Governance at the Fen Rivers Academy

Catch22 maintains a sponsor relationship with the Catch22 Multi Academies Trust (the MAT), exercising control through being a member of the MAT and appointing Trustees.

The MAT, which is an independent charity, has its own Board made up of Trustees, senior executives and advisors, and oversees the Catch22 academy schools. 

The Trustees are appointed to oversee the operations and strategic direction of the charity. As such, the objective is that they have significant experience of senior operational, strategic and educational leadership, combined with knowledge of young people in difficult situations more broadly. 

Click here to see the MAT Board Trustee Biographies 

Catch22 MAT Governance Plan

The Catch22 MAT Governance plan outlines the mechanisms by which Catch22 academies are governed.

DfE Governance Handbook

Local Governing Bodies

Though the Board of Trustees retains oversight of the operation of the Academies, the Fen Rivers Academy is connected to its community through a local governing body. The local body has a clear area of focus and a formal delegation scheme setting out its responsibilities. 

Local Governing Body Members

Michael Cadman, Chair of Governors / Community Governor / Named Safeguarding Governor

E: M.Cadman@thefenriversacademy.org.uk 

T: (via the admin office 01553887330)

Rachel Hayward - Community Governor
E: R.Hayward@thefenriversacademy.org.uk

Paula Gilbert - Community Governor

E: P.Gilbert@thefenriversacademy.org.uk

Pete Brassett - Staff and Community Governor

E: P.Brassett@thefenriversacademy.org.uk 

Rachel Good - Staff and Community Governor

E: R.Good@thefenriversacademy.org.uk

Amanda Fewkes - ex officio, Headteacher

E: a.fewkes@thefenriversacademy.org.uk

Kath Grant - Link Governor

E: kath.grant@catch22mat.org.uk

Clerk to the Governors (July 2021 - current) - Mary Currie-Smith via Educator Solutions Governor Clerking Services

Clerk to the Governors (May 2020 - July 2021) - Jane Phelps via Educator Solutions Governor Clerking Services

Clerk to the Governors (September 2019 - May 2020) - Rebecca Blakeway-Long

Clerk to the Governors (September 2018 - July 2019) - Sarah Vonk

Meet the Governors at the Fen Rivers Academy

Chair of Governors - Mike Cadman

I graduated in Liverpool in 1972, am married to Sue who is a doctor and have four children and eight grandchildren. I am 72 years of age and a dentist, but working very part-time now. I owned my own practice in Beccles, until semi-retirement at the age of 60. My hobbies include painting using watercolours, skiing, sailing, walking and playing my tuba in the Loddon Band of which I am the secretary.

I have travelled to East Africa, the Philippines, Pakistan and India over the past 30+ years to work with churches and to support schools, always working with the indigenous people.

Listed below are some of the organisations I have had and still have an involvement with:

• A magistrate in Suffolk for almost 30 years until mandatory retirement.
• 2011-2013 - Bench Chair responsible for keeping the magistrates of the Bench informed on changes to the justice system for North East Suffolk Magistrates.
• Family Magistrate for 25 years as well as working in the Criminal Court.
• On the Independent Monitoring Board at Blundeston Prison for 19 years until it was closed.
• I am a member of the Suffolk Education Appeals Panel, a Waterways Chaplain and a mentor for those leaving prison.
• I am the Chair of the Lowestoft Branch of Good News for Everyone, formerly the Gideons, also the regional secretary for the East of England.
• I lead a small house church in Beccles.
• I was formerly the Chair of Governors at a large primary school in Lowestoft and safeguarding trustee in a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) with 3000+ students and am also currently the Chair of Governors at the Everitt Academy which is also in Lowestoft.

Rachel Good

I am an Advocate and a Designated Safeguard Lead for The Fen Rivers Academy, in King’s Lynn.  I am also a Mental Health First Aider and awaiting assessment to gain Trauma Informed Practitioner Status.

I am responsible for providing support for staff and students through 1:1 and small group targeted sessions that offer advice, guidance, practical help and mentoring to appropriately meet their needs. I am also the lead on recording data for behaviour including physical interventions and related health and safety incidents.   

In my spare time, I am continuing with my postgraduate studies in Youth and Childhood Studies as well as making memories of adventures with my young family and two naughty dachshunds.

Paula Gilbert

I have worked in public services for many years with the last 15 of these working within the prison service following a lengthy career in post 16 education (mainly apprenticeships) following a varied sales management tenure. People ask me why do I work in prisons and to be honest I find it difficult to answer this question, maybe it’s similar to why would teachers work in non-mainstream schools, there are many conventional schools with vacancies but sometimes the drive to work with those who need you most is a compelling argument in itself.

I initially managed education and activity provision within a Lincolnshire open prison before moving into leading Reducing Re-offending and Offender Management Teams. I was fortunate enough to spend some time working on national change programmes of which many are still in place but the draw to return to prisons was great and for the last 6 years up until January this year I have been working with a large group of prisons supporting their safety work in suicide, self-harm and violence in custody.

However, I finally returned to Headquarters this year to again work on national projects looking at developing a more systems led approach to custodial delivery to reduce error to minimise harms. This includes supporting cultural change to challenge the blame cultures we often see in public sector organisations.

One of the reasons I decided to join the school governor board is due to the fact that the current delivery is led by the Catch 22 team. Catch 22 have for years worked in custodial settings supporting people making change and developing different life choices, this is where I first became impressed with their social agenda and their remit of a not-for-profit outlook but a business attitude. So, for me Catch 22 was a simple choice to support as for me they are trusted, forward thinking and have shown over 200 years they continue to care, who would not want to support this team.

So finally, a little bit about me, I love to travel and have been to places like Peru, Vietnam and Cambodia as well as travelling around Europe with my husband on our motorbike (affectionately known as Lola Montez) but our big passion is music, mostly rock and we attend large and small gigs all over the country where possible. I have also recently taken up the drums, much to the disappointment of my neighbours possibly, but they are very therapeutic after a long day.

Kath Grant

Kath taught Science, Careers and Mathematics in a range of secondary and post-16 settings for 20 years. Developing on her voluntary work in curriculum development she then worked for the education charity and Awarding Body, ASDAN , as Director of Education. Kath is now the Chair of Trustees for the Catch 22 MAT. She has been the Link Trustee for Fen Rivers since September 2021.

Pete Brassett

I have been in post as PE lead since September 2021 as was previously working at a SEND school in the local year for 9 years. I was the staff governor there for 4 years.

My role within the school is to deliver high quality PE lessons and drive the passion our students have for PE at Fen Rivers. I work 1-1 with students offering sensory circuits, rebound therapy and session related to healthy living. I also teach each class there weekly PE lesson. I am soon to become trained in delivering forest school activities which I am sure everyone in our school will benefit from.

I am the school’s educational visits coordinator, within that role I organise, risk assess and lead trips and visits for our young people. We have plenty of exciting activities booked in the coming months. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my 3 children Emelia, Poppie and Sophie as well as taking part in sport myself. I play both football and Golf but my real passion is cricket which I play at a good level. I am also a West Ham United season ticket holder.

Governor Role Profile

Register of Chairs, Governors, Members and Trustees Declared Interests

In accordance with the Academy Trust Handbook, local governing board members and their relevant business and pecuniary interests, including governance roles in other educational institutions, must be recorded.

Information on Governors’ Dates of Appointments and Declared Interests:

Register of Governors’ Attendance

Please see the attached below for details of attendance records:

Governor Attendance:

Dates of upcoming Local Governing Body meetings 

All meetings take place at The Fen Rivers Academy and start at 3:00 p.m.

2021-2022

Wed 19 Jan

Wed 26 Jan

Thu 24 Mar

Thu 31 Mar

Thu 26 May

Thu 2 June

Thu 14 July 

Governors' Meeting Minutes