Meet the Governors

Welcome to our Governors' Section.

Constitution of the Governing Body

There are twelve members of the governing body. These twelve consist of the following posts:

• The Headteacher
• One LA appointed governor (appointed by Trafford Local Education Authority)
• One elected staff governor (elected by the school staff)
• Two elected parent governors (elected by the parents)
• Seven co-opted governors (elected by governors)

Note: Co-opted governors are governors who have been invited to join the governing body because they have a particular skill or talent which would be of use to helping the school to achieve its development plans.

The government, wishes to see a significant shift away from precise stakeholder representation (elected or appointed governors) towards a more skills-based model of governance (governors invited on because of their particular skills). One of the government's aims is to produce smaller governing bodies, which can now have as few a seven members.

Please see the table below for the current make up of the governing body:

Please see the table below for the attendance for full and committee meetings for 2020/21:

Governor Photos

Governor Details

Mr J. Spark - I am James and I’m the Chair of Governors at Cloverlea. I have been a parent at Cloverlea, although my two girls have now moved on to secondary school. I joined the Governing body to become more involved with the school and have been delighted to see the school’s continuous improvement over the years. My career started in Civil Engineering and I now own a local Electrical Wholesale business. I enjoy the challenge of staying abreast of the developments in education and being involved in the strategic direction of the school. For me it’s fantastic to see the hard work of all involved instilling the values of the school ensuring the best outcomes for the pupils.

Miss C. Fisher - I’m Claire, I’m one of the co-opted Governors and also the vice chair of Governors at Cloverlea. I have 2 children at school who are both Juniors now. I’ve worked in the education department at Trafford council for almost 20 years. My role involves working closely with schools and managing DfE funding for the education buildings within Trafford. I was interested in becoming a Governor to use my knowledge of the local authority, asset management and financial management to help create the best learning environment possible for our wonderful children.

Mrs J. Poole – My background is in Hotel and Catering, I was the head of Trafford Education Catering Services (15,000 dinners a day) for 10 years and still have a keen interest in food, especially cake baking. My daughter and stepson were both at Trafford schools (and testers for new items for School Meals!).  I am now a Finance Manager to several SMEs and also a Clerk for TrustGS. I live with my husband, our two dogs, Toby and Mouse and our big fat rescue cat, Vinnie. I love gardening and am pushing the boundaries of what I can grow from seed.

Mrs K. McGrail - I am  local GP and have lived in Altrincham for the last 21 years, most recently down the road from the school with my husband, 2 children and our dog.  My 2 children have both attended  Cloverlea Primary School and really enjoyed their time there. I started by being an active member of the PTA and quickly realised how much work went on behind the scenes in organising and running the school. When a position for a co-op governor became available I thought it would be an interesting new role. My knowledge of local healthcare has been helpful with safeguarding and healthcare policies and procedures within school and the time on the PTA has meant that I have some understanding as to what can be achieved by the community of a small school.

Mrs E Rickels - I am a co-opted governor and the Deputy Head of Cloverlea Primary. I have been a primary school teacher for 16 years and have taught in 3 different Trafford Schools. My role as a co-opted governor/member of SLT enables me to be involved in the strategic direction of the school. I enjoy being part of a team whose main purpose is focused on the best outcomes for children. 

Mr Z. Sykes - I am Za (like car but with a Z. There is no Russian ancestry involved, it’s just a very short version of Alexander). I am one of the elected parent governors and have two children at the school, both in juniors. Although my career has spanned different sectors it has always been focussed on governance and compliance. Previously, I have been responsible for ensuring my employers met the requirements of various pieces of legislation and accreditations, but I jumped the fence about four years ago and currently work at one of the UK's regulatory bodies. I spend my time assessing and advising organisations on their compliance with legislation. When I’m not working my two children keep me busy, generally running them around to the various activities they do outside of school. I am also an active member of the Cloverlea PTA and have been their treasurer since 2018. The school community is amazing and always provide incredible support to our events. Helping the school achieve its values, aims and objectives, whether as a governor, member of the PTA or parent, has been a real privilege and I look forward to continuing these roles in the future (although, I guess the parent one is already fixed!). 

Financial Information

We have 0 school employees who have a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more in increments of £10,000.

Link to schools financial benchmarking page:

https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/school/detail?urn=106295&openOnly=true