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  • Governance

    Members and Trustees 

    Members at Applecroft School have 3 main responsibilities:

    · Furthering the trust's charitable objects

    · Appointing some trustees (known as Member appointed Trustees)

    · Holding trustees to account for the successful governance of the trust

    Applecroft School has the following Members, who meet once annually to receive the Annual Accounts, appoint Independent Auditors and receive reports from the Trustees regarding strategic governance activities.

    Member Name Appointed by Date of Office
    Chris Hailey Members 10th October 2023 - present
    Jenny Fennell Members 10th October 2023 - 25th March 2025
    Geraldine Rockall Members 10th October 2023 - present
    Louise Gardner (also Chair of Trustees) Members 10th October 2023 - present
    Vacancy    

    Please find below more information on our Members in their individual profiles

    Board of Trustees

    Role of the Board of Trustees

    The role of the Board of Trustees is to work with the Headteacher and school Senior Leadership Team to ensure that the pupils receive the best possible education.

    • Ensuring that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined,
    • Ensuring that the Headteacher performs her responsibilities for the educational performance of the school, and
    • Ensuring the sound, proper and effective use of the school's financial resources.

    Please find below the profiles of the Board of Trustees, further information on each Trustee may be found at the bottom of the page via the named links.

     

    Our Code of Conduct

    Contacting the Chair of Trustees

    If you would like to contact any of the school trustees please leave a message at the School Reception or send an email to admin@applecroft.herts.sch.uk marked 'For The Attention Of' either the Chair of Trustees or another named Trustee.

    Our current Chair of Trustees is Mrs Louise Gardner.

    Role Descriptors

    Structure of the Board of Trustees

    The Board of Trustees meets as a full group and as four committees, click the respective links for further information on attendance and/or minutes:

    • Curriculum & Assessment (C&A)
    • Finance & Premises (F&P)
    • Personnel and Pupil Welfare (PPW)
    • Audit & Risk (A&R).

    The Full Board of Trustees meets six times each year (twice in each term) and each sub-committee aims to meet at least once each term (ideally twice).

    Note: The completion of the questionnaire that informs this data is optional and as such is not a complete picture of our Board of Trustees. Publication of this data is encouraged by the Department for Education but is not mandatory. 

    Board of Trustees Framework

    Please find below the Board of Trustees and its framework including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Trustee:

    Name

    Appointing Body

    Committees

    Link subject(s)

    Term of Office

    Mrs Louise Gardner

    (Chair)

    Parents

    Finance & Premises

    Audit & Risk 

    Pay

    English & EYFS

    15/11/2019 - 14/11/2027

    Mrs Claire Coe

    (Vice-Chair)

    Parents

    Pupil & Personnel Welfare

    Audit & Risk

    Pupil Premium, CLA, SEND, SMSC & Wellbeing

    19/06/2023 - 18/06/2027

    Mrs Charlene Theophile

    Parents

    Curriculum & Assessment 

    English

    26/05/2021 - 25/05/2025

    Mr Antonios Kanellopoulos Parents Pupil & Personnel Welfare Science, Maths & Computing 28/03/2023 - 27/03/2027
    Mr Chris Clarke Parents

    Finance & Premises

    Audit & Risk(Chair)

    Music, Art & Design, Design Technology

    28/03/2023 - 27/03/2027

    Mr Toni Virtanen

    Parents

    Finance & Premises (Chair)

    Audit & Risk 

    History, Geography, MFL

    27/01/2021 - 26/01/2029

    Mr Stephen Williams

    Members

    Curriculum & Assessment (Chair)

    Audit & Risk

    EYFS

    20/11/2019 - 19/11/2027

    Mrs Barbara Crawford Members

    Pupil & Personnel Welfare

    Pay

    SMSC & Wellbeing

    22/11/2022-

    21/11/2026

    Mrs Liz Wilson Members Curriculum & Assessment Science, Maths & Computing

    24/01/2023-

    23/01/2027

    Mr Ben Kirby

    Members

    Pupil & Personnel Welfare

    Safeguarding,

    History, Geography, MFL

    16/05/2023 - 15/05/2027

    Mrs Caroline Buckley Members Finance & Premises Music, Art & Design, Design Technology 27/11/2024 - 26/11/2028

    Mr Paul Wyatt

    (Deputy Headteacher)

    Co-opted by Governing Board

    Finance & Premises

    Curriculum & Assessment

     

    01/10/2017 – 30/09/2025

    Mrs Lisa Withe

    (Headteacher)

    *ex-officio

    School

    Curriculum & Assessment

    Finance & Premises

    Pupil and Personnel Welfare

    Audit & Risk

     

    01/09/2015 –

    Mrs Odette Coe

    (Business Manager)

    School - Associate member

    Finance & Premises

    Audit & Risk

       

    Miss Ruth Johnson

    (Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion & Well-Being)

    School - Associate member

    Pupil & Personnel Welfare

       

    Please find below details of members of the Board of Trustees that have left during the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 academic years:

    Name

    Category

    Appointing Body

    Term of Office

    Mrs Lisa Bright

    Trustee

    Co-opted by Governing Board

    27/01/2021 – 26/01/2025 (Term ended)

    Mr Nigel Gallacher Staff Co-opted by Governing Board

    20/01/2012 – 19/01/2024 (Term ended)

    Rev'd Rachel Wakefield

    Community

    Applecroft Governing Board

    27/01/2021 - 16/05/2023 (Resigned)

    Mrs Geraldine Rockall Parent Applecroft Parents/Carers 15/11/2019 - 30/01/2023 (Resigned)

    Register of Business and Pecuniary Interests

    Attendance 2024-2025

    FGB 

    Date 01/10 03/12 28/01 18/03 13/05 10/07 Notes
    Lisa Bright A A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Caroline Buckley N/A N/A Y A Y    
    Odette Coe Y Y N/A N/A N/A    
    Claire Coe Y Y Y Y Y    
    Chris Clarke Y Y Y Y Y    
    Barbara Crawford Y Y Y Y Y    
    Louise Gardner Y Y Y Y Y    
    Antonios Kanellopoulos A Y Y A Y    
    Ruth Johnson Y N/A N/A N/A N/A    
    Ben Kirby Y Y Y A A    
    Charlene Theophile Y Y Y Y A    
    Toni Virtanen Y Y Y Y Y    
    Stephen Williams Y A Y Y Y    
    Liz Wilson Y Y Y Y Y    
    Lisa Withe Y Y Y Y Y    
    Paul Wyatt Y Y Y Y Y    

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    Audit and Risk Committee

    Date 25/11 03/02 03/03 03/07 Notes
    Chris Clarke Y Y Y Y  
    Odette Coe (in capacity as SBM) Y Y Y Y  
    Louise Gardner Y Y Y Y  
    Toni Virtanen Y Y Y A  
    Claire Coe Y Y Y A  
    Lisa Withe (in capacity as CFO) Y Y Y Y  
    Steve Williams Y Y Y Y  

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    Finance and Premises Committee

    Date 25/09 12/11 15/01 13/03 29/04 24/06 Notes
    Odette Coe Y Y Y Y Y Y  
    Chris Clarke A Y A Y Y Y  
    Louise Gardner Y Y Y Y Y Y  
    Toni Virtanen Y Y Y Y A Y  
    Steve Williams Y A N/A N/A N/A N/A  
    Caroline Buckley N/A N/A A Y Y A  
    Lisa Withe Y Y Y A Y A  
    Paul Wyatt Y Y Y Y Y Y  
    Nigel Gallacher Y Y Y Y Y Y  

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    Curriculum and Assessment Committee

    Date 24/09 19/11 22/01 01/07 Notes
    Louise Gardner A Y Y    
    Antonios Kanellopoulos A Y N/A    
    Charlene Theophile Y A Y    
    Stephen Williams Y Y Y    
    Lisa Withe Y Y Y    
    Paul Wyatt Y Y Y    
    Liz Wilson Y A Y    

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    Attendance for the Pay Committee

    Date 29/11 02/04 Notes
    Lisa Bright A N/A  
    Odette Coe Y Y  
    Louise Gardner Y Y  
    Barbara Crawford Y Y  
    Lisa Withe Y Y  

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    Personnel and Pupil Welfare Committee

    Date 12/11 11/03 24/06 Notes
    Antonios Kanellopoulos Y Y A  
    Lisa Bright Y N/A N/A  
    Claire Coe Y Y Y  
    Barbara Crawford Y Y A  
    Ruth Johnson Y Y Y  
    Ben Kirby Y Y Y  
    Lisa Withe Y Y Y  

    Y = Yes, Trustee attended meeting       A = Apologies given and accepted     N/A = Trustee not required at meeting

    2023-2024 Attendance