The Forest Academy

The Forest Academy is part of the Barnsley Primary Partnership, which came into being in the autumn of 2016. It brings together the three primary schools: The Forest Academy, Oakhill Primary Academy and Oakwell Rise Primary Academy, which are all members of the Wellspring Academy Trust. 

The Trust has put in place a single governing body for the Partnership, replacing the three former governing bodies.  Our role has three key parts:

• in consultation with the Trust, we decide the vision, ethos and strategic direction of each of the three schools;
• we hold the Principals and senior staff to account for the educational performance of the schools and their pupils.
• we oversee the financial performance of each of the three schools and make sure that money is well spent.

Details of our current governors are set out below.  They have a wide range of backgrounds, skills and experience which they bring to this important role, and meet at least every half term to look at all aspects of the life and work of the schools.  Many of the Governors are linked with specific aspects of the life of the schools and make regular reports to the governing body.

We work closely with the Principal, who is responsible for the day to day running of the school. They are accountable to Governors for how they do this and frequently reports to us.

All our work as governors has one simple aim: to make sure that our schools provide the highest standard of education and care for all our pupils, so that they have the best possible life chances. 

Meet the Team

 

Revd Mick Neal Trust Appointed and Chair	Revd Michael A Neal (Mick) - Mick is a retired Methodist Minister and has been a school governor for 35years and has served on a number of governing bodies in Lancashire and Yorkshire. "Being able to engage with school leadership and development and see how pupils can thrive in a positive learning environment is the main reason that I am committed to this work". Mick has chaired a number of governing bodies through the challenges of amalgamation, schools that are in deprived communities and some of which have achieved "Outstanding" from OFSTED.
Craig Aubrey Parent Governor and Vice Chair	Craig is one of the Parent Governors for Barnsley Primary Partnership and his two daughters attend The Forest Academy. He was born and raised in Barnsley and works for Barnsley Council as the Community Development Officer for the Central Area Team, where he leads on projects and initiatives that build stronger, safer and healthier communities.  Craig’s link responsibility on the Governing Body is Community and Stakeholder Engagement.
Ella Copping Staff Governor	Ella has over 8 years of experience working within the education sector, and is a teacher at The Forest Academy.  She was born and raised in the local area of Barnsley and has good understanding of the area.  Ella loves to spend her time outdoors and enjoys sharing her passion for the Arts in her teaching.
Laura Barraclough Staff Governor	Laura is a LKS2 teacher based at Oakwell Rise primary school in Barnsley with previous experience in both KS1/LKS2. For the last 5 years Laura has led the Art curriculum for the school and more recently, the BLPP in designing an engaging and creative curriculum for all learners .This is complimented by her being the network lead for Art for Wellspring.
Natalie Hardman   Ex-Officio Governor, Trust Representative	Natalie has eight years experience in the MAT sector with a further six years experience within education management. She was one of the founding officers at Wellspring and led the development of the infrastructure,systems and processes throughout the growth of the Trust. She is a member of the Executive Team responsible for the business support function encompassing leadership of; Governance, Marketing & Communications, Data & Information and Academy Conversions. Natalie has extensive experience as a values driven leader who champions an inclusive community culture.
Ken Mosley Trust Appointed	Ken is a retired Chartered Health & Safety Practitioner, having worked 40 years in the construction industry in UK and China in various engineering and management roles and has several years experience in corporate governance. Post retirement Ken worked for Barnsley Football Club in an advisory capacity on management procedures. Ken's link responsibility on the Governing Body is Health and Safety and Safeguarding and Attendance.
Jane Kirkham Parent Governor	Jane is one of the parent governors for Barnsley Primary Partnership. Jane lives and works locally. She is part of a team of ladies who help support parents/caregivers of Oakhill school and the local community at the ‘wellbeing hub’. Jane’s link responsibility on the governing body is community.
Michala Wild Trust Appointed	Michala is from Barnsley and has a background in sports development, community fundraising and currently works for a national charity that supports looked after children. Previously Michala worked for a charity that supported a number of Wellspring schools across Barnsley and Leeds with their breakfast clubs.
Katie Pierce Jessica Jenkins Principals	Our collective Principals have served on the governing body since their employment as Principals (and previously Heads of Schools) of their respective sites. They represent: Oakwell Rise Primary Academy, Oakhill Primary Academy and The Forest Academy.
Dayo Oladiti Trust Appointed Governor	Dayo works within Professional Services in a Higher Education Institution. His experience spans across journalism, marketing, public relations, process improvement, strategy, planning, and stakeholder management. He was recently a Governor on Sheffield Hallam University's BoG, and a Trustee of Hallam Student Union.
Rebecca Barham Trust Appointed Governor	Rebecca brings a wealth of educational experience to her role as governor. As a Positive Regard Consultant since 2024, she supports schools in developing strong relational practices, drawing on her expertise in Autism and complex needs. Holding a PGCE in primary education, Rebecca possesses a deep understanding of the educational landscape. Her commitment to effective governance is demonstrated by her previous five-year tenure on a local governing body for a 3-19 special school. Her passion lies in fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments for all children.
Eileen Sanderson Trust Appointed Governor	She is a retired Methodist Minister who has wide experience in education as a Primary School Teacher, Adult Educator, and in Youth Work management and training.  She has been involved in school governance in both Primary and Secondary spheres for many years, and, more recently, in Special Education.  She is passionate about social justice and the need to address the glaring inequalities, including those in education, across our country and our world.

Other recent governors have included: Helen Handley, Lindsey Groom, Mitch Stringer, Richard Whitfield and Sam Bailey. 

If you are looking for information regarding joining the Governing Body or for Local Governing Body minutes, please contact the Clerk to the Governing Body: Megan Cotney on email: m.cotney@wellspringacademies.org.uk 

Please click on the following picture which will direct you to the Wellspring's Governance Page:



Click here to view Wellspring's policies and documents:



Please address all correspondence to the Chair of Governors:

Revd Mick Neal​​​​​​​
Wellspring Academy Trust
Digital Media Centre
County Way, Barnsley 
South Yorkshire
S70 2JW