve how the most vulnerable people in Warrington are supported to stay safe and live well. Paul says that he is lucky to have been afforded many opportunities in his life to gain valuable experiences and he would like to be able to give back to the community and help in any way that he can. He has worked with schools for many years in different capacities, but only in the last couple of years has he seen first-hand and has been inspired as a dad about how hard school staff all work. The efforts that he sees them make every day in support of the children was the spur for him to apply to join as a governor.

Mr Daniel Gibbons

Parent Governor

Dan is a dad of two, his daughter attends Chapleford Village Primary school, and his younger son attends Chapelford Nursery. For the past 10 years Dan’s career has been in education, the first eight years within an alternative provision school and to current day within a mainstream secondary school in the role of Head of Inclusion & Behaviour. Dan’s passion is to help and to support young people and their families to succeed in their education and become prepared for their working career no matter what obstacles they may face. Seeing the successful outcomes which can be achieved is Dan’s driver to continue within this role, and one of a number of reasons that he put himself forward as parent governor. Dan hopes to bring his views, skills and experience to this important role and contribute as much as he can as a professional but also a fellow parent who wants the best for all children. In Dan’s words he is very much looking forward to working with everyone in the Omega Trust to help achieve an outstanding provision.

Mr Matthew Gough

Co-Opted Governor

Matt Gough is an HR Operations Manager at Webuyanycar and as of July 2023 a governor at the wonderful Chapelford Village Primary school. Matt is 28 years old, he loves to cycle, watch sports, and spend time with his young family. Matt wanted to become a governor as he felt his extensive HR experience, and MSc in Organisational Psychology could provide some valuable insight to support the school’s objectives. Furthermore, having a young family has inspired him to want to help the next generation in any way he can. His experience has also taught him relevant skills including how to hold senior leadership to account and help deliver on key initiatives which he believes can be of importance to the school. Matt looks forward to using his transferable skills to aid in the delivery of the strategic goals of the school, all with the aim to further support the achievements of the children.