Our Governance

King's Leadership Academy Warrington is part of the Great Schools Trust (GST), a company limited by guarantee.

The GST members and board of trustees are the proprietors of the Trust and set the overarching vision and strategy for all of the GST academies. Trustees’ main responsibilities are the three core governance functions:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction.
  • Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

In order to discharge these duties successfully the board of trustees has delegated some of these responsibilities to executive leaders and local academy councils (LACs) (see the Scheme of Delegation for more information).

King's Warrington has a committed team of governors who are actively involved in school life. They successfully represent the local community and bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from a variety of professional backgrounds. Governors include parent and staff representatives.

The LAC has delegated oversight for curriculum and standards, community presence and safeguarding. This includes attendance, student welfare and health and safety. Finance and staffing are the direct responsibility of the trust board. Nevertheless, the GST governance structure allows each LAC chair to be appointed as a trustee. Therefore, local governance is represented in board discussions.

In short, LACs are an integral part of the Trust’s governance structure. They are the eyes and ears on the ground at school level. The LAC supports the trust board by adhering to their core governance functions and by holding the school to account for performance and development. In addition, they support school leaders by acting as their ‘critical friend’.


Contact Our Local Academy Council

The Chair of the Local Academy Council is Michael Ireland.

Should you wish to contact the Chair of the Local Academy Council or LAC please contact the Trust’s director of governance, Michelle Jones, via email m.jones@greatschoolstrust.com or by post by addressing any correspondence for the attention of Michelle Jones at the school’s address:

King's Leadership Academy Warrington, Hillock Lane, Warrington, WA1 4PF.

Please note that any complaints regarding the school must be raised in line with our complaints policy and cannot be raised directly with the Local Academy Council.

Chair's Welcome

Welcome to the website of King's Leadership Academy Warrington.

It is a great privilege to serve as the school’s Chair of Governors. The Local Advisory Council is keen to work with staff, pupils, parents and the local community to ensure that the school offers an outstanding quality of education that focuses not only on academic excellence, but also on the importance of educating the whole child. Through our Leadership specialism, our pupils will develop the characteristics that will set them up for success in every aspect of their lives, whilst also emphasising the importance of being caring and compassionate towards others.

To ensure that the school’s vision is realised and that pupils’ best interests are factored into every decision made, the Local Advisory Council will support the Trust by acting as a “critical friend,” holding the school to account for the quality of its educational provision and pupil outcomes. We will also help to define the strategic direction of the school to ensure that resources are optimised and all pupils are fulfilling their potential.

The Local Advisory Council is incredibly proud of our school and the calibre of education and enrichment it offers. We are passionate about creating a safe and happy environment where our pupils can flourish as individuals and also enjoy the benefits of belonging – and contributing to – a cohesive community.

Mike Ireland

Governor Biographies

Mike Ireland- Chair of Governors and Trustee

I am a well-respected anti-fraud and anti-money laundering professional consultant with over 25 years of experience in fraud investigation, data analysis, referral optimisation, research, policy creation and management within various sectors including telecommunications, banking, and insurance, financial services and the public sector.

Since 2016 I have been a Governor at the highly successful King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, and the Chair of the Local Academy Council since 2019 providing challenge and support to the school influencing strategy and direction through engagements and investigations in several areas such as Special Educational Needs and Pupil Premium. I have a keen interest in helping those within the school and Trust with special education needs to achieve as well as their peers. I have three children, one of which is autistic and another who is autistic and with ADHD, both attending King's Leadership Academy Warrington.

Paul Andrews- Co-opted Governor

I have lived in Woolston for over 40 years and I am a founding Governor at Kings Leadership Academy having helped set the school up. I believe every child matters and should have an outstanding education in Woolston. I am an Electrical, Control, Instrumentation and Automation Consultant Engineer currently working for Thames Water undertaking Major Capital Delivery Projects.

Ruth Bowden- Parent Governor

My eldest child started at King’s Warrington in 2014, followed by his two siblings, so I have had links with the school since its early days. With a degree in Electronic Engineering from Lancaster, I taught mathematics in a Manchester high school for ten years, before starting my family.  Since then, I have contributed my time and skills in various voluntary roles, both connected with my children’s schools and the wider community. As a parent governor, I hope to use my experience and knowledge to make a positive impact on the continued success of King’s.

Nicola Burrows- Staff Governor

My name is Nicola Burrows and I am a Governor at King's Leadership Academy Warrington. I am a History teacher at the school and I was one of the founding teachers 10 years ago. I also have the unique position of being a parent of two children who attend King's Warrington.

I am very passionate about our mission - developing tomorrow's citizens- and believe our values-led education sets our Trust apart from other settings. I am very invested in my community here in Warrington, having lived here most of my life and for that reason became a Governor of the school. The Local Academy Council currently has one parent vacancy.

Clare Millar- Parent Governor

As a parent of two children who attend Kings Academy, a local resident of Woolston of 43 years and a professional working for the Local Authority in Early Help. When I saw the opportunity to join as a school governor I knew I wanted to be involved to help best support young people , families and the school. 

I would like to offer my knowledge and guidance as a parent who understands the real-life challenges faced by children and their families to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

As a professional I would like to offer my knowledge and experiences to improve the pathway of support offered to pupils when they need it. I will share information on Safeguarding and SEN support, to help reduce barriers that young people face, particularly when there is a diagnosed neurodevelopmental condition, or a young person has experienced trauma/ ACES.

We know that the impact of both of these goes on to affect emotional well-being and self-esteem, with a further impact on their academic outcomes and attendance.

Statutory Information for Governance