Water Leys
Primary School
Governors Information
Water Leys Primary School Governing Body
The Role of the Governing Board
The Governing Board is made up of volunteers who give their time to support the school's leadership team to raise standards across the school. They focus on:
1. ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
2. holding the co-headteaches to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
3. overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
In order to do this, governors gain knowledge of how the school operates through attending meetings, reading school documentation, analysing data and engaging in regular visits to the school. The role of the Governing Board is one of oversight and it is not involved in the day to day management of the school. The Co-Headteachers' role includes the educational performance of the school and operational responsibility lies with them.
At Water Leys the constitution of the Governing Board allows for 14 members, consisting of:
- Two parent governors (PAR)
- One Local Authority governor (LAG)
- One staff governor (STF)
- One headteacher (HDT)
- Nine co-opted governors (COP)
The current members of the Full Governing Board (FGB) are:
| Governor | Type | position of responsibility | Appointed by | Term of office | Appointment start date | Appointment end date | Attendance at FGB (2025/26) |
| John Crook/ | COP | Chair of Governors
| Governing Board | 4 years |
19.09.23
| 18.09.27 | 1/1 |
| Gemma McMahon | STF |
| Elected by School Staff | 4 years | 12.10.24 | 11.10.28 | 1/1 |
| Faye Jarrams | COP | Governing Board | 4 years | 19.09.23 | 18.09.27 | 1/1 | |
| Alison Levey | COP |
| Governing Board | 4 years | 19.3.23 | 20.3.27 | 1/1 |
| Amy O'Neill | COP | Governing Board | 4 years | 19.11.22 | 18.11.26 | 1/1 | |
| James Smith | COP |
| Governing Board | 4 years | 19.09.23 | 18.09.27 | 1/1 |
| Emma Steel | PAR | Elected by Parents | 4 years | 16.12.22 | 15.12.26 | 1/1 | |
| Elaine Taylor | COP | Vice Chair of Governors | Governing Board | 4 years | 27.10.22 | 26.10.26 | 1/1 |
| Mitesh Vaghela | COP |
| Governing Board | 4 years | 19.11.22 | 18.11.26 | 1/1 |
Michelle Goodwin Steve Wright | HDT | Co-Headteachers | Ex officio | Ex officio | 2.6.25 | 2.6.29 | 1/1 |
Meetings and Committees
The full governing body sits twice per term. Much of the work of the Governing Board is linked to the School Improvement Plan. The members of the board focus on the 5 priorities as follows:
Priority 1 (Curriculum) & Priority 2 (Adaptations)
Elaine Taylor
Mitesh Vaghela
Alison Levey
Emma Steel
Priority 3 (Leadership)
Faye Jarrams
Emma Steel
Gemma McMahon
John Crook
Priority 4 (Oracy)
James Smith
John Crook
Priority 5 (Early Years)
Amy O'Neil
James Smith
Finance Sub-Committee
John Crook
Alison Levey
James Smith
The Pay Committee
John Crook
Mitesh Vaghela
Amy O'Neil
The Co-Headteachers at Water Leys Primary School, Michelle Goodwin and Steve Wright, are also governors and attend all governor meetings.
Register of Governors' Business, Pecuniary and Personal Interests 2025-2026
Governor | Business, Pecuniary or Personal Interests |
| John Crook | None |
| Michelle Goodwin | None |
| Faye Jarrams | Staff and Governor at Little Hill Primary School (since 2023) |
| Alison Levey | Employed at Health Sciences University (since 2025) Trustee at Forward Education Trust (since 2024) |
| Amy O'Neill | Trustee of Poplars Pre-school (since 2016) Employed at The Pastures Primary School (since 2022) |
| Gemma McMahon | None |
| James Smith | Helper with 8th Wigston Brownies who meet at Water Leys (since 2020) Spouse of a member of the school's support staff |
| Emma Steel | Employed by Sweet Cherry Publishing (since 2023) Collaboration with Menphys, National Literacy Trust, Book Trust and Reading Agency (since 2023) |
| Elaine Taylor | None |
| Mitesh Vaghela | Trustee of Poplars Pre-school (since 2019) |
| Steve Wright | Chair of Trustees at Poplars Pre-School (since 2020) |