Governors
Meet the Governors
St Augustine’s is a stand-alone Academy, which means that it is not part of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). It is a company limited by guarantee and also a charity. The directors of the company and the trustees of the charity are the Governors of the College. The Governors of the College are volunteers and do not receive payment for their work. Governors in Catholic Schools have additional responsibilities and information on Governance in a Catholic School can be found at: schools.cliftondiocese.com
There are four types of Governors:
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Foundation Governors are appointed by the Bishop. Their appointment is usually recommended by their Parish Priest
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Parent Governors are elected by parents
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Staff Governors are elected by staff
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Co-opted Governors are appointed by the board because of their particular skills and experience
The Governing Board generally meets between 5 and 7 times per year
The core functions of the Governing Board are:
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to ensure that the College has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction
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to hold the executive leaders of the College to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
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to oversee the financial performance of the organisation and make sure its money is well spent
All communications to the Governors should be directed in the first instance to the Clerk, Jayne Melia at clerk@sta.cc, or by post to Chair of Governors c/o St Augustine’s Catholic College, Wingfield Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9EN
Jo Birkett-Wendes (Chair)
Start date 01/07/20, End date 30/06/24
Jo has been a Foundation governor since 2016. Having been a SENCO in a Trowbridge primary school for 4 years she currently is Head of Learning support at a Wiltshire independent school. Jo lives in Trowbridge with her husband and three children and leads Children's Liturgy at St John's.
Clare Farrow (Vice-Chair)
Start date 06/09/22, End date 05/09/26
Clare is a Foundation governor, and professionally, she has worked in training and compliance in the financial services sector.
She has been a school governor since 2006, starting as a parent governor in her son’s local primary school before becoming a foundation governor. Clare has experience of chairing both committee and full governing body meetings alongside completing investigations both for the Diocese and Wiltshire County Council.
Both of her children have attended St Augustine’s catholic college, the youngest of whom will be taking his A levels in May 2023.
Aidan Dowle
Start date 24/06/22
Aidan has been teaching for over 31 years and has recently completed his Masters degree in Educational leadership at the University of Gloucestershire. He is widely travelled having grown up in New Zealand and worked with the De La Salle Brothers in Chicago, USA as a volunteer when he left school. In 2013, he was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship and undertook research into impoverished schools in high areas of deprivation in Chicago which are producing outstanding educational provision. In his previous school, he led an international link with three schools in north western Kenya where he has taken four groups of year 10 students. Aidan has been a senior leader for over 10 years now and was a registered Section 48 inspector for the Diocese of Clifton.
Cn Tom Finnegan
Start date 01/09/21, End date 31/08/25
Fr Tom Finnegan is Parish Priest of St. John the Baptist Church Trowbridge and St. Bernadette’s Westbury. He has been a school governor for over 23 years throughout the Diocese. He is at present a Foundation Governor at St. Augustine’s Catholic College.
Marcus Myles
Start date 11/09/19, End date 10/09/23
I am an Army Officer, currently working in Army Headquarters in Andover. Throughout 25 years of assignments around the world, the West Wiltshire / Salisbury Plain area was a regular location, and over time came to feel like home. I have now settled my family in Wiltshire and both my children attend St Augustine’s College. Amongst other skills, the Army has given me experience in general management, administration and leadership, and becoming a school governor is an opportunity to work with, and for, the community that we now call home.
Chidubem Obiodu
Start date 09/03/21, End date 08/03/25
Eileen Farrell
Start date 22/9/21, End date 21/9/25
I am a staff Governor on the Admissions and Pastoral Committees. I am a mother of five children who have all had the privilege of attending St Augustine’s Catholic College. My youngest child still attends. Being a school governor gives me the opportunity to say thank you for the amazing opportunities that have been given to my family. I love walking, talking and spending time with friends.
Julia Tunnell
Start date 23/09/19, End date 22/09/23
Julia has been a Parent Governor since September 2019 and is keen to use her skills to contribute something back to our wonderful school community. She has lived in a village close to the school for most of her life. She has a son at St Augustine’s and a daughter in Primary school. She graduated from Plymouth University in 2000 with a degree in Business Studies and has worked in HR for most of her career, currently working for a large, manufacturing company in Trowbridge.
Kwame Adoku
Start date 09/03/21, End date 08/03/25
Emily Bindon
Start date 7/7/21, End date 6/7/25
I have worked at St Augustine’s since 2009 as a Design and Technology teacher and I became Head of the Department in September 2019. I have lived in Wiltshire since 2009 having grown up in Gloucester and attending university in Leicester, where I studied Footwear Design. This is where I met my husband, who is also a teacher working in Warminster. We have 2 children, currently in primary school. In our spare time, we enjoy taking our campervan out for trips, kayaking and paddle-boarding.
Nick Bracey
Start date 2/8/21, End date 1/8/25
For the first 25 years of my working life, I worked for a number of multinational companies, eventually running a number of operations in the UK and overseas. I then decided to pursue a career change and took a year out of working to train as a secondary science teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed this, my last position being as Head of a catholic primary school. I am now semi-retired and look after my grandchildren and teach part time. I had four children who attended St Augustine’s and I saw at first hand the excellent start to their lives the school and its wonderful staff provided. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to give my time and effort to helping the school maintain its excellent performance in supporting all aspects of our student’s development.
Clare Morris
Start date 10/11/22, End date 09/11/26
Helen Gilroy
Associate Governor
Start date 14/10/2022, End date 13/10/26
Miles Robinson
Start date 05/03/23, End date 04/03/27
Mark Keirle
Start Date 20/03/23, End Date 19/03/27
Sharon Pemberton
Start Date 22/02/23, End Date 21/02/27
Members
The Bishop of Clifton
Clifton Catholic Diocesan Education Foundation
Chair of Trustees for St Augustine’s Catholic College
These post-holders listed above are automatically Members of St Augustine’s Catholic College, although the actual individuals in the role will change from time to time.
Trustees who have served on the Governing Body within the last 12 months:
Mr Cyril Kinsky (23/10/2018 - 22/10/2022)
Lady Clare Asquith (29/06/2020 - 18/07/2022)
Mrs Clare Braham (07/07/2021 - 18/07/2022)
Mr David Forster (01/09/2018 - 23/06/2022)
Mrs Angela McAuley (05/01/2022 - 11/11/2022)
Mr Alfred Perera (18/10/2019 - 01/12/2022)
Mrs Sarah Marshall (01/05/2019 - 16/12/2022)
Governance documents
Attendance 2021-22:
FGB Finance & Audit Admissions Pastoral Catholic Life Curriculum Premises
Governor training records 2021-22
Committees
Some of the business of the Governing Board is conducted in committees which meet regularly throughout the year
Admissions Committee
Aidan Dowle
Jo Birkett-Wendes
Clare Farrow
Eileen Farrell
Finance, Audit, Risk & Premises Committee
Marcus Myles
Aidan Dowle
Chidubem Obiodu
Nick Bracey (Audit Chair)
Kwame Adoku
Helen Gilroy
Clare Morris (Finance Committee Chair)
Miles Robinson
Mark Keirle
Stephen Brown
Jo Birkett-Wendes
Clare Farrow
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