Local Committee

As part of Elevate Multi Academy Trust, our Local Committee (formerly Local Governing Body) acts as the local layer of governance, ensuring alignment with the trust’s overall governance framework while focusing on the needs of our academy and community. This structure promotes consistency, accountability, and collaboration across all Elevate academies.

We follow the purpose of governance as set out in the Academy Trust Governance Guide 2024, which is to provide:

·       Strategic Leadership
Setting the vision, ethos, and strategic direction for the academy in line with trust priorities.

·       Accountability and Assurance
Holding leaders to account for educational performance, safeguarding, and having an overview of financial probity.

·       Strategic Engagement
Acting as a link between the academy, parents, and the wider community to ensure stakeholder voices are heard.

 

Why Our Local Committee Matters

Although the Board of Trustees is ultimately accountable for the trust, our Local Committee provides an essential local layer of governance for Elevate. This ensures alignment with trust-wide governance while focusing on the unique needs of our academy and community.

Our Local Committee plays a vital role by:

·       Connecting the Board of Trustees, the academy, and the community
Acting as a bridge to ensure decisions reflect local context.

·       Providing strong links to the Board of Trustees
Sharing local insights so trust-level decisions are well informed.

·       Engaging meaningfully with parents and the wider community
Keeping the academy at the heart of its community and working with local organisations where possible.

·       Serving as ambassadors for the Trust
Bringing deep knowledge of the community and its specific needs, which is invaluable to the Board of Trustees.

·       Supporting parental and community involvement
Ensuring decision-making by the board of trusteees is shaped by meaningful engagement.

·       Playing an important role in safeguarding and safety
Offering local oversight and understanding of the academy environment.

·       Assuring the academy’s performance and quality of education
Using local stakeholder voices to monitor and support improvement.

·       Escalating issues when necessary
Acting promptly to raise concerns with the Board of Trustees.

·       Acting as a critical friend to the Headteacher
Providing constructive challenge at a strategic level.

·       Triangulating information
Reviewing policies, visiting the academy, and speaking with staff and pupils to gain a full picture.

 

The different responsibilities overseen by trustees and local committees are set out in the Scheme of Delegation, which is reviewed on an annual basis.

 Link to Scheme of Delegation

Link to Articles of Association

 

The Local Committee comprises of:

The Head Teacher

Staff local committee member- elected by the staff at the academy 

2 parent local committee members - elected by parents at the academy

2 community local committee members - Invited by the other Local Committee members for their skill set from the local community

2 foundation local committee members – appointed by trust and agreed by the Diocese

Associate members - Appointed by local committee members to provide short term support in areas identified by the Local Committee. They have no voting rights and their term of office will be limited to 1 year. 

 

Chair of Local Committee: Dawn Scargill

Email: d.scargill@thornerschool.org.uk

Address: Thorner C of E Primary School Kirkhills, Thorner, Leeds LS14 3JD

 

Our Local Committee Members:

Parent Local Committee Members:

Beth James: 
Beth was very pleased to become a Parent Governor in January 2021.  She has one child at Thorner and is also the Treasurer of the PTA.  Beth does not have a background in education, however through her job as a team leader in the Home Office she does have significant experience of managing staff, leading projects and is very familiar with the importance of safeguarding, having undergone significant training as part of her job.  She is committed to working with the other Governors to make sure the Academy continues to be an inspiring and wonderful learning environment for all children attending Thorner.

Dr Anna Mather:

Anna lives in Thorner with her husband and 2 children, who attend Thorner School.

Anna moved to Leeds in 2001 after medical training in Oxford and has been working in Children’s Services ever since, first Paediatrics, then Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – initially General CAMHS/Neurodevelopmental Disorders, later specialising in Eating Disorders as a Consultant (2009 onwards). She sat on the Citywide Strategic Leadership Group from 2013-2018, developing relationships with commissioners, stakeholders and service users to help shape Leeds CAMHS’ response to national guidance and local need.

Outside work, she enjoys writing, ballet and walks – balanced with an increasingly demanding role as CEO of “Mum Taxis”.

She looks forward to using her experience to help keep Thorner the superbly nurturing environment for young minds she already sees every day.

 

Head teacher 

Gemma Whawell:  

Gemma joined the team at Thorner C of E Primary School in September 2013. She feels extremely fortunate to work in her role as Headteacher, with such wonderful children, staff, parents and governors. Gemma enjoyed her school days so much and knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a teacher. Gemma finds it both a pleasure and privilege to work with children. Since qualifying as a teacher in 2007, she has taught in almost every year group across the Primary phase. Gemma previously worked as Class Teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) at St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate and was a Leading Teaching for Early Years in North Yorkshire. Gemma feels that living and working in the community of Thorner is such a privilege. She is incredibly proud to be part of a hard working team who are dedicated to making Thorner Primary School the best it can possibly be for the children at the Academy. She always seek to make school a positive and enjoyable experience for the children that she works with and does all that she can to support each individual in overcoming any barrier to learning. Gemma is passionate about enabling children to reach their full potential and helping them develop the values and skills to support them in their future life.

 

Foundation Local Committee Members: 

Susan Graham:   
Susan has been associated with Thorner School since her child started here in 2006. She worships at St Peter's Church and has been a foundation Gov for 12 years. She is a chartered accountant by background with over 15 years experience in advising businesses and organisations, large and small, in both the private and the public sector. All 3 of her children have now passed through the Academy and benefited tremendously from all that Thorner has to offer. She is committed to helping to make the Academy the best it can be for the benefit of all our children, whilst also ensuring that Thorners distinctive Christian ethos is developed and encouraged through links with St Peter's.

 

Revd Jonathan Brennan: 

Jonathan is the Vicar of St Peter's Church, Thorner which is part of the Elmete Trinity Benefice and was appointed to the role in September 2023.  Prior to entering into the ministry, Jonathan had a 30-year career in the legal profession running a successful legal services company providing costing and budgeting services to firms of solicitors on a national basis.  Jonathan has previously been a foundation governor at the school his now grown children attended.  He is passionate about promoting the School's distinctive Christian ethos and working with staff and other governors to build on the strong links between school and the church.

 

Community Local Committee Members: 

Dawn Scargill :Chair of Local Committee 

Dawn is privileged to have become a Parent Governor and Chair of the Governing Body at Thorner in November 2014. Her background is in commercial property law where her work often involves making challenging decisions, finding consensus and understanding/interpreting legal documents. Dawn's reason for becoming a governor was to try and give something back to both the Academy and community, and to contribute some of her own work experience/skills to the local governing body. As a governor, Dawn's duties involve supporting the Headteacher and staff, in our vision to provide an inspirational education for all the children at Thorner, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to be the best they can be, each and every day.

 

Katie Haynes:

Katie's background is in asset management where her work involves providing strategic advice as well as project and risk management. Alongside this Katie coordinates a reading/writing partnership with an educational charity enabling financial professionals to volunteer as reading/number/writing partners with primary schools. 

 After moving to Thorner during the covid-19 pandemic, Katie became a school governor to contribute back to the welcoming local community. She is passionate about education and helping to create an environment where all children can learn and develop.

 
Staff Local Committee Members: 
Chloe Davies:  

In 2016, Chloe was thrilled to be appointed as class teacher at Thorner to start her teaching career and from then has taught in both Year 3 and Year 4 as well as engaging with children across school. She has developed effective relationships with children and families and loves watching children develop an excitement and love for learning across the curriculum. Chloe has developed her leadership skills over the years by attending courses and leading subjects in school such as Science, MFL and supporting the leadership of English. She has supported staff with the implementation of new approaches within these subjects and has carried out monitoring in these areas of the curriculum too. She believes she has developed trustworthy and positive relationships with staff across school which has enabled these approaches to be successful. Chloe is dedicated to the children’s learning and well-being at Thorner and delivers lessons which allow them to thrive, be challenged, develop their knowledge and skills whilst demonstrating the school values. She is proud of the children’s achievements in and out of school and is delighted to be a member of staff at Thorner.

 

Associate Local Committee Members: 

Sam Capstick: 
 Sam, Assistant Headteacher, began her teaching career as an NQT at Thorner School over 20 years ago and throughout the years has accumulated a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience. She has taught in years 3, 5 and 6 and is currently teaching in year 6. The children at Thorner matter to Sam. She cares about their learning, their welfare and their entitlement to enjoy their time in our school. Sam believes it is her job to make a difference to their lives. Sam has been on the governing body since 2010 and during this time she has been involved in the recruitment of staff and been on both the Teaching and Learning Committee and Resources Committee. She has enjoyed working closely with members of the governing body when recruiting and selecting new members of staff, short listing, interviewing, observing lessons as part of the process and helping to make an informed decision. As an experienced governor and member of staff, Sam believes that maintaining high quality relationships with a local governing body that continues to offer challenge and support is a vital component for the long-term success of the Academy.

 

Our Local Committee Members is made up of the following members: