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Governing Body

Our school has a strong, effective Local Governing Body. Governors work in partnership with Principal, Alice Coyle. The main responsibility of the Local Governing Body (LGB) is to provide scrutiny of the delivery of the School Development Plans, to ensure the academy is working within agreed financial budgets, to monitor the academy is working within agreed policies and help the Academy to engage with all stakeholders. The LGB should also provide strong support and challenge to the academy leadership team.
The LGB is responsible for the delivery of the Trust strategy locally, with a key focus on its aims of;
• Good rates of progress, equity and achievement for all pupils via a rich and diverse
curriculum.
• Sustained financial viability enables flexible investment in school improvement.
• Our staff advocate Bright Futures as an excellent and equal opportunities employer.
• Through growth, influence, collaboration and partnerships, the Trust’s vision and
mission are embedded in everything we do.

This is achieved through;

  1. Ensuring clarity of vision and strategic direction. This is rooted in the overall
    strategy for the Trust;
  2. Holding the Principal/Head of School to account for the educational
    performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of
    staff; and
  3. Ensuring that the school’s budget is effectively utilised.
    The LGB achieves this by effectively challenging, scrutinising and supporting senior leaders
    through its meeting agenda during the year, the format of which should encompass;
    • Education, standards and outcomes
    • Safeguarding
    • Health and Safety
    • Community
    • Effective Use of Resource (for school improvement)
    • Human Resources
    • Risk management
    • Self-assessment and own board development

The LGB is supported in holding the schools’ senior leadership team to account by the
Executive. Governors are expected to triangulate the information they receive from the
Principal/Head of School with information generated from a range of sources, including
evaluative reports from senior leaders, school development plans, risk registers,
benchmarked numerical data, information from governor visits or from quality assurance
reports and inspection or review evidence.
Our Local Governing Body consists of representative from parents, staff, and the community.

Are you interested in becoming a governor? Find out more on our Expressions of interest page.

Governors can be contacted by forwarding a letter to our school office or to the clerk of Governors at the following address:

Helen Lewis Clerk of Governors
Democratic Governance
Blackpool Council
PO Box 4
Blackpool
FY1 1NA

Delegation Framework

Constitution and Terms of Reference

Annual Governor Statement

Governor Strategic Plan


Board of Governors


Sian Nixon

Type of GovernorStaff
Term of office starts02/05/2024
Term of office ends01/05/2027
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Details to follow

Rachel Walsh

Type of GovernorAppointed Governor
Term of office starts01/05/2025
Term of office ends30/04/2029
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Rachel is a Senior Children’s complex needs nurse working within the NHS for over 15 years. Working closely within schools and the community to support children with complex health needs and disabilities access education in a variety of settings. An ex-pupil of Marton Primary Academy when the school first opened and elected parent governor. Passion for equality and rights for all children, governor for SEND and Early years.

Ruth Coupe

Type of GovernorAppointed Governor
Term of office starts01/01/2024
Term of office ends30/01/2026
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Bright Futures,
Ruth Coupe B.A (Hons) PGCE

Ruth is Ex-Principal of Marton Primary Academy And Nursery.

She has worked in teaching for over 30 years and began her career in Blackburn. Prior to joining the Trust, she has held two headships in Lancashire and an associate post. During her time at Marton, she has prioritised academic, social and moral development by working with her team to create a warm, engaging and robust learning environment.

Alice Coyle

Type of GovernorPrincipal
Term of office startsEx Officio
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Bright Futures,
Alice is currently Head of School at Marton Primary Academy and Nursery

Toni Forshaw

Type of GovernorStaff
Term of office starts01/04/2023
Term of office ends31/03/2026
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Bright Futures,
Marton Primary
Academy: Teacher

Trish Latimer

Type of GovernorChair of Governors/Pupil Premium/Safeguarding
First appointed30th September 2015
Term of office starts30/06/2025
Term of office ends29/06/2029
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Trish Latimer B.Ed (Hons)

Trish is a mixed media artist by trade, and has been teaching creativity in many forms to both children and adults for over 20 years. Trish has been a Governor for over ten years, firstly as an elected Parent Governor. She has been Chair of the Governing Body for over eight years. Trish is an LLG, the only Local Lead Governor in Blackpool.


Trish has spent over 16 years as a parent of Marton school children, and as such has developed a very deep understanding of the school.

Malaya Nayak
PhD, FRSA, FIMA, CEng FBCS CITP

Type of GovernorSchool Governor (Leadership & Management)
First appointed18/11/2021
Term of office starts30/09/2024
Term of office ends29/09/2028
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)T Buzz Ltd,
London: Executive Director,
Malaya is an Entrepreneur & Researcher with over 25 years of experience in designing, developing and implementing high-performance hospitality and technology solutions. Currently, he serves as Director for a Group of Companies (SME) in London and Blackpool, UK. He serves as a School Governor (Leadership & Management) at the Marton Primary Academy and Nursery in the UK. He is an adjunct professor for a numbers of universities and a volunteer for several local charities.


Malaya is a Fellow (FRSA) of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK, a Fellow (FIMA) of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications in the UK, and a Chartered Fellow (FBCS CITP) of the British Computer Society in the UK. He also has the titles of Chartered Engineer (CEng) and European Engineer (Eur Ing).
Malaya is a member of the United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) and UNA Equality and Human Rights, UK, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Namibia. His research interests include project management and risk management at present.


Ian Phillips

Type of GovernorParent Governor
Term of office starts21/11/2023
Term of office ends31/01/2026
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)Flyde Borough
Council: Deputy
Bereavement
Service Manager

Darren Rawcliffe 

Type of GovernorAppointed Governor
Term of office starts01/02/2023
Term of office ends31/01/2026
Relevant Business Pecuniary interests (Inc. Governance Roles)MOD, Army Safety
Adviser for Army
Headquarters,
Darren is currently employed by the Army Safety Centre as a Safety, Health & Environmental Advisor to the operational chain of Command. He has served 36+ years in the Armed Forces, deploying all around the World on various operations and exercises. During his regular career he specialised in defence communications, various leadership and management roles, combat logistic and defence main stream logistics.  This included a 2 year term as a Governor at the Thorney Island Primary School and 3 year military teaching role at the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, where he gained a certificate in Teaching Adult Learners through Newbury College. After leaving the regular Army he joined the Reserve Forces, where he commanded (The Bolton Artillery) Battery and was the North West Community Engagement Liaison Officer for Greater Manchester. He has since re-joined full time Reserve Service in his current military role.  

Proud to part of the Bright Futures Education Trust
Marton Primary Academy & Nursery
Whernside, Off Highfield Rd, Marton
Blackpool FY4 5LY
Ofsted CEOP