Our Governors
West Lakes Academy is governed by a governing body (“the Governing Body”) who are the directors of the company under the Memorandum and Articles of the Academy Trust. The Governing Body exercises its powers and functions with a view to fulfilling a largely strategic role in the running of the academy and considers any advice given by the principal. The Governing Body largely exercises its powers and fulfils its functions through the principal and the ‘Academy Leadership Group’.
The Governors of West Lakes Academy are:
- Adrian Thompson, Sponsor Governor Sellafield Ltd (Chair)
- Rick Wylie, Sponsor Governor, UCLan
- Michelle Pearse, Sponsor Governor, NDA (Vice Chair)
- Sue Armstrong, Sponsor Governor, Sellafield Ltd
- Dan Bloomer, Sponsor Governor, NDA
- Suzanne Wilson, Co-Opted Governor
- Ian Curwen, Co-opted Governor
- Nicole Nicholson, Co-opted Governor
- David Southward, Local Authority Governor
- Susan Alderson, Parent Governor
- Charles Potter, Parent Governor
- Nichola Capstick, Staff Governor
- Jonathan Johnson, Principal
Clerk to the Governing Body: Caroline Stevenson
Governors and the clerk can be contacted via governors@westlakesacademy.org.uk
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- Adrian Thompson, Sponsor Governor Sellafield Ltd (Chair)
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- Michelle Pearse, Sponsor Governor, NDA (Vice Chair)
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- Rick Wylie, Sponsor Governor, UCLan
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- Sue Armstrong, Sponsor Governor, Sellafield Ltd
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- Dan Bloomer, Sponsor Governor, NDA
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- Suzanne Wilson, Co-opted Governor
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- Ian Curwen, Co-opted Governor
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- Nicole Nicholson, Co-opted Governor
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- David Southward, Local Authority Governor
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- Charles Potter, Parent Governor
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- Susan Alderson, Parent Governor
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- Nichola Capstick, Staff Governor
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- Jonathan Johnson, Principal
Please click on a governor’s photograph to see their biography.
Governing Body Meeting Dates 16/17
Declaration of Business Interests for 16/17
Governing Body Attendance 16/17
Governing Body Attendance 15/16
Governing Body Committee Attendance 15/16
Governing Body Committee Attendance 16/17
Governor Details
Full names, date of appointment, term of office, date they stepped down (where applicable), who appointed them and relevant business and pecuniary interests including governance roles in other educational institutions
|
Name |
Date of appointment |
Term of office |
Date stepped down |
Appointed by |
Business and pecuniary details including governance roles in other educational institutions
|
| Adrian Thompson | Sep 2008 | No limit | Sponsor Governor Sellafield Ltd | None | |
| Rick Wylie | Jan 2011 | No limit | Sponsor Governor UCLan | None | |
| Michelle Pearse | Jul 2013 | No limit | Sponsor Governor | None | |
| Sue Armstrong | Jul 2014 | 4 years | Sponsor Governor | None | |
| Susan Alderson | Oct 2016 | 4 years | Co-opted Governor Governing Body | Staff governor at Beckermet Primary School.
Employee at Beckermet Primary School. |
|
| David Southward | Nov 2014 | 4 years | Local Authority Governor | None | |
| Ian Curwen | Sep 2016 | 4 years | Co-opted Governor Governing Body
|
Employee of Sellafield Ltd | |
| Nicole Nicholson | Dec 2014 | 4 years | Co-opted Governor Governing Body
|
None | |
| Nichola Capstick | Sep 2015 | 4 years | Staff Governor | Member of Academy staff | |
| Vanessa Ray | Apr 2010 | Whilst in post
|
December 2015 | Principal | Member of Academy staff |
| Jonathan Johnson | Jan 2016 | Whilst in post | Principal | Member of Academy staff | |
| Dan Bloomer | Dec 2015 | 4 years | Sponsor Governor | Wife – Employee at Cockermouth School. | |
| Gillian Butterworth | Apr 2016 | 4 years | February 2017 | Parent Governor | None |
Our Sponsors
Three sponsors were involved in the setting up of West Lakes Academy in 2008 – Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). All three share an ambition and motivation to support the education and development of young people in West Cumbria and to ensure that West Cumbria is an attractive, vibrant and aspirational place in which to live and work.
When the academy opened, Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) contributed a total of £2m to the project which has been invested by the academy. The other sponsor, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), is our Higher Education Partner. The sponsor organisations are well represented on the Governing Body and currently occupy the Chair and Vice Chair positions.
The sponsors and other members of the Governing Body actively support a wide range of academy activities including interview panels for key staff, high value and risk tendering processes such as ICT and being link governors to certain areas such as More Able, Special Educational Needs, etc, in addition to the Governing Body meetings and associated committees. All are keen to support and effectively challenge the academy to be even better in delivering outcomes for the students and thus the wider community and key stakeholders.
You can learn more about the sponsors at:
