Welcome to our Governors' section.

Oak Grange Nursery and Primary School governors are volunteers who oversee how our school operates. This group is known as the Governing Body. They are involved in decisions about all aspects of the school - such as maintaining the buildings, controlling the budgets, supporting staff and ensuring high standards of achievement for all the children in our school.

Governors are elected every 4 years. Our school will have 2 parent Governors who are parents of pupils attending Oak Grange Primary School, 1 Staff Governor, 8 Community Governors and the Headteacher.

The governors also help to make big decisions about the school's long-term goals, They support the Headteacher, but also ask questions and make sure that the head teacher is taking the school in the right direction. 

Governance structure

Oak Grange Primary School is an academy within East Midlands Education Trust, with our own local governing body being accountable to the Trustees. Governors retain a considerable amount of delegated authority to make decisions affecting the day to day running of our school.

Board of Trustees and committee membership

The Board meet six times per academic year and are the accountable body who determines which functions to delegate. The board has established specific committees and named trustees to deal with issues such as finance, audit, risk, education and standards, strategic development, pay, performance and HR.   

The Chair of Trustees is Mrs Ann Witheford.

Members

Trust members hold the board of trustees to account for the effective governance of the trust and are tasked with assessing the board’s performance to ensure the purpose of the trust, and its charitable objects are being fulfilled.  It is the trust board, not the members, who are the organisation’s key decision makers.

Documents

The terms of reference/scheme of delegation and supplemental funding agreement for our school can be found here

Declarations of Interest

Business declarations can be found here

Please find below details of our governors, including the names, categories, responsibilities, interests and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Chair of Governors: Ann Witheford 

Email: awitheford@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 1st September 2023 for four years

Parent Governor: Laura Beresford

Email: lberesford@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 21st January 2025 for four years

Governor Biography: I am a parent Governor at the school that my son attends. Personally, I wanted to become a Governor to be able to give something back to the school that will continue to be a big part of our lives for years to come. I recall when the school was in it's infancy and at planning stage and now it is a nurturing and vibrant learning hub where mighty oaks really do grow! Professionally, I have worked within the housing sector for over 15 years, as a solicitor and housing team leader for a social housing provider. 

Parent Governor: Monica Jandu

Email: mdhiman@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 21st January 2025 for four years

Governor Biography: Ever since my initial visit, I have been in awe of Oak Grange.  I was keen to take on a governor role to help support the school due to being consistently inspired by the school’s values and influenced by the passion from the staff members. I am a proud mum of two wonderful girls, one of which currently attends Oak Grange. I grew up in Leeds, qualified as a Chartered Accountant then got married and moved to Derby in 2013. I currently work within the optical industry and have a vast amount of experience with budgeting and assisting the board with key financial challenges. I’m keen to utilise my financial background and skills to take this school to great heights as I am passionate about education and believe that every child should have an equal opportunity to excel to their full potential. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking and watching films.

Community Governor: Charlotte Cooper

Email: ccooper@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 21st January 2025 for four years

Governor Biography: I am a proud mum of twin girls who currently attend Oak Grange, and as a parent, I have a keen interest in ensuring that all children receive the best possible education and support during their time here. Having experienced the school's environment first-hand, I am passionate about contributing to its continued success and growth. I value the strong sense of community within the school and would like to play an active role in helping to maintain and enhance that positive atmosphere for all students and families. Professionally, I am a qualified accountant with over 10 years of experience in the finance industry. I am eager to use my expertise to support the school in achieving its long-term goals and ensuring its financial health and sustainability.

Community Governor: Manpreet Dhariwal

Email: mdhariwal@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 15th May 2024 for four years 

Governor Biography: My son joined the Nursery at Oak Grange in its opening year and, to my immense joy and relief, he immediately settled and flourished. Oak Grange continues to impress me with the wonderful foundations it’s embedding, including its holistic vision and ethos and the incredibly caring manner in which the children are truly at the heart of all decision making. I was therefore inspired to support the school into, what is already becoming, a strong, nurturing and aspiring community. I am trained in primary education with a passion for early years. I have worked as a class teacher both in the UK and abroad at an international British school. I am particularly interested in child development, providing an inclusive and enjoyable learning journey for every child and creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment. Additionally, I am now able to view education from both a professional and mother’s perspective: it is only by being ‘curious’ learners ourselves and working together as a team that we can achieve the very best for our children. I believe this aligns well with the vision of Oak Grange and sets me in good stead to be successful in my role as governor.

Community Governor: James Smith

Email: jsmith@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 21st January 2025 for four years

Governor Biography: As a governor with a non-educational sector background, I am an Engineer by profession, I feel that I bring an inquisitive and challenging perspective to the governing committee. I want to support Oak Grange as it grows and develops and help to achieve and maintain an excellent standard. I will help the school maximise STEM opportunities through taking advantage of the rich industrial heritage we have in our region. My son is in reception class currently and my daughter will join the nursey this year. In my profession I am responsible for providing technical support for test data collection and analysis. I believe those skills will transfer well to the work of school governance, helping the school to analyse the attainment gaps between groups of pupils and identify where the school needs to be doing more.

Community Governor: Rachael Taylor

Email: rtaylor@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 15th May 2024 for four years

Governor Biography: I am a proud parent of a child at Oak Grange Primary School, having worked as a children’s nurse for many years within ITU and Outreach departments.  I bring a wealth of experience from working within a multidisciplinary team. I also contributed as a specialist clinical advocate and representative in the development and implementation of projects within the digital program with a focus on safety and governance, which I continue to do within my current role.  I am passionate about fostering a strong sense of community and believe in the importance of education for all. I am excited to contribute to the school's success and support the dedicated staff and students.

Staff Governor: Justine Lane

Email: jlane@oakgrange.org

Appointed: 15th May 2024 for four years

Governor Biography: I am proud to serve as a governor, bringing over 12 years of experience in this role across three different schools, both primary and secondary. My varied roles as a staff, parent, and foundation governor have given me a unique insight into the educational environment. Since qualifying as a teacher in 1998, I’ve developed a real love for all aspects of education. I have worked across all stages of primary school, but my current focus is on Early Years. I have a particular passion for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and as the SENCo at my school, I am also working towards my NPQ in Special Educational Needs Coordination to better support our students. As a parent of three children who are currently going through their GCSEs, A Levels, and university, I understand the challenges and joys that education brings. I am committed to ensuring that every child has the chance to flourish in a caring and inclusive setting. I believe that every child that comes through our doors can 'grow from a tiny seed into a mighty tree' using our core values of being kind, respectful and curious.