Local Governing Body

The Local Governing Body has 11 members and meets at least once per term. There are subcommittees for: Finance, Buildings and Estates (FB&E); Admissions; Teaching and Learning, Behaviour and Safety (TLBS). Members of the Local Governing Body are from all walks of life and bring knowledge and experience which prove invaluable in the governing of the school.

A governor’s role is as a ‘critical friend’ to the school. They do not manage the school on a day to day basis but work as a group to guide and approve plans from the Principal and the Leadership Team. They often provide valuable insights, or work as a sounding board for ideas and plans, to maintain and enhance the provision of education at AGGS.

Their role also includes the oversight of activities in the school and several governors act as ‘link governors’ to gain specific knowledge in a particular area to keep the Governing Body informed more closely about what is happening in that area.

The remit of the Local Governing Body is determined by the Trust’s delegation framework. It includes parent governors, staff governors and community governors.

The Local Governing Body of AGGS is currently made up of governors. Each governor is elected for a four-year term of office. Parent governors are elected by the parents/carers of students currently attending the school. Staff governors are elected by current staff members while appointed and co-opted governors are appointed by the Local Governing Body.

Andrew Crosbie (One Education) is the Clerk to the Governors his role is to minute all meetings and prepare draft minutes to be ratified by the relevant subcommittee/full governing body.

If you have any queries for the governing body, please email admin@aggs.bright-futures.co.uk.

Mr Martyn Wilshaw

Type of Governor & Appointment	Chair: Trust Appointment
Term of office starts:	19/02/2017
Term of office ends:	17/02/2026
Committee Membership	Finance | Buildings & Estates | Admissions
Meetings attended in the last academic year:	5 out of 6
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)

Mr Asker Ali

Type of Governor & Appointment	Appointed
Term of office starts:	5/9/2022
Term of office ends:	4/9/2025
Committee Membership	Finance
Meetings attended in the last academic year:	0 out of 5
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Asker Ali was born and raised in Yorkshire, has Indian parents, and Persian ancestry.  He attended Bradford Grammar School, and studied Economics at Reading University. He has lived in the local area since 2016 with his wife and two children.  Asker is a chartered accountant and, for the past 4 years, he has been a Director at KPMG specialising in international tax – he helps international businesses manage their global tax affairs and meet their international tax obligations. Prior to that, he was mostly in London working as a head of tax in oil and gas businesses, and also spent two years in Australia.

Mrs Jackie Cohen

Type of Governor & Appointment	Appointed
Term of office starts:	08/02/2017
Term of office ends:	28/09/2023
Committee Membership	Teaching, Learning, Behaviour
Meetings attended in the last academic year	6 out of 6
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Jackie was born in Chile and was raised in the USA though the UK is her real home having lived here for longer than anywhere else. She studied Politics as a postgraduate student and has worked for a Member of Parliament and Member of the European Parliament. She has put her political interests aside and joined the Civil Service where she has worked in the Department for Education since 2014. She has two children, one at AGGS and one at Sale Grammar School. Her priorities as a Parent Governor are to support the School Leadership but also to act as a ‘critical friend.’ She sits on the Teaching, Learning, Behaviour, and Safety sub-committee and has a particular interest in the curriculum changes and promoting diversity within the school.

Mr Daniel Costello

Type of Governor & Appointment	Appointed
Term of office starts:	14/12/2021
Term of office ends:	13/12/2024
Committee Membership	Teaching, Learning, Behaviour (chair) | Admissions
Meetings attended in the last academic year	5 out of 6
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Dan was born and brought up in the local area, and attended Oldham Hulme Grammar School for Boys, before going on to study Psychology at the University of Manchester. Dan is an HR professional who began his career in the NHS in Manchester before joining the graduate fast track programme at Shell in 2011. Since then, he has held increasingly senior HR roles across a number of different business areas within Shell and has had stints living in London and Aberdeen, before moving back to Manchester in 2018. Outside of work, Dan’s hobbies include sport (particularly football), cookery and politics. He is married to Katie and they are the proud owners of a beagle puppy.

Ms Stephanie Gill

Type of Governor & Appointment	Principal
Term of office starts:	Ex Officio
Committee Membership	Teaching, Learning, Behaviour | Finance, Buildings & Estates | Admissions
Meetings attended in the last academic year	9 out of 9
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Stephanie is Principal at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. Following a degree in natural sciences and her PGCE, she taught mathematics for a number of years in a variety of schools both at home and abroad before becoming Head of Mathematics at St Edward’s School in Oxford and then The Latymer School in Enfield. She subsequently became Head of Sixth Form and then Director of Studies at The Queen’s School in Chester, before taking up her previous role as Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) at West Kirby Grammar School. During her teaching career she has enjoyed opportunities for further university studies, in mathematics, psychology and French, as well as completing her Masters in Educational Leadership and Management and her National Professional Qualification for Headship.

Mr Paul Jones

Type of Governor & Appointment	Parent – Elected
Term of office starts:	6/6/2022
Term of office ends	6/6/2025
Committee Membership	Finance, Building & Estates
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)

Mr Mike Thompson

Type of Governor & Appointment	Staff
Term of office starts:	27/09/23
Term of office ends	26/09/26
Committee Membership	Teaching, Learning, Behaviour
Meetings attended in the last academic year
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Mike has been teaching mathematics at AGGS for around 10 years. He was born and raised in Liverpool, before studying Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester and subsequently completing a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics. After a spell teaching in Tameside, Mike came to AGGS. Alongside his work in the mathematics department, Mike is part of the leadership teams for both the NW1 and Turing NW Maths Hubs which seek to improve outcomes in mathematics for students across Greater Manchester by providing professional development and support for teachers across the region.

Mr Hamish Rankin

Type of Governor & Appointment	Appointed
Term of office starts:	10/08/2015
Term of office ends	09/08/2024
Committee Membership	Admissions (Chair) | Finance, Buildings & Estates
Meetings attended in the last academic year	5 out of 6
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Hamish Rankin is a chemical engineer and worked for ICI designing chemical plants and their products. He spent time in production management, subsequently moving into the management of research within businesses, and latterly corporate research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and, since retirement, he has worked as a Visiting Professor in both Oxford and Manchester, where he was a Director of a Research Centre.

Mr Tariq Saied

Type of Governor & Appointment	Appointed
Term of office starts:	09/02/2022
Term of office ends	08/02/2025
Committee Membership	Finance, Buildings & Estates (Chair)
Meetings attended in the last academic year	6 out of 6
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Tariq was born and raised in Manchester. He studied computer science as an undergraduate student and has a 30+ year career in IT and computing working for companies such as RHM Foods, Hays, BT and Daisy. He has worked on the Building Schools for The Future (BSF) and was technical lead on the Royal Wedding in 2011 and the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012. He has enjoyed many senior roles in a varied career. He is married to Anila and they have 2 boys and a girl who attended AGSB and AGGS Schools.   He is vice chair of the board of Governors and chairs the Finance, Buildings and Estates  committee. He has 10 years experience as a school governor at AGGS and has previously been a STEM ambassador and a Pensions Trustee.

Mrs Louise Simpson

Type of Governor & Appointment	Staff
Term of office starts:	28/09/2020
Term of office ends	10/12/2023
Committee Membership	Finance, Buildings & Estates
Meetings attended in the last academic year	3 out of 3
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Louise was born and raised locally, attending Sale Grammar School. Her early career was in banking, before moving onto facilities management. Following on from this, she decided to focus on finance and studied alongside work to achieve her full chartered management accountancy professional qualification. She is currently the Finance Manager for Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, and is also responsible for the finances for the Professional Development Network. She has worked at the trust since June 2020. Prior to this role, she worked for 10 years as a management accountant at another local multi-academy trust.

Ms Zoe Thompson

Type of Governor & Appointment	Parent – Elected
Term of office starts:	6/6/2022
Term of office ends	6/6/2025
Committee Membership	Teaching, Learning, Behaviour & Safety
Meetings attended in the last academic year
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)	Zoe Thompson grew up in Canada before moving to the UK to study law at London School of Economics and Political Science. She was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1999. She has lived in the local area for 20 years and currently practises as a barrister and mediator from chambers in Manchester, specialising in civil litigation. She also sits as a judge.