Local Advisory Board

What is a Local Advisory Board (LAB)?

The Prince William School Local Advisory Board is the local tier of governance of East Midlands Academy Trust, and it acts as a sub-committee to the Trust Board. Members of the Local Advisory Board as known as Governors.

The key roles of the LAB are:

To offer proactive support and constructive challenge to the Headteacher
To advise the board of trustees about local issues they need to consider that affect the academy.
To ensure that EMAT vision, mission and values are evident throughout the Academy
Represent the local community.
Represent the Academy in its community.

These roles translate specifically into the following tasks:

ensure that all children receive the best possible education
ensure safeguarding is effective
support the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the School Development Plan and other relevant plans,
ensure the implementation of Academy policies.
regularly review the Academy’s performance.
oversee and monitor the effectiveness of local strategies
act as a key link between the Academy, parents, and local community.
support the work of the Academy in the community.

The LAB’s role is not to manage the Academy as such. This is done through the Board of Trustees. Therefore, the LAB is not required to take decisions on staff or financial matters affecting the Academy.

Governors at the LAB will gain an understanding of strategic issues that impact on the Academy and will be updated on them regularly by the Headteacher, but they are not required to have direct responsibility for them. Instead the LAB should be in a position to assess the impact of the Academy locally; how it is contributing to the local community, how it is relating to local families and how it understands local issues. This in turn, will enable the LAB to contribute effectively to decisions which may require LAB involvement.

The LAB is drawn from the staff of the school, parents and the wider community that the school serves. The usual term of office for a governor is four years but many members of the LAB stand for re-election and serve more than one term. Members of a LAB need to take a full and active role in fulfilling the role assigned to them by the Board. This will include regular visits to the Academy and attending up to six meetings per year.

To contact any of our governors, please email governance@emat.uk

For details about EMAT'S trustees and members, click here.

Governors

Name	Position
Anna Hewes	Headteacher
Richard Fincher	Chair/Co-opted governor
Emma Tansley	Vice-chair/Co-opted governor
Alan Measures	Co-opted governor
Jonathan Peverley	Co-opted governor
Jo Giddings	Staff governor
Clare Oliver	Co-opted governor
Stephen Dachtler	Co-opted governor
Justin Mumford	Parent Governor

Meet our Governors

Richard Fincher

Richard works in wholesaling and publishing. His working life started in the Royal Navy, and he subsequently joined one of the UK’s largest media companies – EMAP – as a journalist. He worked in the motorcycle, outdoor and fishing divisions, editing Bike magazine and eventually running the fishing titles as General Manager. He then bought a ski media company, which he still runs. During the past decade he has developed online B2B web stores, editorial websites and worked with wider teams bringing digital processes into his existing businesses. Alongside the media company he has interests in companies involved with distribution and wholesale in the personal care market.

He is currently the Vice Chair of the Local Advisory Board at Prince William, with responsibility for working with the 6th Form and the Career team. He has been a Trust-appointed governor for three years.

Richard currently has three children at Prince William.

Emma Tansley

Emma is an qualified architect with nearly 20 years’ experience who has worked all over the UK and also in Australia. She initially specialised in school buildings, including the procurement of 8 school buildings through the Building School for the Future initiative. More recently she set up her own practice locally and now concentrates her work more on domestic and heritage buildings.

As a pupil at PWS herself in the 1980’s, Emma was keen to give something back to the school, becoming a governor in 2012. She has chaired various committees and focus groups and has maintained her role as safeguarding governor for the past 5 years. With a very personal connection to the school, Emma is our longest serving governor.

Alan Measures

Alan is retired from a career in agriculture including 20 years in farm management consultancy and 30 years as a farmer near Oundle – though he still takes a keen interest in farming and environmental issues.

As well as being a governor at Prince William School, Alan is also a governor at the College of West Anglia (FE) and Ormiston Bushfield Academy.

Prince William is his local secondary school and he has employed ex-pupils. Many members of his extended family have also attended the school in the past.

Jonathan Peverley

With more than 14 years of teaching experience, Jonathan is the Head of STEM at Oundle School, having previously joined as Head of Chemistry. Prior to this, Jonathan worked for a global management consultancy before going on to run his own consultancy business.

Jonathan has a Masters degree in Chemistry from Oxford University, a Level 2 APMP qualification in Project Management, a PGCE and is a commissioned officer of the RAF section of the Oundle School CCF. As a local resident of Oundle, Jonathan has an active interest in ensuring that every child has the best opportunity to maximise their individual strengths and interests.

Jo Giddings

Jo has worked in schools for 18 years, starting as a Teaching Assistant at Oundle Middle School and Clerk to the Governors at Oundle Primary School. She changed to a Staff Governor at the Middle School for two years and was the link between the governors and staff. During this time the school went through a change to a two-tier system from a three tier.

Jo is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead within the Pastoral Team at PWS dealing with any student welfare issues arising. She has been on a number of training courses to help with this, including Child Sexual Exploitation, Emotional Regulation, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Support, Alcohol with the Young Person and Drug abuse (both parental and child).

Jo herself went to Prince William School, many moons ago! And both her children have gone through the school, one through 6th form and on to university.

Clare Oliver

Clare has more than thirty years of experience in logistics, supply chain and customer service management.

She is a graduate of Leeds University and has a degree in Economics. Clare was previously a parent governor at a middle school for several years and has a long-standing relationship with Prince William School, her three children having attended between 2011 and 2024.

Clare was previously a Parent Governor and is now a Co-Opted governor.

Stephen Dachtler

Steve has worked in education over ten years and currently works as a Housemaster at Oakham School, Rutland. He is a Drama teacher by trade, but also teaches PSHE and has a keen interest in teenage mental health and wellbeing. After completing his undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies at Winchester University, Steve was employed as a trainee teacher at Stowe School, Buckingham, completing his PGCE whilst teaching Drama full time.

In 2018, he completed a Masters in Education, writing his dissertation on Toxic Masculinity in Schools, and is now considering a MBA in Education. Outside of the classroom, Steve and his wife are in the process of setting up a company offering academic mentoring. This is the first governor position that Steve has held, and he has no prior connection with Prince William School.

Justin Mumford

Justin Mumford has practiced in forestry and woodland management for over 30 years, with the last 25 years being spent in Northamptonshire managing the ancient woodlands of Rockingham Forest and the surrounding area. Justin is a Director at Nicholsons, which is a forestry, environmental consultancy and contracting company based in Corby and Oxfordshire.

Justin has been a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters since 2010 and is Chartered Environmentalist.

Justin has only recently taken on the role of Parent Governor at Prince William School, he has been involved in forestry industry groups and organisations including Chairman of the Northamptonshire branch of the Country Landowners and Business Association and Regional Chairman of the forestry trade body The Confederation of Forest Industries.

Justin has two children currently attending Prince William School.