Forest Edge Federation
The school has been working towards the federation of Tutshill CofE Primary School and Woolaston Primary School.
The federation is now complete and on Monday 20th June 2022 the federation became active; Forest Edge Federation is now fully operational!
Effective Governance
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
The key features of effective governance
Boards must be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils/students, staff, parents, carers and local communities. It should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.
In our rapidly developing education system, the range of organisations being governed is more diverse than ever – ranging from single small primary schools to large MATs governing numerous academies. Regardless of the scale or nature of the organisation being governed, the features of what makes for effective governance remain the same. They are common across the education sector and share their fundamental principles with governance in the charity and business sectors.
Effective governance is based on six key features:
- Strategic leadership that sets and champions vision, ethos and strategy.
- Accountability that drives up educational standards and financial performance.
- People with the right skills, experience, qualities and capacity.
- Structures that reinforce clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
- Compliance with statutory and contractual requirements.
- Evaluation to monitor and improve the quality and impact of governance
Governors of the Forest Edge Federation
Co- Executive Headteacher Miss Jenny Lane and Emma Gomersall
LA Governor Marion Evans - Chair - People and Development Chair
Safeguarding Governor
2 Foundation Governors Vacancy and Robin Riordan Vice Chair
2 Parent Governors 2x Vacancy
1 Staff Governor Amanda Cooper
Co-opted Governor Tim Davies
Co-opted Governor Vacancy
Co-opted Governor Simon Hardy
Co-opted Governor Jodie Howells
Co-opted Governor Dominic Board
Co-opted Governor Nicki Bullivant
Associated Governors: Natalie Fryer and Calvin Rushton. Associate members do have full voting rights.
Forest Edge Governing Body
Miss Jenny Lane and Mrs Emma Gomersall
Co - Executive Headteacher
Term of Office
Present
Marion Evans
LA Governor
Term of Office
Co Chair 03/09/20 – 02/09/21
Co-opted 18/07/19 – 17/07/23
LA Appt 20/06/2022 - 19/06/2026
Safeguarding Governor
Interests:
I am a registered nurse who has worked for the health service for the past 36 years. I am currently a Director of Nursing and have had a wide variety of clinical and managerial experience running large public sector organisations. I have specific expertise in performance management, strategic planning and change management, which I consider are helpful skills that can be used to assist the school and our pupils to fulfil their potential.
Why I do it:
I have been a Governor at Tutshill C of E School since 2004 and during this time have been both chair and vice-chair of the governing body. I am also a member of the personnel committee at the school. I became a governor as I am keen to ensure that all our children are able to have a good start in life as this has a direct effect on their future well-being.
Mr Robin Riordan
Vice Chair
Term of Office
Co Chair 14/09/2023 - Present
Mrs Amanda Cooper
Staff Governor
Term of Office
Co-opted 04/10/19 – 03/10/23
Staff Elected 20/06/2022 - 19/06/2026
Mr Tim Davies
Co-opted Governor
Term of Office
October 2024 - present
Mr Simon Hardy
Co-opted Governor
Term of Office
November 2023 - present
As an experienced secondary head of mathematics, I will look to use that knowledge to help shape the curriculum to prepare all pupils for the transition to Year 7. I have worked closely with the Primary School Maths lead in our multi-academy trust, and as such have a clear vision of the progression of mathematics through KS2 to KS3. I am an experienced marker of SATs papers and as such have insight into the rigour required to be successful.
Mrs Jodie Howells
Co-opted Governor
Term of Office - 01/03/2024-28/02/2028
I am currently the Vice Principal for Finance and Business within a secondary school and sixth form that Tutshill and Woolaston pupils transition into. As part of the senior leadership team, I oversee all non‑teaching and learning operational functions, including finance, HR, estates, health and safety, compliance, IT, and wider business services. My work supports strong, sustainable systems that enable high‑quality education for every pupil.
Before moving into education, I spent over ten years working as a Civil Servant, which gave me a strong foundation in governance, public accountability, and effective organisational management. Over the past fifteen years, I have worked across local authority schools, single academy trusts, multi‑academy trusts, and a national MAT in a regional capacity, with experience spanning nursery, primary, secondary, and sixth form phases.
Throughout my career, I have supported schools through academisation, navigated complex financial and operational challenges, and helped leaders establish balanced, strategic budgets. I am trained across a wide range of operational areas essential to strong school leadership, including safeguarding, safer recruitment, GDPR, exclusions, admissions, and other important compliance and governance functions. This breadth of training allows me to bring well‑rounded, practical insight into effective school operations.
As a mother of two grown children, I understand the importance of strong, nurturing, and well‑led schools. I see great value in using my experience to support other schools within our community, helping to ensure that every child has the best possible foundation as they move through their education.
In my spare time, I enjoy travelling with family and friends as much as possible, staying active as an avid exercise enthusiast, cooking, and getting involved in anything DIY or creative.
Mr Dominic Broad
Co-opted Governor
Term of Office - 01/11/2023- 31/10/2027
Dominic Broad is Deputy CEO of Thrive Education Partnership, a multi-academy trust supporting specialist and mainstream schools with over 1000 staff across the Midlands. He has extensive experience in school improvement, curriculum design and educational leadership, having previously served as Director of Education, Headteacher and worked with the Welsh Government as Strategic Lead for national curriculum reform.
Dominic brings strong expertise in strategy, leadership development and organisational culture, supporting governing boards to provide effective challenge and oversight. Alongside his work in education, he hosts The Olympic Mindset Podcast, where he speaks with Olympians and leaders about performance, resilience and leadership.
As a governor, Dominic is particularly interested in curriculum quality, leadership development and improving outcomes for all pupils, especially those with additional needs.
Outside of work he has a keen interest in sport, leadership and high performance.
Rev Nicki Bullivant
Co-opted Governor
Term of Office
Forest Edge Governors that have stood down in the last 12 months
Ms Nataline Bennett-Coleman
Foundation Governor
Term of Office
Foundation Governor Diocese 07/09/2022 - 06/09/2026
Mrs Hazel Beeton
Parent Governor
Term of Office
Co-opted July 2022 – June 2024
Parent Elected 20/06/2022 - 19/06/2026
Interests:
I have joined the governors at Woolaston Primary School because I have two small children starting their education here. My two boys are three and six years old and we moved here from Chepstow five years ago when we bought a cottage on a farm. We have chickens, rabbits and a dog and love being outdoors.
I have a degree in environmental science from the University of Birmingham and my background is in Finance. I am an ACA qualified accountant and worked for a multinational energy company in their renewable energy division. Since having the boys I have been self employed, for three years as an OFSTED registered childminder and more recently am enjoying a new role as a bookkeeper for local businesses.
I have never been a governor before, I have taken part in a lot of volunteering for conservation and been lucky enough to travel around the world with this. I love all things wild life and outdoors. I hope my enthusiasm and finance experience will be useful in my role as a governor.
Mr James Bradbury
Co-opted Governor/Vice Chair
Term of Office
Vice Chair 12/09/19 – 11/09/20
Co-opted 21/05/18 – 20/04/22
Co-opted 20/06/2022 - 19/06/2026