Governance
Stisted Primary Academy is part of the Canonium Learning Trust, and as such, the Trust Board is responsible for the overall governance of the Academy supported by the Local Governing Committee.
Canonium Learning Trust has a governance structure that places great importance on local governance arrangements and therefore the Academy also has a Local Governing Committee (LGC).
The Local Governing Committee comprises individuals from the local community, including parents and members of staff. They are responsible for providing oversight of the Academy's educational performance, ensuring that its policies and procedures are appropriate, and promoting the welfare of its students. The LGC works in partnership with the Trust Board to ensure that the Academy operates in line with the Trust's values and objectives.
While the Canonium Trust Board has ultimate responsibility for the governance of the Academy, the Local Governing Committee has a more direct and local focus providing a link between the Academy and the local community and ensuring that the Academy is responsive to the needs of its students, parents, and staff. The LGC also plays an important role in providing feedback to the Trust Board on local issues, which can help inform the Trust's strategic direction.
In addition to the monitoring of educational performance, the LGC also has specific responsibilities working closely with the Academy's senior leadership team to ensure that these areas are managed effectively and that resources are used efficiently.
For more information about the Trust and the board of directors, please visit the Canonium Learning Trust website, here
Local Governing Committee
Chair
Emma Jackson Gray
Emma studied studied art history at university and completed a master’s degree in museum and gallery education. She has worked for Arts Council England, firstly as a project assistant and then Programme Manager for their flagship Creative Partnerships programme, managing projects and allocating funding to schools across Essex and Suffolk. Following the birth of her first child, she decided to go freelance to have more flexibility in her work schedule and was lucky enough to build a portfolio of projects working with various arts organisations and education programs across the eastern region.
Meanwhile, Emma and her husband decided to take his family farm back in hand, which had been previously contracted out due to the lack of interest in farming it. As their farming business has grown, Emma has taken on less freelance work and now works almost exclusively for their farming business with her husband. They are now in their 11th year of running the farm together. Emma's first son was joined by two more, and now all three of their boys are at Stisted, where Emma has been a parent governor since 2016. She became Chair in 2018 and during that time led the governing body on its journey from being a single academy trust into Canonium this autumn. Emma has a particular interest in how the key skills that underpin creativity can support curriculum development. She believes that by focusing on a creative approach that promotes skills of resilience, resourcefulness, inquisitiveness, confidence, and allows imagination and collaboration to be at the heart of learning, it leads to positive outcomes for all learners, leaving them better prepared for success in the modern working world.
Vice Chair
Chloe Henderson
Incumbent
Reverend Heike Prentice
Community governor
Alistair Whipps
Parent governor
Chloe Henderson
Staff governor
Gareth Williams
Further Governance Information
Executive Headteacher
Martin Hawrylak
Martin serves as the Executive Headteacher of Stisted, Finchingfield and St Andrews primary academies. He is a former accounting officer for Stisted Primary Academy Trust before overseeing its incorporation into Canonium Learning Trust in 2021. His tenure as an accounting officer not only showcased his financial acumen but also highlighted his dedication to the educational community and his commitment to ensuring the best possible outcomes for the children which now extends across multiple schools within the Trust. He is a qualified in Special Educational Needs Coordinator and has particular expertise in curricular development, small church schools and pedagogy.