Our Governors

The Board of Governors comprises 17 members including:

• The Principal
• Two student members
• One member of the teaching staff
• One member of the non-teaching staff

Our external Governors are drawn from a range of backgrounds and experience. Our Governing body works as a team to set the strategic direction of the College.
Their responsibilities are to:

• Determine and periodically review the educational character and mission of the institution and oversee its activities
• Approve the College’s quality strategy
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the College and the corporation and safeguarding assets
• Approve the annual estimates of income and expenditure
• Appoint senior postholders and determine a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all staff

The Governing body has scheduled meetings. In addition, if there are pressing matters they may call special meetings. The number of issues Governors need to discuss is immense, so to ensure that all of them are given proper consideration a committee system is used.

There are six standing committees as follows:

1. Board
2. Audit
3. Resources
4. Curriculum and Student Matters
5. Search and Governance
6. Remuneration

Board meetings usually take place four times in an academic year and in addition there is a strategic workshop. The other committees will usually meet one or three times per year. All Governors are expected to attend and participate in as many meetings of the Board as possible and to join and attend one of the committees. Meeting are usually held at 5pm. Governors are also involved in College life through link visits and attendance at College events such as award evenings and exhibitions.

In accordance with Department for Education’s statutory guidance, the College commissioned an external governance review through the Association of Colleges. A statement on the outcome of the Review can be found here.

Members of the Governing Board

Principal

Anna Dawe - Wigan & Leigh College

Principal & Chief Executive

Committee Served: Search & Governance; Curriculum & Student Matters; Resources; WFTE

Independent Governors

Ann Harrison - Chair of the Governing Board - Term of Office until October 2023

Curriculum and Student Matters, Resources (Vice-Chair), Remuneration, Search and Governance

Andrea Ferguson - Vice Chair of the Governing Board - Term of Office until 6 February 2026

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters (Chair), Remuneration (Vice-Chair), Search and Governance (Vice-Chair)

Katherine Causey - Vice Chair of the Governing Board - Term of Office until July 2025

Committees served: Audit (Chair), Remuneration (Chair), Search and Governance

Susan Spibey - Term of Office until October 2024

Committee Served: Resources

Councillor Jenny Bullen - Lead Governor for Safeguarding - Term of Office until July 2025

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

Alison McKenzie-Folan -Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Resources, Search & Governance

Alison is Chief Executive at Wigan Council having worked in Local Government for the last 15 years and previously in the Civil Service for twenty years. She is also the ‘place’ lead for health and care integration and NHS GM Integrated Care Board and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) lead Chief Executive for Health and Care, Culture and the GM Resilience Forum. Alison is passionate about public services and determined to make a difference for residents and communities. She is dedicated to inspiring the next female generation and committed to collaboration, innovation and technology. She currently chairs the iNetwork and is a Board Member of Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) and spokesperson for Solace on the digital agenda and a Board member for Open Data Manchester, Digital Leaders She became a Governor at the College in March 2022. In June 2024 Alison was awarded an OBE for services to local government and was also named in the Northern Power Women Top 50 Power list as one of the most influential digital leaders in Greater Manchester.

Susan Snape - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee served: Audit (Vice-Chair)

Hayley Mercer - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Audit

Steven Tomlinson - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

After a decade in software development, in 2013, Steven started the successful, Leigh-based, software company Nemiah. Five years later, he co-founded Leigh Works, a creative co-working space in the town centre and more recently Leigh Means Business, a CIC with the aim of bringing businesses together to regenerate the town. Steven is passionate about the local community and future of his town. By working with the STEM Ambassadors program and as a governor at Wigan & Leigh College he shares this passion with the next generation of entrepreneurs and digital creatives to get them interested in STEM careers. Outside of work Steven enjoys building and racing cars and spending time with his family.

Nazia Rehman - Term of Office until 5 July 2026

Committee served: Resources

Caroline Elwood – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Audit

Paul Park – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Curriculum and Student Matters

John Clarke – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Resources

John joined the Corporation in 2023 bringing a wealth of experience of the education sector. He began his career in the voluntary and community sector working in outlying estates in Knowsley. He subsequently trained as a teacher and moved to the further education sector working for a number of colleges in the North-West, initially as a lecturer and subsequently in a variety of senior management roles. He was appointed Principal of Southport College in 2011 where he oversaw the progress of the College culminating in the successful merger with KGV Sixth Form College. On leaving in 2020 he took on the role of Executive Officer of the Association of Liverpool City Region College until retiring in 2023. John is a committed advocate for Further Education Colleges and their ability to provide opportunities and transform lives. He has a particular interest in organisational development and the importance of creating/developing a positive, pro-active staff culture.

Chris Fletcher – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Curriculum and Student Matters

Sarah Smith

Co-Opted Governor on the Audit Committee

Staff Governors

Jennifer Connor

Staff governor

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

Rebecca Turley

Committee served: Curriculum and Student Matters (Vice-Chair)

Rebecca has over 20 years experience working in the education sector and joined the college in 2010 as a Lecturer in Sport. As a member of the Sports Department at the college, Rebecca was part of the successful team that achieved the Silver Award for Further Education Team of the Year at the 2021 Pearson National Teaching Awards. Rebecca is experienced in Further Education quality assurance processes through the Quality Nominee role that she undertook at the college between 2017 and 2022. In 2022, Rebecca moved to a Deputy Head of Higher Education role where she now specialises in HE quality assurance and higher and degree apprenticeships. Rebecca was awarded the Advance HE Fellowship in 2020 in recognition of her commitment to teaching, learning and the student experience, through engagement in a practical process that encourages research, reflection and development.

Student Governors

Aston Aldred - Term of Office until July 2024

Student Governor, L3 Electrical Apprenticeship

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters Committee

Emilie Hoyland - Term of Office until July 2024

Student Governor, A-Level student

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters Committee

CO-OPTED GOVERNORS

Jo Toner

Co-Opted Governor on the Audit Committee

Julie Barnes

Co-Opted Governor on the Resources Committee

Director of Governance

Joanne Platt

Joanne has been the Director of Governance at the College since August 2021, having previously undertaken this role at four other colleges as well as the role of Company Secretary at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is an experienced governance professional, having also undertaken a number of permanent and interim senior governance and corporate policy roles in local government, before joining the FE sector.

To find out more about the Governing Board or to contact any of the College’s Governors, please email the Director of Governance (j.platt@wigan-leigh.ac.uk)

Becoming a Governor

Do you have an interest in education and training? Would you like to play an important role in becoming part of a progressive, innovative and expanding educational establishment committed to meeting the needs of the community it serves? Being a Governor is a highly rewarding voluntary role working with others to ensure that the College meets the needs of the community it serves.

The essential requirements for joining us are a commitment and interest in contributing to the leadership of first class educational and training opportunities for young people and adults in Wigan and Leigh. Corporation members are comparable with the non-executive directors of a public company but instead of being accountable to shareholders, they are accountable for public funds. This governance role is separate from the operational management of the College. Corporation members define the College’s mission, values and strategy and whilst they monitor performance, they do not become involved in the day to day activity of the College, which is the responsibility of the Principal supported by the management team.

We are keen to involve people of all ages and cultural backgrounds, who can bring a variety of skills and experience to the role and have the qualities to support the College in its goal to become ‘outstanding’.

Your commitment as a Governor:

• Attending meetings of the Board
• Reading papers in advance of meetings
• Participation in discussions and debates
• Gaining experience through membership of Board Committees
• Participation in training events and attending various social events

We also appoint Co-opted Governors with specific skills to serve on just one committee, usually Audit or Resources Committee, which requires less commitment in terms of time. Co-opted Governors just attend three meetings each year, of the Committee to which they are appointed and are not members of the Governing Board (or Corporation).

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Governor or a Co-opted Governor, please contact Joanne Platt – Director of Governance (j.platt@wigan-leigh.ac.uk)