Governors

Welcome to our Governor Information section.

Please find below details of how our Local Governing Committee is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Bridge Academy Trust

Oaklands Infant School joined Bridge Academy Trust on 1st September 2018.

Please visit the Trust Governance Area to view:

Memorandum of Association
Articles of Association
Names of trust members and trustees
Relevant business and financial interests of members, trustees and accounting officer(s)
Funding Agreement
Governance arrangements
Board Diversity Data
Executive Pay
Staff Gender Pay Gap
Annual Accounts and Reports

Our Governors

The school’s governing body consists of up to twelve volunteers and the Headteacher (ex officio governor) whose main responsibility is to set the strategic vision for the school and promoting high standards of educational achievement.

The Local Governing Committee holds the school’s leaders to account for the quality, standard and effectiveness of the teaching and learning. Through the Local Governing Committee, the school is accountable to Bridge Academy Trust, the parents of the pupils and to the wider community.

The Local Governing Committee is also responsible for ensuring that the school fulfills its legal obligations, for the provision of the curriculum, staffing, the social care and development of the pupils, and other statutory requirements such as developing school policies, setting targets, managing performance and so on. It is also responsible for evaluating the progress of the school, making sure that effective monitoring is taking place and making strategic decisions on the basis of this evaluation.

Governors are most useful to the school by being supportive yet challenging. If the governing body gets the balance right it can both support the school and promote its improvement effectively.

Meetings

The Governing Committee meet four times each academic year, with one of these meetings often devoted to moving forwards the strategic vision of the school.

The Oaklands Infant School Governors:

Headteacher

Mrs Cath Williams

Chair of Governors

Ms Charly Thackrah

Non-Elected Governor

Term of Office: 31.10.2024 - 30.10.2028

To contact the Chair please contact the school office or

Clerk - clerk@bridgeacademytrust.org

Vice-Chair of Governors

Mrs Nicki Freshwater

Non-Elected Governor

Term of Office: 07.03.2024 - 06.03.2028

Governors

Miss Gemma Cranstone

Staff Governor

Term of Office: 06.10.2025 - 05.10.2029

Mrs Kim Gisby

Non-elected Governor

Term of Office: 14.11.2024 - 13.11.2028

Ms Megan Taylor

Non-elected Governor

Term of Office: 11.04.2025 - 10.04.2029

Mr Yaswantha Reddy Kamjula

Non-elected Governor

Term of Office: 01.10.2025 -30.09.2029

Mrs Laura Abbott

Parent Governor

Term of Office: 28.01.2026 - 27.01.2030

Mrs Samantha Jenkins

Staff Governor

Term of Office: 29.09.2026 - 28.09.2030

Clerk

clerk@bridgeacademytrust.org

Register of Business Interests

Governors Posts of Responsibility

Attendance	Kim Gisby
Academic Standards (incl. attending data sessions)	Charly Thackrah
Community	Yaswantha Reddy Kamjula
EYFS	Megan Taylor
Pupil Premium	Charly Thackrah
Safeguarding (incl. behaviour/policies)	Nikki Freshwater
SEND	Kim Gisby
Sports Premium	Megan Taylor
Staff/Pupil Wellbeing (incl. leadership)	(Vacancy)

Meeting Attendance

Governor Meeting Attendance 2026-27

	29/09/2026	02/12/2026	17/03/2027	30/06/2027	% of Meetings Attended
Cath Williams	Yes				100%
Laura Abbott	Yes				100%
Gemma Cranstone	Yes				100%
Nicki Freshwater	Yes				100%
Kim Gisby	Yes				100%
Sam Jenkins	Yes				100%
Yaswantha Reddy Kamjula	Yes				100%
Megan Taylor	No				0%
Charly Thackrah	Yes				100%
	88.89%

Governor Meeting Attendance 2025-26

	01/10/2025	03/12/2025	18/03/2026	01/07/2026	% of Meetings Attended
Cath Williams	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Laura Abbott	N/A	N/A	Yes	Yes	100%
Gemma Cranstone	N/A	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Nicki Freshwater	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Kim Gisby	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	75%
Sam Jones	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	67%
Yaswantha Reddy Kamjula	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	67%
Megan Taylor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
Charly Thackrah	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	100%
	88%	100%	67%	89%

Governor Meeting Attendance 2024-25

	Autumn (1)	Autumn (2)	Spring	Summer	No of Meetings Attended	% of Meetings Attended
	18/09/2024	04/12/2024	19/03/2025	09/07/2025
Cath Williams	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Charly Thackrah	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Nicki Freshwater	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Matt Burt	A	-	-	-	0/1	0%
Gemma Cranstone	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Kim Gisby	P	A	P	P	3/4	75%
Sam Jones	P	A	P	P	3/4	75%
Steven White	P	P	P	A	3/4	75%
Megan Taylor	-	-	P	A	1/2	50%

Governor Meeting Attendance 2023-24

	Autumn (1) 04/10/2023	Autumn (2) 28/11/2023	Spring 21/03/2024	Summer 26/06/2024	No of Meetings Attended	% of Meetings Attended
Cath Williams	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Helen Craig	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Matt Burt	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Gemma Cranstone	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Nicki Freshwater	-	-	P	P	2/2	100%
Sam Jones	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Susan Sorlie	P	-	-	-	1/1	100%
Steven White	P	P	P	A	3/4	75%

Governor Meeting Attendance 2022-23

	Autumn (1) 28/09/22	Autumn (2) 30/11/22	Spring 29/03/2023	Summer 21/06/2023	No of Meetings Attended	% of Meetings Attended
Cath Williams	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Lucy Borella	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Matt Burt			P	P	2/2	100%
Helen Craig	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Gemma Cranstone	P	P	P	P	4/4	33%
Lucy Hawkridge	P	A	P	A	2/4	50%
Sam Jones	P	P	P	P	4/4	100%
Nicola Murphy	P				1/1	100%
Susan Sorlie			P	P	2/2	100%
Steven White			P	P	2/2	100%

Leavers

G Cranstone

Term of office expired 28/09/2025

Miss Sam Jones

Staff Governor

Term of Office: 01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026

Mr Steven White

Parent Governor

Term of Office: 09.01.2023 - 06.02.2026