
Governance at The Wellington Academy
The Wellington Academy joined Ascend Learning Trust (Formerly Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust) on 1st April 2020. The Trust exists to ensure that the staff, pupils and parents from each Academy are able to benefit from Excellence in Education across the Trust.
Ascend Learning Trust (ALT) was set up as a Multi Academy Trust in May 2017. In establishing ALT, the trust committed to offering strategic leadership and management expertise to facilitate collaboration, commitment leading to high levels of school improvement opportunities to each Academy within ALT.
Ascend Learning Trust
Ascend Learning Trust (ALT) has strategic responsibilities which include achieving high level educational performance in all of its Academies, owning all assets, employing all staff, and receiving all funding from the Education Funding Agency to allocate budgets to each Academy in ALT, whilst providing effective and efficient corporate services which offer value for money.
ALT operates through a governance structure, which includes the ALT Board of Trustees, supported by a Finance Committee, Standards Committee and Academy Attainment Committee identified below. Each Committee has its own Terms of Reference. Academy Local Governing Bodies feed into the governance structure.

Vision & Values

Members and Trustees

Executive Leadership Team

Strategic Plan

Standard Operating Documents

ALT Constitution

The Academy has a Local Governing Body (LGB) which meets six times a year.
The LGB is a committee which meets to monitor, evaluate and review the Academy Improvement Plan, ensuring clear links from the self-evaluation process. The responsibilities of the LGB cover; Trust governance, statutory and regulatory compliance, Student outcomes, Community engagement and School development.
The Local Governing Body exists to provide a platform of governance designed to enhance the monitoring and improvements in education and pupil attainment at local level whilst delivering the three core principles of
- clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction in line with ALT policy
- holding the Academy Head teacher to account for the performance and attainment of its pupils
- Overseeing the Academy’s delegated financial budget.
The LGB articulates the needs of its academy community through its regular reporting to ALT in line with the operational Scheme of Delegation. The LGB seeks to support ALT in wide curriculum collaborations and sharing good practice, which underpins the ways of working and terms of reference for the LGB.
The Governing Body is made up of representatives of the Staff, Parents/Carers and the Community. They are volunteers and have various legal responsibilities and duties. The role of governor is largely a thinking and questioning role and ideas from outside education can be useful; the day to day decisions about the running of the school is the role of the Head Teacher, supported by the staff.
Composition of the Local Governing Body
Each LGB comprises up to ten members(Local Governors), including:
- the Head teacher of the Academy;
- at least two elected parents or guardians of a pupil at the Academy (Parent Local Governors);
- with the option of up to two employees of the Academy comprising one teacher member and one elected non-teaching staff member elected by employees of the Academy (Staff Local Governors) and
- Such other members as the Trustees decide.
Each LGB shall have a Chair and a Vice-Chair.
The length of service of all Local Governors and the Clerk to the LGB shall be four years. Subject to remaining eligible to be a Local Governor, any Local Governor may be reappointed or re-elected at the end of his or her term.
Every person wishing to become a Local Governor will be required to sign a declaration of acceptance and of willingness to act as a Local Governor.
Commitment of Local Governors
Local Governors are asked to:
- prepare for and make an active contribution at meetings of the LGB;
- champion the Academy in the local community;
- familiarise themselves with the Academy’s policies;
- visit the Academy both during school hours (with prior arrangement with the Head teacher) and for evening events to get to know the Academy and to be visible to the Academy community; and
- attend training sessions for Local Governors, where possible.
There are many opportunities for governors to support school activities to develop understanding of the students and staff’s experience of teaching and learning, and of pastoral care. It is recognised that, as volunteers, governors cannot necessarily attend school activities during usual working hours, but relevant events are not limited to those hours..
Rupert Gregory (Chair)
Mr Gregory has been a classroom teacher, in Newbury, since September 1990. During this time he has held a number of responsibilities and for the past eighteen years has been second in Faculty being responsible for the teaching of Mathematics in the sixth form. In addition to academic studies he has been in the CCF since 1991. He is a Tidworth Town Councillor and represents the local community on the LGB. He has a liking for cars, in particular MGs, and likes to spend time in the garage. He lives in Tidworth, with his wife, and has done so since 1997.
Mark Freeta (Vice-Chair)
Mark has been on the local governing body since 2015 and brings industry experience having had a long career in telecommunications both at a technical level and also global business management. Mark has lived in the area for the last 18 years and is a keen supporter of the local area having taken on a number of voluntary roles with the aim to make a positive difference and give something back.
Jacqui Lord
Jacqui is currently the Senior Science Technician at the Academy and has worked there since 2015. She has also worked at Bishop Wordsworth School, St Joseph’s School and Westwood St Thomas School in Salisbury. Prior to moving to the area in 2000 Jacqui was an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. She has previously been a governor at a local primary school including spending some time as the Chair of governors.
Brian Pratt
Brian was bought up in Ludgershall, went to Castledown Comprehensive School between 1977-1982 and now lives in Tidworth. He currently works part time in the public transport sector, where he has worked for 6 years. Brian previously studied at Southampton University where he qualified with an Advanced Diploma Nursing (Learning Disability) and became a practising Learning Disability Nurse for the NHS.
Brian has held a number of community volunteering roles including past Tidworth Town Councillor becoming Mayor/Chair for 2018/2019. He was also chair of the Tidworth Dementia Alliance, which bought together a number of agencies and businesses with an interest in making living with dementia easier. Brian set up and ran a dementia café, inspired by his late father living with the condition, many cakes and much music was enjoyed. Brian was also a Parent Governor at Zouch Academy, which is part of the White Horse Federation Trust, he was also chair of Governors, whilst there.
Brian brings with him a wealth of experience in community roles and is looking forward to utilising these skills for the betterment of life at the Academy. He is also Vice Chair of CastledownFM community radio station, where his main responsibility is seeking out long term funding streams.
Brian has been married to Sarah since 2002, they have one daughter who is currently at the Academy.
Freya Nicholson
Freya teaches English, media and film studies at the Academy and has worked there for nearly ten years, with a year elsewhere in the middle. Despite being an experienced teacher, this is her first time involved as a governor.
Abbi Sumption
Abby has recently joined the Board of Governors at TWA and is looking forward to getting to know the school community. Abbi has worked for NHS England for the past 5 years on implementing children & young people’s mental health training programmes and prior to that was Student Wellbeing & Safeguarding Lead at a local FE College. She has over 20 years of experience working with children and young people in education, social care and the voluntary sector particularly young people who would be consdidered vulnerable. Abbi is also a parent with a daughter in preschool.
If you would like to make contact with any of our Governors please email the clerk via: charlottepasley@twa.ascendlearningtrust.org.uk.
Name of governor | Name of Business | Nature of Business | Nature of Interest | Date of appointment or Acquisition | Date of Cessation of interest | Date updated | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mark Freeta | No Business Interest Declared | October 2024 | ||||||||
Rupert Gregory | No Business Interest Declared | October 2024 | ||||||||
Brian Pratt | No Business Interest Declared | December 2024 | ||||||||
Jacqui Lord | No Business Interest Declared | October 2024 | ||||||||
Freya Nicholson | ||||||||||
Abbi Sumption | No Business Interest Declared | October 2024 | ||||||||
Peter Brydon | No Business Interest Declared | October 2024 |
Category | Name | Date of Appointment | Term of office ends | Date stepped down | Attendance at LGB Meetings 2023 - 2024 | Attendance at LGB meetings 2022 - 2023 | Attendance at LGB meetings 2021 - 2022 | Attendance at LGB meetings 2020 - 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Headteacher | Rob Wood | 01/09/2023 | N/A | 3/6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Teacher Governor | Freya Nicholson | 12/10/2023 | 11/10/2027 | 3/4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Staff Governor(Non-teacher) | Jacqui Lord | 01/11/2020 | 01/11/2024 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | |
Community Governor (Chair) | Rupert Gregory | 11/11/2015 | 03/10/2026 | 6/6 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 3/6 | |
Community Governor | Mark Freeta | 12/10/2015 | 11/10/2027 | 6/6 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 5/6 | |
Parent Governor | Brian Pratt | 08/02/2024 | 07/02/2028 | 2/4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Community Governor | Abbi Sumption | 10/10/2024 | 10/10/2027 | 1/1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Community Governor | Peter Brydon | 10/10/2024 | 10/10/2027 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Military Governor | Aarron Butterworth | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
Parent Governor | Steph Williams | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |