Experienced Trust Board
We are proud of our experienced Trust Board at Archbishop Temple Trust. To ensure best practice and accountability our governance structure is categorised into three key tiers, with our Members Board sitting at the top. As a charitable company, our Members Board ensure that they comply with charity and company law requirements. Our Trustee Board sits below the Members Board and are responsible for the strategic priorities of the Trust. On a local level, Local Governing Boards (LGB) hold each school Principal to account for what is delivered in each academy.
Members Structure
Members Profile
Mr. Neville Norcross
I was a primary teacher for 37 years, 25 as the head teacher while acting as Associate head teacher for other schools facing challenging circumstances. Since retirement I have become a consultant for the Church of England Education Office, a SIAMS moderator and critical reader, adviser to the North West Dioceses on inspection and Christian leadership. I am also an adviser to the Methodist Church, associate lecturer at Liverpool Hope and Chair of the Church of England leadership foundation steering group.
Rev Canon Dr Chris Bracegirdle
Chris grew up in Bolton and, after primary school, went on to Hayward Grammar School (now the site of the Essa Academy). Fulfilling a long ambition to become a teacher, Chris went on to higher education at Sunderland Polytechnic where he obtained a degree in biology and education. In 2010, Chris moved to a very different type of ministry as Senior Chaplain to the Bishop of Manchester, working alongside two bishops of Manchester in a very exciting and energising sphere of work. Parish ministry has always been close to Chris’s heart and, in 2014, Chris returned to parish work to lead a large team of churches in Westhoughton and Blackrod, before becoming Vicar of Bolton and of St Philip’s and Borough Dean of Bolton in April 2018.
Miss Evelyn Weston
I was was brought up in Kent. After training as a science teacher in Cambridge I then taught in Essex and Kent before moving to Bolton in 1984 to take up a post at St. James’s C.E. High School in Farnworth. I stayed at St. James’s for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2013. I was elected Churchwarden at Bolton Parish Church in 2008, a post which I have held continuously up to the present.
Rev Ian Hepburn
I was ordained Deacon and have the privilege of being the curate at Bolton Parish and St Philip's church. I trained for the ministry at St Mellitus College and during this time was on placement in the Benefice of Blackrod, Daisy Hill, Westhoughton and Wingates. Before a call to full-time Church of England ministry I worked for the NHS as a Paramedic in Manchester for 14 years, taking a variety of roles and finishing up on the Hazardous Area Response Team.
Rev. Vincent Whitworth
Born in Bolton, I am currently the Area Dean of Bolton Deanery, a post I have held since 2015, and also serve as Associate Minister at St Peters Halliwell.I have always had a keen interest in local schools and education throughout my working career and have always sought to support schools in whatever ways I can. I have experience in school governance, as I have also served as a governor at another local primary school for the last 5 years. I am also a trustee of a Christian-based education charity, Create Bolton
Trustees
The Trustees are appointed with the skill set and experience to take responsibility for the strategic priorities of the Trust and they implement the Vision and Ethos set by the Members. At board meetings, Trustees have oversight of the financial performance, agree targets for pupil achievement and monitor progress of schools. They hold executive leaders accountable for standards and performance of employees and review the performance and pay. Trustees also carry out their statutory duties for health and safety, GDPR and safeguarding.
Trustee Structure
Trust Board Profile
Canon Cllr. John Walsh
Appointed OBE by HM Queen for public and political service in 1994 and served as Mayor of Bolton in 2002-2003. In 2011 he received the Pride of Bolton Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2013 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bolton for public service. A school governor since 1975 he is a Foundation Trustee and currently is Vice Chair of the Trust as a Foundation Trustee
Canon Jill Pilling
I am the CEO of Archbishop Temple Trust having been the Headteacher at Bishop Bridgeman CE Primary for ten years, Executive Head at St James’s, Farnworth who subsequently formed the Trust. I have also held the Executive Headship at Holy Infants RC Primary for three terms during 2012/13. September 2018 St Maxentius joined the Trust, we now have over 1,000 children in our care. All 3 schools in our Trust are graded by Ofsted as good.
Mrs Barbara Kinch
Former Diocesan schools Advisor for the Anglican Diocese of Manchester and Headteacher in Manchester for 18 years until retirement in 2006. Has a wide range of experience of Chair of Governors and has previously been a SIAMs inspector for over 20 years.
Mr John Waring
I have a background in education with a degree from the University of Liverpool and a PGCE at Chester College. Now retired after 39 years of teaching experience at a secondary school. I was co-opted onto the governing body of a local primary school when the body was reformed and I am now the Chair person
Mr Imran Akram
I am a Solicitor and I was admitted onto the Roll of Solicitors in 2012. In terms of the actual area of practice, I am currently working within the Equity Release Market. I am honoured to take up the position as Trustee and I feel that I would be able to contribute a great deal to the board. Having five young children, four of which are currently going through Primary Education.
Karen Beal
I am the Manchester Diocese Children's Officer.
Archdeacon Jean Burgess
In 2003 I was ordained and served in Derbyshire and Derby until 2018. I then moved to Manchester to take up my current post as Archdeacon of Bolton in 2018.I became a Christian when I was 16 and my faith in Christ has been my guiding light ever since. It is a joy to be able to serve, where the Christian message is at the heart of all we do for the children in our care
Local Governing Boards
The main focus of the Local Governing Boards is to hold individual schools and school leaders to account for school standards, behaviour, quality of education and safety of pupils. They set clear expectations, monitor and review progress and achievement for all pupils and ensure that the school spending represents good value for money. They monitor and review the quality of teaching and learning considering feedback from parents, pupils and staff and ensure pupils are properly safeguarded. The Chairs of all Local Governing Boards submit a formal termly report to the Trust Board. For more information on governance in individual academies please see individual school websites.
