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Governance

 At Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, strong and effective governance is central to ensuring that every child across our family of schools receives a high‑quality, inclusive education.

Our governance structure is designed in line with Department for Education (DfE) expectations and shaped by our Christian values, with clear lines of accountability and a commitment to ethical leadership. The Trust Board is committed to continuous development and has previously taken the opportunity of the award of the Northern Fund to strengthen governance. All Members, Trustees and Governors are unpaid volunteers that abide by the highest standards of conduct, including the Nolan Principles For Public Life.

The Trust is committed to the five pillars of academy trust quality outlined by the DfE, including high‑quality inclusive education, effective school improvement, strong leadership, and robust financial and operational management. Our governance practices reflect these expectations and are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain compliant, effective, and aligned with best practice. 

Our Governance Structure 

 

Members Board

Our Members play a crucial role in safeguarding Trust governance; they are not involved in the day-to-day business of the Trust but they act as the guardians of the constitution. They ensure that the governance of the Trust is effective, that Trustees act in accordance with the our charitable objects and can use their powers to step in if governance was failing.

Members (ID 1129)

 Members 

Mr Pete Bond

Paul Hardingham

Deborah Smith 

Anna Trowell

Debbie Ollerenshaw

 

 Appointed

12.09.12

12.12.16

13.12.22

01.11.26

01.11.26

 

 

Trustees

The Trust Board is the decision-making body of the Forward As One CE MAT and is accountable and responsible for the Trust and its academies. The Trust is also the employer of any central staff and those within Forward As One schools.

The Trustees have systems in place to assure themselves of the quality, safety and good practice of the affairs of the Trust. They meet regularly as a board and delegate aspects of governance and the day to day oversight of school leadership to Executive Leaders, Committees such as Audit & Risk, and to Local Advisory Boards (LABs) for each school, as set out in the Trust's Scheme of Delegation.

Trustees (ID 1122)

 

Trustee Attendance 2025 2026

 Trustee Attendance 2024 2025

 

 Register of Interests 2025/26

 Audit & Risk Committee

As a committee of the Board of Trustees, the Audit and Risk Committee provides independent oversight of the Trust’s financial management, governance arrangements, risk processes, and internal control systems. The committee ensures that the Trust is not only compliant with regulatory requirements but is also operating efficiently, ethically, and with strong risk awareness. The committee also acts as a guardian of probity across the Trust, promoting a culture where concerns can be raised appropriately and where governance and accountability are continually strengthened.

Audit & Risk Committee (ID 1325)

 

Our Local Advisory Boards (LABs)

Each academy within the Trust is supported by a Local Advisory Board (LAB), which deploys their expert knowledge of the school's local community to provide support and challenge to school leaders. Local Governors work closely with Headteachers to ensure that schools remain deeply rooted in the needs of their pupils, families, and communities.

The Local Area Forums (East and West Hubs) meet termly and provide a space for Chairs of LABs, the Chair of Trustees and Executive Leaders to come together and share issues, questions, concerns and ideas across local boards and provides another vehicle for effective communication across layers of governance.

Each Local Advisory Board has a Chair and Vice Chair of Governors:

School

Chair of Governors 

School

Chair of Governors 

School

Chair of Governors 

Greenhill Primary School

 Adnan Akram

Beacon Primary School

 Matt Taylor

St Paul’s CE Primary School, Bolton

 Idris Maka

Gorsefield Primary School

 Emma Wynne-Jones (Ford)

St Peter’s Smithills Dean CE Primary School

 Chris Winstanley

St John’s CE Primary School

 Janet Yarwood

St Paul’s CE Primary School, Bury

 Jane Austin 

St James’ CE Primary School

 Deepak Agnihotri

St Thomas’ CE Primary School

 Stephanie Monteiro-Gooder

St Stephen’s CE Primary School

 James Brassington

St Chad’s CE Primary School

 Sarah McGillivary

St George’s CE Primary School

 Will Langstaff

St John With St Michael CE Primary School

 Graham Donnan

Parochial CE Primary School

Andrew Edmondson 

Canon Johnson CE Primary School

Abdul Kashim 

Middleton Parish Church School

 Clarrie Smith

St Anne’s CE Primary School

 Nick Jones

 

Contact details for individual Local Governing Boards are available via each school’s website:

 

Are you, or do you know someone else, who is interested in becoming a school Governor at A Forward As One school?

Click below to find out more:

Join the FA1 Governance Team 

Trustee & Governors' Area

Use these buttons to login to your meeting, training and development accounts:

GovernorHub Login

National Governance Association 

Your School's Governance Team

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