The Governing Body is the strategic decision-making body of the school. Its role is to:
- set the schools overall strategic direction, and to then work with leaders to communicate this vision, ethos and strategic direction to the whole school community and develop a culture of ambition;
- provide a balance of challenge and support to the school’s leaders, understanding the strengths and areas for improvement at the school;
- understand the impact of teaching, learning and assessment on the progress of pupils currently in the school;
- ensure that the school manages its finances effectively and that the school is properly using the pupil premium, primary PE and sport premium;
- be transparent and accountable, including in recruiting staff, its governance structure, attendance at meetings and contact with parents.
Governors are volunteers who bring their outside experience into school to act as ‘critical friends’. Membership of the Governing Body is drawn from different parts of the community including parents, staff and co-opted members with specific skills. The Governing Body meets six times throughout the school year.
All Governors may be contacted by writing to them directly using the school address or by contacting the school on Telephone: 01527 68430.
Meet the Governors
Mat Alsop – Acting Chair of Governors – Trust Local Governor
Mat Alsop
Acting Chair of Governors -Trust Local Governor
I have lived in Brockhill for the past 15 years and been a member of the Birchensale Governing Body since 2015 when my daughter first joined the school in year 5.
Originally starting my working career as an Environmental Health Officer and then moving into IT and Project Management, I now lead a team of project delivery professionals for a software house.
This background has led me to my involvement in Health & Safety within the school, science and I retain a keen interest in the technology.
Andrew Evans – Acting Vice Chair of Governors – Trust Local Governor
Andrew Evans
Acting Vice Chair of Governors – Trust Local Governor
Before acquiring a retail business this year, I previously worked in education for 17 years. After graduating from university, I trained as an English teacher. I held posts as a teaching assistant, teacher and assistant headteacher in secondary schools in Birmingham, before moving into Higher Education as a lecturer at the University of Warwick in 2012. Most recently, I was head of Initial Teacher Education at a university in south-west England. This involved overseeing teacher training for over 600 early years, primary and secondary teachers each year. I have experience as a governor at two other schools. My professional background has equipped me with a good deal of policy knowledge, which I hope to use to support the school in my role as governor – a critical friend helping the school to drive itself forward.
Kate Alsop – Trust Local Governor
Kate Alsop
Trust Local Governor
Originally from Yorkshire, I moved to the Midlands over 25 years ago and then settled in Redditch 15 years ago with husband Mat. I am a qualified accountant and have worked in the public sector in higher education and the NHS. I am currently finance manager at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick. I have been a member of the Governing body since 2019 first as a parent and now that our daughter has moved to high school, as a Trust Governor. I was also a governor at Abbeywood First School for 4 years. Our daughter spent four happy years at Birchensale so I know the school well. I am also a great advocate of the 3-tier school system, having been through it myself many years ago.
Wendy Rigby – Trust Local Governor
Wendy Rigby
Trust Local Governor
I am a governor at Birchensale Middle School, a role I take seriously, find enjoyable and one that is thoroughly rewarding. I joined the Governing Board at Birchensale in 2014 when my daughter joined Year 5. I joined as a Parent Governor and when my daughter left for high school, I became a Co-opted Governor. I have been a Police Officer, working in Birmingham for 28 years. During these years I have gained a wealth of experience in many areas of policing; my most enjoyable being within the safeguarding children arena and working in partnership with agencies such as Children’s Services, Health, Probation and Education.
Dominika Plenzler – Trust Local Governor
Dominika Plenzler
Trust Local Governor
I joined the Birchensale Middle School Governors team in November 2018, firstly as Co-opted and now a Trust Local Governor. This is all thanks to my son, who currently attends Birchensale Middle School. Our experiences with the school prompted me to put myself forward as a candidate for the role of Governor. I was born in Poland and came to the UK over 16 years ago; my ‘education related experience’ differs from the one that I grew up in. I believe that my history, knowledge and cultural experiences makes the board even more diverse. My desire, passion and enthusiasm for education has been inspired and engrained by my father, a teacher of over 40 years. Before I came to the UK, I was able to gain some experience within a Human Resources Department. Since then I have been working in various customer service roles across varying industries such as legal, banking and finance. Currently I work for the Legal Ombudsman as a Senior Adviser in the General Enquiries Team. I have also recently been selected as a Wellbeing Champion. I have always loved to support others and to be an active member of the community that I live in.
Helen Smith – Parent Governor
Helen Smith
Parent Governor
I have spent most of my life in Redditch and went through the 3-tier education system, so really appreciate the importance of middle schools and the role they play in our children’s education. I have a son who attends Birchensale and twin girls who attend Holyoakes. I have the privilege of being a parent governor at both schools. It is a pleasure to support the school in any way I can during these challenging and turbulent times. I’m also a parent helper and enjoy listening to the children of Holyoakes read on a weekly basis. I run an IT consultancy company with my husband and have recently rekindled my love of foreign languages and am taking an online course in conversational French.
Emily Skyte – Parent Governor
Emily Skyte
Parent Governor
I have lived in the Bromsgrove and Redditch area all my life. As parents we chose Birchensale and the three-tier system for our daughter, who joined from her primary school in 2019. I believe happiness and a sense of belonging at school is important for every child; I wanted to join Birchensale’s governing body because I believe this sense of belonging is evident in the school’s vision and core values. My professional background is Finance, with experience in oversight, risk, and project management. I was a governor for three years at my daughter’s previous school, so come with an awareness of the responsibilities of school governors. Ultimately, I want to make a positive contribution in supporting the school; its pupils, staff and the community it serves.
Mark Brazier – Headteacher – Ex Officio
Mark Brazier
Headteacher (Ex-Officio)
Amy Evans – Staff Governor
Amy Evans
Staff Governor
Rebecca Evans – Staff Governor
Rebecca Evans
Staff Governor
Pete Clifton – Associate Non-Voting Governor
Pete Clifton
Associate Non-Voting Governor
Rachel Batchelor – Associate Non-Voting Governor
Rachel Batchelor
Associate Non-voting Governor
Pauline Begley – Associate Non-Voting Governor
Pauline Begley
Associate Non-voting Governor
Local Governing Body (2020-2021)
| Name | Appointed | Term End | Term | Type | Areas of Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat Alsop Acting Chair of Governors | 16/10/2020 | 15/10/2024 | 4 yrs | Trust Local Governor | Full Governing Body, Pupil Discipline, Hearings Panel, Appeals Panel Health and Safety, Science, Safeguarding |
| Andrew Evans Acting Vice Chair of Governors | 13/10/2020 | 12/10/2024 | 4 yrs | Trust Local Governor | Full Governing Body |
| Kate Alsop | 09/10/2019 | 08/10/2023 | 4 yrs | Trust Local Governor | Full Governing Body, Pupil Discipline, Hearings Panel, Appeals Panel, Pupil Premium, Numeracy |
| Dominika Plenzler | 15/11/2018 | 14/11/2022 | 4 yrs | Trust Local Governor | Full Governing Body, Pupil Discipline, Hearings Panel, Appeals Panel Careers |
| Wendy Rigby | 03/07/2019 | 02/07/2023 | 4 yrs | Trust Local Governor | Full Governing Body, Finance, Personnel and Premises, Pupil Discipline, Hearings Panel, Appeals Panel, LAC |
| Helen Smith | 09/10/2019 | 08/10/2023 | 4 yrs | Parent | Full Governing Body, Pupil Discipline, Hearings Panel, Appeals Panel, SEN |
| Emily Skyte | 20/01/2021 | 19/01/2025 | 4 yrs | Parent | Full Governing Body |
| Mark Brazier Headteacher | N/A | N/A | N/A | Headteacher Ex Officio | Full Governing Body |
| Amy Evans | 19/09/2019 | 18/09/2023 | 4 yrs | Staff Governor | Full Governing Body Curriculum Lead |
| Rebecca Evans | 12/06/2020 | 11/06/2024 | 4 yrs | Staff Governor | Full Governing Body Head of Year 6 |
| Pauline Begley School Business Manager | Associate Non-voting | Full Governing Body | |||
| Pete Clifton Deputy Head Teacher | Associate Non-voting | Full Governing Body | |||
| Rachel Batchelor Assistant Headteacher & SENCO | Associate Non-voting | Full Governing Body |
Record of Pecuniary and Material Interests (2020-2021)
| Name | Relevant Business Interest to include Name of Organisation Nature of Business Nature of Interest | Other educational establishments governed | Relationship with this or other school’s staff top include: spouse partners relatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy Rigby | None | None | None |
| Mat Alsop | None | None | Spouse to Kate Alsop (Governor) |
| Kate Alsop | None | None | Spouse to Mat Alsop (Governor) |
| Dominika Plenzler | None | None | None |
| Andrew Evans | Owner of an independent retail business | None | None |
| Helen Smith | None | Governor at Holyoakes First School | None |
| Emily Skyte | None | None | None |
| Mark Brazier | None | None | Spouse to Kate Brazier (Staff) |
| Amy Evans | Husband is a director of Electronic Recycling Ltd. | None | None |
| Rebecca Evans | None | None | None |
| Pauline Begley | None | None | None |
| Pete Clifton | None | None | None |
| Rachel Batchelor | None | None | None |
Record of Attendance (2020-2021)
| Name | Meetings Attended | Out of a possible |
|---|---|---|
| Mat Alsop | 3 | 3 |
| Andrew Evans | 2 | 2 |
| Kate Alsop | 3 | 3 |
| Dominika Plenzler | 3 | 3 |
| Wendy Rigby | 2 | 2 |
| Helen Smith | 3 | 3 |
| Emily Skyte | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Brazier | 3 | 3 |
| Amy Evans | 3 | 3 |
| Rebecca Evans | 3 | 3 |
| Pauline Begley | 3 | 3 |
| Rachel Batchelor | 3 | 3 |
| Pete Clifton | 3 | 3 |
Previous Governors
Sue Amor resigned 31/08/20, Full governing body attendance (2019-2020) – 5/6
Tim Jones resigned 31/08/20, Full governing body attendance (2019-2020) – 6/6
Jim Preston resigned 31/08/20, Full governing body attendance (2019-2020) – 5/6
Mark Semens resigned 27/01/20, Full governing body attendance (2019-2020) – 1/3