Our Local Governing Committee

LOCAL GOVERNING COMMITTEE

Jennie Thomson

Headteacher

Anna Holm

Chair of Governors

Contact: clerk@alet.org.uk

Dates for our LCG meetings and minutes from meetings can be requested by emailing clerk@alet.org.uk

Fancy joining our mission to Transform Lives through Learning?

If you want to make a difference in your community and develop your own professional skills, come and volunteer as a school governor and you can do both.  We all want the best for children and for our local schools: governors play a key role in leading, supporting and improving these schools, and becoming one can be a very rewarding experience.  Plus it may not be as time consuming as you think, and we offer lots of training and support to help you.

It doesn’t matter whether you have children or not, what role you have in an organisation or whether you know anything about education: everyone brings a unique perspective and can have a truly transformative impact on outcomes for children and for local communities.  All you have to be is aged over 18 and possess the necessary skills, attributes, and time to positively impact our learners.  

What do school governors do?

School governors play a key role in leading our schools. They set the strategic vision and direction, approve budgets, support staff recruitment, monitor school performance, approve school
policies and procedures, and hold the senior leadership team to account.

Why become a school governor?

The benefits of being a governor are immense, both personally and professionally. And it may not be as a big a time commitment as you imagine – governors meet on average around twice a term.
As a governor you will:

  • Have a genuine, positive impact on the lives and education outcomes for children and young people
  • Use and develop your professional skills and experience in areas such as strategic planning, leadership, financial planning, good practice, and team working – skills that feed back directly into your own career and personal development
  • Build relationships and networks in your locality
  • Gain satisfaction knowing that your input directly supports young people and the wider community served by the school
  • Being part of a multi-academy trust also enables your knowledge to be shared across other schools to provide support to more teachers and students

What you need to commit to

  • Take part in regular governors’ meetings, usually 4 times per year with additional committee meetings as required.
  • Spend time on training and getting to know the school through termly link governor visits.
  • Occasionally sit on appointments panels or panels that handle staff or student discipline issues or complaints against the school.

What do our current governors say?

“It is always illuminating to see at first hand the hard work and commitment. It often makes me reflect on and evaluate what best practice looks like in my own work setting – I definitely take away as much as I put in”

“I love how I get to play a part in helping my local school to improve and develop, but my biggest reason for serving is the opportunity it gives me to encourage and champion the great work that is already being done by such a hard-working group of staff and teachers”

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about becoming a governor, please contact Heledd WalkerHead of Governance and Compliance via email Clerk@alet.org.uk. We’ll be thrilled to hear from you.

APPLY FOR

Year 10

APPLY FOR

Year 12

Georgina Craven

Georgina Craven

Executive Director of SEND (SENCo)

Georgina is an experienced SEND leader with over thirteen years specializing in supporting neurodiverse learners and leading SEND provision. Beginning her career as an LSA, she progressed through roles including Senior LSA, Teacher of Biology, Director of SEND, and now Executive Director of SEND. A qualified teacher with a Marine Zoology degree from Newcastle University, Georgina also holds a Master’s in SEND, specialising in SEMH and Autism, alongside the National Award for SEN Coordination and accreditation as an Access Arrangements Assessor. She has contributed to SEND practice at both school and local authority level, including sitting on EHCP panels and leading school‑wide implementation of SEND technology systems. As a Therapeutic Thinking trainer, she champions inclusive, neuroaffirming practice rooted in the social model of disability and strongly believes in celebrating the strengths that neurodiversity brings to education and the wider world. 

Our Partners

Wayne Edwards

 

Executive Principal

Wayne started his journey with STEM focused education in 2013, helping to found UTC Reading with Jo Harper, our Trust’s CEO.  He moved on sabbatical to what would become UTC Heathrow as Vice Principal in 2017, becoming its Principal when it became UTC Heathrow in 2018 and joined the Trust.  Prior to this, Wayne worked in other education settings since he started teaching in 1998 as an Advanced Skills Teacher, Head of Faculty and Head of Department.  Wayne returned to UTC Reading in March 2023 as Executive Principal: the school has a special place in his heart and is part of his community, having lived locally for over 26 years.  His vision for the school is ensure that every student enjoys and feels safe at school, that they get the most enriching and effective experiences, and start to gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the world of work.  He is immensely proud to be Executive Principal of both schools and to help ALET schools deliver their vision of Transforming Lives Through Learning.

Anna Holm-Charlton

Governor - Parent

 
My two sons recently graduated from UTC Reading, so I'm excited to combine my knowledge and passion for the school with my experience in volunteer management and comms. I have worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years and have volunteered in places as varied as the Air Cadets and a school PTA. I believe strongly in the importance of wellbeing in education, and want to help to school create a more supportive and inclusive environment for all involved.