Governance is the process by which any organisation or group organises in order to be able to make decisions. In schools, this includes the governing body, who are responsible for scrutiny of decisions made in school and for driving improvement, and the processes and policies which allows the school to work effectively and appropriately.
As a member school within a multi-academy trust, responsibility for the governance of Hilton Spencer Academy ultimately derives to the Board of Trustees appointed to the Spencer Academies Trust. In common with all Spencer schools, Hilton Spencer Academy has an Academy Governance Committee (AGC), which is technically defined as a committee of the Trust Board.
The powers defining the legal relationship between Hilton Spencer and The Spencer Academies Trust, together with the delegation of general powers within the trust, are set out in a document called the Scheme of Delegation.
- The Scheme of Delegation used at Hilton Spencer Academy can be found here.
- The Trust governor handbook can be found here.
- A copy of other Trust governance documents are available here.
The Role of the Academy Governance Committee
The Academy Governance Committee is responsible for working with the schools to ensure that they deliver a good quality education. Together with the headteachers, who are responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school’s aims and policies.
The 3 key roles of the AGC are:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- To hold the headteachers to account for the educational performance of the schools and their pupils, and the performance management of staff
- To oversee the financial performance of the schools and make sure their money is well spent
Please find below details of how our Governing Committee is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
Academy Governance Committee
| Name | Governor Type | Term From | Term To | First Appointed | Roles |
| Gary Staddon | Ex officio (Principal) | April 2021 | April 2021 | ||
| Tricia Edwards | Ex officio (Assistant Principal) | ||||
| Claire Bellfield | Staff Member | September 2025 | September 2027 | September 2025 | |
| Julie Somers | Sponsor Member | September 2022 | September 2026 | Chair SIP: Developing leadership capacity and capability Pupil Premium Safeguarding | |
| Richard Cohen | Parent Member | February 2024 | February 2028 | February 2024 | Vice Chair Health and Safety SIP: Quality first teaching |
| Vacancy | Sponsor Member | ||||
| Harriet Walker | Sponsor Member | July 2025 | July 2029 | July 2025 | SIP: Improving attendance, punctuality and behaviour |
| Lauren Hammond | Sponsor Member | July 2025 | July 2029 | July 2025 | Curriculum |
| Nikki Hough | Parent Member | September 2025 | September 2029 | September 2025 | SEND SIP: Pupils personal development and well-being |