Governors

Our Governors

Malcolm Arnold Academy and Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School are governed by a Joint Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Our governors are:

Megan Morris

Principal

Megan Morris
Peter French

DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)

Peter French

Peter was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 7 March 2019. He is the Chair of the ASC and he decided to become a Governor to support the improvement of both academies for the well-being of the students. Peter is the Deputy Director of Education for Church of England schools, and wishes to support the academies in becoming better Church schools. He is interested in RE, literacy & sport
Jolen Grantham

DRET Appointed Governor

Jolen Grantham

Jolen was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 21 June 2018. He wanted to become a governor to give back to the system and provide quality assurance to local schools looking to make a difference. He is also Chair of Governors at Kings Heath Primary Academy, was Interim Chair at Lodge Park Academy from 2017 to 2018, and is also a DRET Appointed Governor on the Joint Malcolm Arnold Academy and Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School ASC. Jolen's work experience is an Education consultant and teacher. He is skilled in the area of personal development, behaviour and attitudes and teaching and learning. Jolen enjoys knowing more about the curriculum depth and new ideas. He is interested in reading about developments in education, the outdoors and holidaying.
Simon Toyne

DRET Appointed Governor

Simon Toyne

Simon was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 21 June 2018. He hopes that his perspective of working across 34 schools, together with the national picture as President of the Music Teachers' Association, is helpful in shaping the direction of the Academy. Simon's working life has been in state education - as well as being a classroom teacher for over 30 years, he has been a subject leader, Head of Faculty and Assistant Head, as well as leading an Arts College 'outreach' programme. Simon's current position as Executive Director of Music for DRET involves developing music provision in all 34 primary and secondary schools, and he has developed a good understanding of characteristics of the academies. Simon was a member of the DfE Expert Panel for designing the Model Music Curriculum and is currently on the DfE/DCMS Expert Panel for the new National Plan for Music Education. He enjoys Music, Cricket, Travel, Food and Wine.
Genna Whitlock

DRET Appointed Governor

Genna Whitlock
Anna Woroniecka

DRET Appointed Governor

Anna Woroniecka

Anna was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 13 April 2022. She wanted to be a part of the ASC to positively impact the staff and most importantly, the pupils. Anna was previously a Staff Governor appointed on Kings Heath Primary ASC, whilst working at the academy as a Senior Administrator. She has since been re-appointed a Primary Data Analyst for the Trust. Anna is an Artist and loves to cook. She enjoys playing board games and role-playing games with friends.
Chris Ludford-Thomas

Foundation Governor

Chris Ludford-Thomas

Christine was appointed a Foundation Governor by the Diocese on 27 June 2018. As an experienced educationist, she is a retired Primary Headteacher with sound knowledge of the education system. She has been a chair of Governors and worked as a school consultant for the Peterborough Diocese. Her professional experience enables her to have the knowledge and skills to contribute to the ASC. Christine participates in sporting activities and is an experienced amateur singer.
Kate Adams

Foundation Governor

Kate Adams

Kate was appointed a Foundation Governor by the Diocese on 8 October 2020. She has been a parent volunteer at MAPS since 2016 and is invested in the school community. Kate saw taking on a Governor role as a way of continuing her support for the school in the years to come. She is a Children's/Youth Pastor at a local community Church 'Central Vineyard Northampton'. Kate is also the Safeguarding Lead for the church. Her skills lie within Religious Education and Safeguarding. Kate is passionate about her faith, craft and spending quality time with friends and family.
Lauren Pheasant

Staff Governor

Lauren Pheasant

Lauren was appointed a Staff Governor on 18 September 2018. She is a Class Teacher at Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School. Her interests are Education and Horses.
Natalie O'Donnell

Parent Governor

Natalie O'Donnell

Natalie was appointed a Parent Governor on 18 September 2018. She is passionate about education, particularly that of her children and the community she lives in. The experience for her was so positive when her children joined MAPS that she wanted to be part of helping the school thrive and also understand how big business can best support local schools and grass roots programmes. As a result, she has been able to provide matched funding for charitable initiatives at the school as well as establish a coding programme for the children facilitated by Barclays called 'Code Playground'. She is passionate about diversifying the ASC, ensuring that all minority groups have a voice in how the school is governed on a day to day basis. Natalie is the Head of the Portfolio Control Office in Global Fraud Technology at Barclays Bank Plc. She oversees all areas of Controls; Finances, Change Governance, Audits, Resourcing, Vendor Management and Executive MI Reporting. Natalie is a passionate advocate of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). As a Company Director and Senior Leadership Team member on the Barclays Northampton Campus, she utilises her status to 'Lean In' and support others through Mentoring and Coaching Programmes globally. She also supports a number of grass roots initiatives and Young Enterprise activities across the County.
Teresa Elkin

Clerk

Teresa Elkin

Teresa Elkin has been clerking academies within the Trust since 2014. As a former Chair of an Outstanding primary school and part of the governance teams at Northamptonshire County Council and the David Ross Education Trust, she decided to become an independent clerk to support governing bodies. Teresa also supports other maintained schools and academies in the county. Teresa's initial career was in advertising and marketing but a move into education, governance in particular ensured that she had a wide range of skills to bring to governing bodies. Teresa is an experienced governor and Chair, a governor trainer and mentor to individual governors and Chairs. Her passions and interests are the Theatre, literature and international travel.

Governor Assigned Responsibilities

Pupil Premium - Genna Whitlock
Sixth Form & EYFS - Chris Ludford-Thomas
Enrichment - Simon Toyne
English - Peter French
Maths - Lauren Pheasant and Natalie O'Donnell
RE - Chris Newton
Languages & History/Geography - Jolen Grantham

Contacting a Governor

To contact a governor, please contact the Trust Governance Team by emailing governorservices@dret.co.uk

Scheme of Delegation

Information about the David Ross Education Trust's scheme of delegation is available here.

Minutes of the Academy Scrutiny Committee

Should you wish to view a copy of the minutes of the ASC at this academy, please contact the Trust Governance Team, who will be able to provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the minutes.

Are you interested in becoming an academy governor?

We are looking for new governors to support our academies. Our governors work closely with their academies to support the Trust’s goal of broadening the horizons of young people through a world-class education, equipping our students with the skills and experiences to become their confident, academic best, no matter what.

If you have an interest in, and commitment to, improving education and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our governor application form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governorservices@dret.co.uk or review our information pack below.

What is it like being a governor with DRET?

To understand what it is like to be a governor with us, take a look at our testimonial booklet and videos which contain insights from serving governors.