The Role of the School Governor
Within England, there are over 300,000 school/academy governors, who form the largest volunteer force in the country.
The Local Governance Committee of Bower Park Academy is accountable in law and the Academy’s Articles of Association. It is responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards of education within a safe environment. The roles of individual governors, and, subsequently, members of a governing body, work collectively to perform a strategic role and carry out key functions.
The three core functions of the Local Governance Committee are to:
- Set the strategic direction for the school, by establishing a vision, aims and objectives for the school, agreeing the priorities, policies and targets for the school to achieve these aims and objectives.
- Support and challenge the school, by monitoring and reviewing the work of the school, reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of the policy framework and evaluating its own effectiveness.
- Be accountable to students, parents and staff, by ensuring the proper and effective us of the school’s resources, responding to Ofsted reports as necessary, holding the Principal to account for the performance of the school, making information available and consulting as appropriate.
The Local Governance Committee at Bower Park is chaired by Mr Dave Harries. He can be contacted via the school either in writing (marked for the attention of the Chair), or by emailing: office@bowerpark.co.uk
Bower Park Academy Governing Body
| First Appointed | Term Start | Term End | |
| Appointed governors | |||
| Dave Harries | 4 July 2022 | 4 July 2022 | 3 July 2026 |
| Andrew Mann | 24 September 2018 | 24 September 2022 | 23 September 2026 |
| Glen Adams | 24 September 2018 | 24 September 2022 | 23 September 2026 |
| Joanna Savidge | 22 May 2019 | 22 May 2023 | 21 May 2027 |
| Bex Cox | 21 March 2022 | 21 March 2022 | 20 March 2026 |
| Shirley Jonas | 23 February 2022 | 23 February 2022 | 22 February 2026 |
| Parent governors | |||
| Sarah Kushin | 01 December 2021 | 01 December 2021 | 30 November 2025 |
| Leanne Hathaway | 04 October 2022 | 04 October 2022 | 03 October 2026 |
| Staff governors | |||
| Ryan Browne | 02 April 2022 | 02 April 2022 | 01 April 2026 |
Chair of the Local Governance Committee
Dave Harries – In June 2022, Dave was asked to chair the Bower Park Academy local governance committee by the Empower Learning Academy Trust board. He has been governing in schools for over fifteen years, a chair of governors in three different schools, and is a former chair of the trustee board of the Empower Learning Academy Trust. He has also been actively involved with governance at national level, having served three years as a trustee of the National Governance Association. Dave was a previous chair of Bower Park Academy, and helped steer the school to its Ofsted grade of “Good”. He works as a business partner for multiple businesses, many of which are in the media sector. He has a wife and two daughters, who all work in education and welfare. When not governing, working or enjoying time with his family, he can often be found on a bicycle or on a golf course.
Andrew Mann – Andy has been a governor at Bower Park since 2002. Over the years, he has served on various committees. He has also been a governor at Clockhouse and Pinewood primary schools. Being a Governor for twenty years has given Andy a good insight into the education needs of Collier Row and the surrounding area. He works full time as a local government officer in an inner London Council.Andy has been involved with the community for many years, as a local councillor from 2002 to 2010 on Havering Council. He has been involved with scouting for over thirty years, and currently volunteers as a scout leader in Romford, working specifically with the 14 to 18 age range.
Jo Savidge – Jo has been a governor at Bower Park since 2019, but she has been part of the Collier Row community for almost twenty years, having originally joined Clockhouse Primary School as a Year 1 teacher. She has taught across the primary age range and led on many aspects of school improvement. For the last ten years, Jo has been the headteacher of the school. She knows the community very well, and is passionate and absolutely driven to provide the community which both schools serve with the best possible rounded educational experience. Jo was schooled in Havering, only to leave the local authority to go to Homerton College, University of Cambridge, to gain her degree in Education and English. Jo returned following this, and has continued to live and work in Havering ever since.
Glen Adams – Glen is a chartered accountant, and has experience in a variety of industries and service sectors, plus working in and for charities. A former governor and chair of the finance and audit committee of Hall Mead Academy, Glen joined Bower Park as a governor in 2018.
Sarah Kushin – Sarah has been a parent governor of Bower Park since December 2021. She works in the banking industry, having over twenty years’ experience, with a focus on green and sustainable energy project finance. Sarah is also a full-time working mum of three, so logistics and time management are a daily must-have. Sarah has served in Havering schools as a governor in different capacities for the last nine years in various committee roles for Crownfield Infant School, and is currently a governor at the Learning and Achieving Federation (Crownfield Junior school and Mawney Foundation School).With ever-changing parameters to the national curriculum and the expectations of what our children need to achieve, especially through the most challenging times of the pandemic, Sarah is passionate about the impact this has had on the students, supporting the schools and how, as a parent, we can be best equipped to guide our children through their educational journey.
Ryan Browne – Ryan has been a Governor at Bower Park Academy since March 2022. He is Head of Art at the academy, and has taught art and design within ELAT since 2015. Ryan has taught across secondary and post-compulsory age ranges, and has a passion for the arts and the good that it does for the community and young people. He has built excellent relationships with students and their families since joining Bower Park Academy in 2019 and is keen to build on this. He was schooled in Havering, and has lived in the borough since birth.
Bex Cox – Bex has recently joined Bower Park as a governor, and is also a member of the governing board of Aveley Primary School in Thurrock. Bex is a merchandiser for a fast-paced retailer, developing and planning both short and long term strategies for multi-million pound departments, but she has always been passionate about education. Bex feels it is the best gift you can give your children, believing that school life plays a pivotal part in who you become as an adult, and, therefore, wants to ensure Bower Park gives each individual student the best education it possibly can.
Leanne Hathaway – Having only recently joined the governing body, Leanne is excited about the chance to assist the Principal and his senior leadership team. Having two children at the school, she is passionate about the school, its development and the curriculum that it offers. Having taught in a local primary school, her knowledge of teaching and learning will benefit the school and the vision it has for its children. She is passionate about helping children foster a love of learning and reach their full potential. Within her governing role, she wants to ensure that the school provides the best educational setting for all pupils, along with opportunities and experiences through extra-curricular activities that will challenge them and embed aspirations and lifelong skills. She is delighted to be part of Bower Park Academy’s governing body and looks forward to working alongside the dedicated staff to ensure that Bower Park continues to offer the best learning experience for all pupils, and continues on its journey to success.
Shirley Jonas – Whether working as part of the team or managing it, Shirley has keen analytical skills and an excellent understanding of business. Without a background in the education sector, she concentrates on using the experiences from her “global work life” to provide support and challenge to the Bower Park community. As a former governor at Rise Park Primary School, Shirley has a passion for ensuring that all children achieve positive and holistic outcomes. She strongly believes that everyone should be able to develop a lifelong joy for learning, and this should inspire them to become whatever they desire without limitations, whoever they are, wherever they start, and however they learn. Shirley says, “I am very excited to be a member of this governing body as it continues to serve its stakeholders. I will always strive to be proactive and consistently engaged, and will do my best for the children, staff and parents of Bower Park Academy.”
