Governance
The Governing Board are the strategic leaders of our school and have a vital role to play in making sure every child receives the best possible education. Their purpose, reflected in the law, is to 'conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school'. They have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
Overseeing the financial performance of the school with the Trust board finance Committee and making sure its money is well spent.
We are fortunate to have a strong Governing Board who are committed and work with staff to ensure that all learners achieve and fulfil their potential. The Governing Board meet on a termly basis. In addition, the Governors meet as a Curriculum & Standards Committee every term as well as fulfilling their role as a Link Governor, holding school to account.
Our Chair of Governors is: Mr David Lambourne
Violet Way Academy
Violet Way
Stapenhill
Burton on Trent
DE15 9ES
Tel: 01283 24853
Fierté Multi Academy Trust is committed to promoting and prioritising diversity and inclusion. We encourage our academy local governing boards (LGB’s) to recognise the benefits of diversity and appoint governors from a variety of backgrounds.
A proportion of our trustees/governors are from ethnic minorities, with an approximate 50% being female. However, the trust understands that more needs to be done to increase representation on LGB’s and we are working with them to grow the networks we engage with to further this aim.
Getting people from diverse backgrounds onto our LGB’s is an important step. The Trust supports LGB’s throughout the process of recruiting new governors, with strategies they can put in place to ensure all governors feel included which leads to improved retention. This is an ongoing process which we will need to keep reflecting on as to how we achieve this.
Governor Meeting Attendance
Mr David Lambourne - Chair of Governors
Hello, I am Dave Lambourne. I am married to Carole, and we have lived in Stapenhill since I took early retirement after being an aerospace engineer for over 40 years.
I started my career as an engineering apprentice and have had many leadership roles, in numerous companies, both big and small. Recently I was Head of Quality for a large, multinational organisation and have managed teams of between 2 and 60 people.
In every role, including my own apprenticeship, I have seen how important it is to encourage, nurture and develop young people. I totally believe that the best way to enable them to achieve their dreams and aspirations, is by providing the highest standard of education and training.
As a father of 5 children (now grown up, with their own families) I have seen how important it is to have enthusiastic and inspirational teachers, right from their earliest times at school. I have always believed that the best way to support local schools is for us all to get involved and offer our skills and experience to help sustain and improve them. I have previously been a Chair of Governors at a Junior School in the South of England and so know a little about the role.
I have seen the superb work that the Heads, teachers and all the staff at Violet Way and Edge Hill do on a daily basis, and the excellent standards they achieve as part of the Fierte Multi-Academy Trust. I am proud and delighted to have the opportunity to work with them, and to be part of the teams helping the schools go from strength to strength.
Appointed September 2025
Term of office end - September 2029
Pecuniary interests - None
Mrs Rebecca Harris - VWA Headteacher
Appointed April 2024
Mr Simon Russell - EHA Headteacher
Appointed September 2022
Mrs Jane Foster - EHA Deputy Headteacher and Staff Governor
Appointed January 2022
Term of office end - January 2026
Staff Governor
Pecuniary Interest – Employee
Miss Natalie Nicholson - VWA Deputy Headteacher and Staff Governor
Appointed January 2024
Term of office end - January 2028
Staff Governor
Pecuniary Interest – Employee
Mrs Emma Howard
Appointed January 2022
Term of office end - January 2026
Link Governor - Safeguarding
Pecuniary Interest – None
Mrs Hollie Hall
Appointed 15/5/25
Term of office end - May 2029
Link Governor -
Pecuniary Interest – None
Mr David Lambourne
Appointed November 2024
Term of office end - November 2028
Link Governor -
Pecuniary Interest – None
Kimberley Chadbourne
Appointed 15/5/25
Term of office end - May 2029
Link Governor -
Pecuniary Interest – None