Governance

We are a part of the Co-op Academies Trust, which is a multi academy trust. Our Trust Board is legally responsible for the effective running of the whole Trust. To learn more about trust-level governance, please visit our Trust’s central website here.
Our Academy Community Council (ACC) is made up of our Community Council Members (CCMs) who are responsible for ensuring a high-quality pupil experience that meets the needs of our local community. Learn more about them below.

How our Academy Community Council is organised

The Academy Community Council (ACC) consists of 8 to 12 Community Council Members (CCMs), of which between 2 and 4 are appointed by the sponsor. In addition, the ACC includes 2 staff CCMs, 2 parent CCMs and the Headteacher. The ACC can then appoint a number of community CCMs to be representative of the local community, provide insight into local partnership links, or bring a particular set of skills.

Contacting Community Council Members

Community Council Members can be contacted by writing to the Governance Officer for the academy at:

Lynda Podmore

Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff

Goldenhill Road
Fenton
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 3DP

lynda.podmore@coopacademies.co.uk

Parent Community Council Member Vacancy

We currently have one vacancy for a Parent Community Council Member on our Academy Community Council.

As a parent Community Council Member, you will be the representative voice from the parental community. This is different from being elected as a representative of the parents and you will not be expected to canvass the options of all parents. Once elected, you will vote and make decisions on the basis of your own views - not the collective views of the parents.

If you would like to know more about the role you may contact our Governance Officer, Lynda Podmore: Lynda.podmore@coopacademies.co.uk

Information packs and nomination forms can be downloaded from Class Dojo, collected from the school office, emailed upon request or found in the 'Latest Updates' section of this website.

Our Academy Community Council

Emma Day

Full Name	Emma Day
Date of appointment	05/01/2024
Term of office	n/a
Category of CCM	Ex-officio
Appointed by	By virtue of appointment as Head of School (following appointment as acting Headteacher)
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	4/4
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Helen Foy

Full Name	Helen Foy
Date of appointment	01/12/2020
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Staff
Appointed by	Elected by staff
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	4/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Jennifer Juniper

Full Name	Jennifer Juniper
Date of appointment	02/11/2022
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	6/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Kim Clarkson

Hi, I’m Kim Clarkson, a sponsor CCM at Clarice Cliff. This role is my second school governor role. I was previously a governor at a CofE primary school in York and looking for a local Co-op academy to support when I relocated to Staffordshire was a natural way of continuing to support in education, whilst joining it up with Co-op company values which I care passionately about. I see the benefit of them at work in my role as Head of Partner Services at Co-op Wholesale and think they easily translate into benefits in a school culture that can help children thrive. Outside of work, I‘m enjoying getting involved in my new community and new family life – as the move to Staffordshire was on the back of a new marriage that came with two teenagers, a dog and embracing rural life as part of the mix!
Full Name	Kim Clarkson
Date of appointment	02/12/2022
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	5/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Chris Twigg

Hi there! I'm Chris, and I have a passion for creating a world where all children, including my own two little ones (aged 1 and 2), can reach their full potential. I believe education is fundamental, and I'm committed to supporting Clarice Cliff as if my own kids were walking through the doors every morning. By day, I work at Co-op, focusing on improving our customer experience – making things better and delivering more value for our members and customers every day. I'm passionate about enhancing our processes and delivering fantastic experiences, and I’ll bring this same enthusiasm to my role as Community Council Member. I’m excited to support Clarice Cliff in achieving its ambitious goals, ensuring it remains a school we’re all incredibly proud of. I'll be visiting the school regularly and look forward to getting involved and meeting many of you. Don't hesitate to say hello if you see me around – I'm always happy to hear your feedback on how we're doing and any ideas on how, together, we can make our school even better.
Full Name	Chris Twigg
Date of appointment	12/12/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	4/4
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Tony Stephens (Chair of the ACC)

Full Name	Tony Stephens
Date of appointment	12/12/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community, Chair of the ACC
Appointed by	Academy Governing Council
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	4/4
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Frances Edwards

Hi, I'm Frances, I heard about becoming a Governor through the Co-op where I worked as a senior manager in the HR team for many years. Not only does it provide me with the opportunity to give something back to my local community but I also get the chance to be involved in the world of education, something I've been interested in since I first left university many years ago. I originally wanted to train to be an educational psychologist but my career took a different turn so it's lovely to have the chance to now return to education as a Governor, now known as a Community Council Member at Co-op. I live locally and as well as being a Community Council Member, I work part time for the NHS in Stafford. When I'm not working I am usually busy attempting to keep fit or trying to keep my garden under control, as well as spending time visiting my two sons. I love baking but it usually results in the need to do even more exercise, I play the piano (badly) and have ambitions to take up painting but recognise that I have no talent and have yet to find time to start! As an Academy Community Council, most of us are quite new to the role but we aim to visit the Academy regularly. If you see us wandering about, do come and say 'hello' as we love hearing from people connected with the school, particularly parents/carers. And if any parent/carer would like to join us as a governor, that would be great so please get in touch if you are interested.
Full Name	Frances Edwards
Date of appointment	22/11/2022
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the Academy Community Council
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	6/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Puneet Patel

Full Name	Puneet Patel
Date of appointment	01/12/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the Academy Community Council
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	1/4
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a

Adele Wootton

Full Name	Adele Wootton
Date of appointment	21/09/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the Academy Community Council
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	1/4
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	3/6

Resignations over the last 12 months

Diane Broadhurst

Full Name	Diane Broadhurst
Date of resignation	18/12/2023
Date of appointment	01/12/2020
Term of office	n/a
Category of CCM	Ex-officio
Appointed by	By virtue of appointment as Headteacher
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	1/2
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Kirstie Hicks

Full Name	Kirstie Hicks
Date of resignation	01/12/2023
Date of appointment	08/12/2020
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the Academy Community Council
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	0/2
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Lisa Tomkinson

Full Name	Lisa Tomkinson
Date of resignation	06/09/2023
Date of appointment	08/12/2020
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointment by the Academy Community Council
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Director at Community Ventures Development Services CIC since 16 June 2015 Family relationship with two pupils at Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff since 16 June 2015 Vice Chair of Open Door SOT Charity since 9 November 2015 Partner at Changes Health & Wellbeing since 2 August 2021
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	0/0
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Martin Earlam

Full Name	Martin Earlam
Date of appointment	06/06/2021
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Parent
Appointed by	Elected by parents/carers
Subcommittees 2023-24	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings 2023/24	4/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings 2023/24	n/a