- Home
- About Us
- Governance
Governance
Each academy in Affinity Learning Partnership have a Local Governing Body (LGB) which works on behalf of the Trust Board to exercise leadership in the running of the individual academy and hold the Principal and staff to account. The LGB is responsible for promoting high standards and strives to ensure that our young people are attending a successful academy which provides them with a good education and supports their well-being.
The role of the Local Governing Body:
- helping the Principal and senior leadership team to set high standards by planning for the academy´s future and setting performance targets for the academy;
- monitoring the effectiveness of the academy provision;
- the management of risks against the academy's risk register;
- acting as a critical friend to the Principal and senior leadership team, offering support and advice;
- helping the academy respond to the needs of parents and the community;
- helping make the academy be open and accountable to the public for what it does;
- working with the academy on planning and developing policies and keeping the academy provision under review; and
- exercising the responsibilities and powers delegated to it by the Directors in partnership with the Principal and staff.
Affinity Learning Partnership is currently recruiting for governors in both primary and secondary schools. Should you be interested please visit the Affinity Learning Partnership website.
If you wish to contact the Local Governing Body, you can do so by contacting Zoe Mellor, Clerk to the Governors, by emailing zmellor.dfa@affinitylp.co.uk or writing to:
The de Ferrers Academy
Harehedge Lane
Burton on Trent
DE13 0AS
Affinity Learning Partnership Governance Documents
Meet Our Local Governing Body
Ex-Officio Governor
The Principal of our Academy also sits on our Local Governing Body as a Governor. They are referred to as an Ex-officio Governor, by virtue of their office. This means that they will remain a Governor for as long as they are employed in their role as Principal.
|
Ali Bickle
|
Appointed: 01 September 2022 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: Parent of children at The de Ferrers Academy. Husband is employee of The de Ferrers Academy. |
Board Appointed Governors
Governors who are Board Appointed are appointed by the Trust Board. Their term of office is four years. At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for four Board Appointed Governors.
| Lesley Wells
| First Appointed: 22 April 2019 I am both the Chair and designated Safeguarding Governor for The de Ferrers Academy. |
| Danny Mondesir | Appointed: 18 July 2023 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: Managing Director of Street Whyze Project CIC. Bio: Danny Mondesir is the Founder of Street Whyze Project CIC, a school support and alternative provision organisation focused on empowering young people and addressing challenges such as behaviour, engagement and youth violence. He is a recipient of local, regional and national awards recognising his impactful work with young people and communities. Danny has a strong background across key public services and significant experience in pastoral and behaviour management within a range of educational settings, from mainstream to highly complex environments. He has also supported young people through local authority youth services and social care, developing effective strategies to meet diverse and complex needs. He brings valuable mental health experience from his work within the NHS, including low secure acute settings. Combined with his expertise in diversity and inclusion and project management, Danny designs and delivers programmes that create meaningful, lasting change. |
| Matthew Long
| Appointed: 4th July 2025 Attendance 2024/25: Declarations: Employed at Loughborough University Bio: Dr Matt Long was a pupil at De Ferrers between 1982 and 1989. He lives with his partner Tina, a mere stones throw away from The de Ferrers Academy campuses on Rolleston road, where he grew up when a pupil. He is active in his local church of St Mary's in Rolleston. He has served as a Visiting Professor at the City University of New York and is currently the Head of Undergraduate Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy Programmes at Loughborough University. Matt has served as an England Team Coach in Athletics on more than 30 occasions including work at the Commonwealth Games Development Camp prior to the 2022 Games in Birmingham. He has guided 3 athletes to become world champions and in 2025 was commended with a lifetime services award from England Athletics for his coaching contribution. Now in his mid 50s he still competes on the semi pro boxing circuit locally and through Burton Boxing and MA Gym, his bouts help raise money for local charities such as Burton Hope, Burton Mind and the Burton Albion Community Trust. Matt's interest in school governance stems from his doctorate which explored public sector performance in an age of audit and inspection. As a former volunteer Chaplain at Queens Hospital and Former Sports Chaplain at Loughborough he is passionate about the wellbeing of our students, both physically, mentally and spiritually. |
| VACANCY |
|
Parent Governors
Parent Governors are elected by the parents/guardians of the students who attend The de Ferrers Academy. When a parent governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all registered parents and guardians and an election takes place. Their term of office is four years. At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for two parent governors.
| Samantha Barks
| Appointed: 04 July 2023 Attendance 2024/25: 2/4 Declarations: Children attend The de Ferrers Academy Bio: To follow |
| Manjinder Kang | Appointed: 13 November 2023 Attendance 2024/25: 1/4 Declarations: Children attend The de Ferrers Academy. Education Engineering Manager at Derby College. Bio: My name is Mani Kang, and I am deeply committed to my roles as a devoted husband and father of three wonderful children. Among them, my two daughters, aged 13 and 15, are flourishing at de Ferrers, while my eldest son, 26, is charting his own path in life. |
Staff Governors
The Staff Governor is elected by the staff based at The de Ferrers Academy. When a staff governor vacancy occurs, nominations are requested from all members of staff based at The de Ferrers Academy and an election takes place. Their term of office is four years. At The de Ferrers Academy the governance structure allows for one staff governor.
|
Jayson Burns
|
Appointed: 28 March 2019 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: Exam marking for OCR. Bio: I have been a teacher of English at The de Ferrers Academy for seven years and am proud to represent the staff on the governing body. I have been a teacher for twenty eight years in Schools and colleges in the Midlands and have a wealth of experience to draw on in the field of education. I am currently the Director of Learning for English and am committed to the academy vision and to helping our students to be the best that they can be. |
Co-opted Governors
At The de Ferrers Academy, the governance structure allows for the local governors listed above to co-opt to four further local governors to the local governing body in order to bring a specific skill set that will add value to the academy, making local governance even more efficient and effective. Co-opted governors have a term of office of four years.
| Graham Milnes | First appointed: 22 April 2019 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: None declared. Bio: I have been a Governor at The de Ferrers Academy for over nine years, starting as a Parent Governor when my daughter was at the School. I have continued as a Governor since my daughter left, as I enjoy the role and hope my involvement helps towards the academy’s journey of being one of the best Academy’s in the country. I have lived in Burton all of my life and have just retired having completed 46 years’ service at Molson Coors where I joined after attending The Burton Boys Grammar School. |
| Caroline Wakelin
| Appointed: 01 November 2022 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: Local Governor at Horninglow Primary. Family members attend Granville and The de Ferrers Academy. Bio: I am a retired teacher. I spent my 36 year career at The de Ferrers Academy, in its many guises, teaching Religious Studies and CPSHE. I was an Assistant Head of Year for a number of years and latterly involved in Attendance. I have also served as a staff governor. |
| Jacqui Botten
| Appointed: 01 November 2022 Attendance 2024/25: 4/4 Declarations: Local Governor at Horninglow Primary. Bio: It is a pleasure to be joining the The de Ferrers Academy's LGB community. I have spent all my life in secondary education as a Head of Faculty and Governor. I look forward to engaging with the school in lots of different ways and hope I will have lots to offer from my past experiences. |
| Alex Jeffries | Appointed: 08 April 2025 Attendance 2024/25: 1/2 Declarations: Work with Transforming Minds & Futures, Providing secondary education with behaviour intervention programs including Deferrers Academy. Bio: I’m delighted to join the school governance team. With a background in conflict resolution, behaviour management, and public service, I bring a range of experiences that I hope will support our students and the wider school community. After serving in the British Army, I transitioned to the West Midlands Police and later moved into the probation service, where I continue to advise courts on sentencing decisions. These roles have equipped me with the ability to navigate complex situations with fairness and a focus on positive outcomes for young people. As a governor, I’m passionate about modernising the school’s behaviour management approach. I want to help students build strong decision-making skills and ensure they leave school with the best possible opportunities. Supporting young people and helping prevent criminalisation is something I care deeply about, and I’m committed to making a meaningful contribution to the school. I look forward to working with everyone and sharing my experience and vision in the years ahead! |
Previous Governors in the last 12 months
John Anderson (Co-opted Governor) - Resigned: 04 February 2025
First appointed: 22 April 2019
Term of office: 22 April 2023 - 21 April 2027
Attendance 2023/24: 2/4
Declarations: Proprietor of JA Properties. Proprietor of JA Coaching. CEO of Life Coaching with Nature, Chairman/ Trustee of Burton HOPE (reg charity). Chairman/Trustee of Beyne Schools Foundation (reg charity). Chairman/ Trustee of Town Branch (Consolidated Charities) Educational Foundation (reg charity). Chairman of Friends of Outwoods, Chairman of Outwoods Parish Council. Chairman of FISH 2013. Chairman of Burton Trent Partnership. Head Bailiff for Coors AC. Angling Trust VBS Bailiff.
Nick Oxford (Board appointed Governor) - Resigned: 11 June 2025
First appointed: 12 July 2022
Term of office: 12 July 2022 - 11 July 2026
Attendance 2023/24: 3/4
Declarations: Wife employed at The de Ferrers Academy
Clerk to Governors
The Clerk provides professional advice to the Governing Body on governance, constitutional and procedural matters. They provide administrative support including minute taking and convening meetings, ensure the Governing Body is properly constituted and manage all Governing Body information effectively. It is the Clerk’s role to ensure the Governing Body meets all of its statutory duties.
| Zoe Mellor | zmellor.dfa@affinitylp.co.uk |