Governors

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City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College

As described on the Governance page of the Potteries Educational Trust website, the Local Governing Body of the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College has responsibility for the strategic oversight of the operational management of the College. The Local Governing Body is a committee of the Trust Board and operates subject to the Terms of Reference and the Scheme of Delegation.

Key Responsibilities

The Local Governing Body has three key responsibilities:

Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the College within the Strategic Plan of the Trust.
Hold Executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the College and its students and for the performance management of staff
Oversee the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

Information about each of the College’s Local Governing Body members is displayed below and Declarations of Interests are submitted on an annual basis.

How the Local Governing Body performs its role

The Local Governing Body holds formal meetings four times each academic year. During those meetings a range of agenda items are discussed and two sub-groups meet to focus on a) Teaching, Learning and Assessment and b) Finance, Resources and Risk Management.

In addition, Governors form closer relationships with areas of the College through the Link Governor arrangements (see Link Governor doc) and are part of the drive to maintain and improve standards by participating in thrice-yearly subject Quality Boards.

Governors also increase their understanding of College life by participating in student shadowing, holding mock interviews for University applications, attending events and parent evenings and meeting with groups of students.

The Local Governing Body believes in the features of effective governance as described on the website of the National Governance Association.

Annual reviews of the impact of the Local Governing Body and its members ensure that these standards are upheld.

members of the governing body

Students	2
Parents	2
Staff	2
Principal	1
Others	5

At all times the Local Governing Body works closely with the Principal, the Senior Leadership team and all members of staff to take actions and make decisions which enable the three key responsibilities to be met. The Local Governing Body understands that it is accountable to students, parents, staff and the community which is served by the College. The minutes of all meetings are available and can be requested by contacting the Clerk to the Local Governing Body.

The role of the Local Governing Body is one of strategic direction and support. The Principal and the Senior Leadership Team have responsibility for the day to day decision making processes of the College.

Local Governing Body Members’ Pen Portraits

Any queries regarding Governance of the College should be directed to the Clerk to the Local Governing Body, Amy Johnson or call 01782 854217.

Stephen Wyn Williams BA, PhD, FRSA, FRGS

Steve is Chair of the Local Governing Body and also the link governor for STEM and Stakeholder Engagement and chair of the Teaching, Learning and Assessment sub-group of the Local Governing Body.

Steve has worked in the region for many years, initially in the Geography Department at Keele University and subsequently at Staffordshire University. In the latter institution, he held a number of roles including Head of Geography Department, Associate Dean Science, and, until his retirement in September 2017, Dean of Academic Policy and Development. He is now Visiting Professor of Human Geography at Staffordshire University. In terms of community engagement, he is Chair of the Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission, Board Member and Trustee of the North Staffordshire YMCA and a member of the Executive Board of the Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE), a national organisation which champions wider access to higher education. Previously, he was Vice-Chair of the Local Governing Body of the Co-op Academy of Stoke-on-Trent.

My aspiration for Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College is for it to become an outstanding College and a beacon of excellence both locally and beyond. But more than this I want every student to be supported to reach their potential so that they can go out into an uncertain world fully prepared to achieve their ambitions and approach with confidence any challenge they may face.
Gareth Snell
John Gething BA, BTP, MRTPI (Rtd)

John is the Link Governor for the Finance service area as well as for the subject areas of Education, Society, Sport and Health. He is chair of the Finance, Resources and Risk sub-group of the Local Governing Body and he also sits on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Potteries Educational Trust.

Formerly the Business Support and Investment Manager for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, John has worked in the public sector for over thirty years. His experience includes master planning, community regeneration, housing renewal and leading major bids for external funding. He served as Chair of EPIC Housing Association based in Bentilee for seven years.

John enjoys travelling, the theatre, swimming and is interested in art and urban design.
Kevin Barlow

Kevin has been a member of the Local Governing Body since December 2018 as a parent Governor having a daughter studying at the College. He is Link Governor for Maths and Computer Science and a member of the Finance, Resources and Risk Management sub-group of the Local Governing Body.

Working for a well-known Luxury Motor Manufacturing company as a Logistics Specialist. Kevin works closely with suppliers and responds quickly to changes within the automotive industry throughout Europe and the wider world. Having worked in this role for twenty years, Kevin has established strong working relationships and is highly respected within the industry.

Kevin’s knowledge and experience both from business and having children in education since 1997 have given him a good insight into what a good education establishment looks like, and how this can create stable foundations for future generations of students.