Wycliffe Governors – Wycliffe CE Primary School

BDAT GOVERNORS:

Any correspondence to the Chair of Governor should be sent C/O Wycliffe CE Primary School, Saltaire Road Shipley BD18 3HZ or via the email address below.

CHAIR: Mr J Preston (Jason.Preston@bdat-academies.org)
My name is Jason Preston. I live in Shipley and currently have two children attending Wycliffe – a Year Two and a Year Three. I decided to become a governor to help the school maintain its high standards and be a place for great learning. I work for the University of Leeds and am learning new things about education every day! In my professional life I’ve been responsible for large budgets, commercial contracts and managing diverse teams of people – I want to use the things I’ve learned and experienced in my role as governor.

VICE CHAIR /TRUST GOVERNOR: Mrs Karen Webster
My name is Karen Webster and I have joined Wycliffe Governing body in September 2021. For the previous 6 years I was headteacher at ‘Woodlands CE Primary School’ (BDAT). Over the summer this year, I have taken the decision to return to the classroom to gain a better work life balance and follow my heart back into face to face teaching for the last few years of my career. I am currently teaching a Y1 class at ST Philips CE Primary Academy (another BDAT school).

I felt my previous experience in education would be of benefit to a governing body and school, such as Wycliffe, to support them in their journey. Over the last few years I have seen the hard work and dedication from both the Senior Leadership Team and staff at Wycliffe to move their school forward. I share this passion for teaching and the wellbeing of pupils and staff in school.

HEADTEACHER: Mrs D Baxter

STAFF GOVERNOR: Miss M Dyson

My name is Mirelle Dyson and I am a dedicated member of staff at Wycliffe, where I have taught as a class teacher for the past 5 years, predominantly in Key Stage 1. With a passion for fostering a positive learning environment, I believe in the importance of collaboration between staff and governors to enhance the educational experience for all children.

Within my role as staff governor, I am committed to representing the voices of the staff, ensuring that their insights and concerns are heard in decision-making processes. I look forward to actively participating in discussions on school policies, curriculum development, and staff welfare, striving to create a supportive atmosphere for both staff and children.

Outside of this role, I am a parent to three children, aged 23, 15 and 12. I enjoy home DIY and decorating projects and like nothing more than to relax with a good book. I look forward to working collaboratively with fellow governors and the wider school community to continue improving and supporting the educational journey for every Wycliffe child.

PARENT GOVERNOR: Mrs J Walton

My name is Jo Walton and I became a governor for Wycliffe in October 2024. Having a daughter in Y1 and son starting at Wycliffe next year, I am passionate about contributing to the success of Wycliffe Primary and ensuring that all children, including my own, have access to a high-quality education in a supportive environment. I believe that serving as a parent governor would give me the opportunity to help shape the school’s strategic direction and support its leadership in making decisions that positively impact all pupils.

I am currently the Operations Manager of a successful digital consultancy in Leeds, where the main objective of my role is to ensure the smooth running of the company, through efficient processes and spending, clear policies and great performance of our staff. I’m responsible for strategic planning, overseeing financial performance & holding senior leadership to account, so many of the skills I have gained in my professional life can be directly applied to the role of governor and remit of the governing body.

TRUST GOVERNOR: Charlie Western

I joined Wycliffe Governing Body in December 2023. After working with schools and academy trusts in my professional work I wanted to be able to use my experience to benefit a school in my local community and made the decision to apply to join the board at Wycliffe. Having benefitted greatly from my own education at nearby schools, I saw great merit in playing a part in the education of students at Wycliffe and supporting the school to meet and exceed it’s aims.

TRUST GOVERNOR: David Ford
I am married with two grown up boys, who were educated at Saltaire Primary and Beckfoot. I lives in Saltaire, and formerly ran Saltaire Bookshop on Saltaire Rd. Having previously served as a governor at Saltaire, Hirstwood Nursery & Frizinghall I was keen to take up being a school governor again after moving back to the area after six years in Lincolnshire. My particular interests are helping the school in its liaison with the wider community, to the mutual benefit of both and working to support the school with the other governors, the staff at school and pupils and parents/carers at Wycliffe

CLERK : Sally Coope

Role of the Governing Body

It is a legal requirement that every school should have a Governing Body which acts in the interests of current and future pupils and staff. School Governors are all unpaid volunteers who meet regularly (at least twice termly) to discuss and decide upon all aspects of school activities such as appointing staff, monitoring the budget, maintaining the premises and reviewing the curriculum. They work closely with the Headteacher, the staff, and parents of all the children, and they accept guidance from the LEA

Together with the Headteacher, the Governors are responsible for the overall educational and financial health of the school, and determine the aims and philosophies of the school, seeking their fulfilment through a partnership with staff and parents/carers. They are responsible for the policy documents that determine important aspects of the education of children at Wycliffe CE Primary School. These documents are appraised regularly and updated as necessary, and are available for inspection on request.

Day-to-day management of the school remains the responsibility of the Headteacher, and parents/carers are encouraged to share with members of the teaching staff any questions or concerns they may have. The Governors are confident that most issues can be addressed by the Headteacher; in situations where broader policy is an issue, however, a direct approach may be made to the Governors, either through the Chair of the Governing Body (Jason Preston C/O Wycliffe Primary), or through the clerk to the governors.

To download a full register of interests, structure, terms of office, attendance and those who have served at any point in the last 12 months on the Board of Governors at Wycliffe CE Primary School, please visit the BDAT website Business/Register of Interests page and download the relevant document.

Click here to view the structure and remit of the governing body, its committees and the name of each chair and link to board structure.