Governors

We put children’s well being at the centre of all of our activities. 

For all Governance documentation, please click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

We are looking to recruit additional co-opted governors (volunteers) to the Old Moat Local Governing Committee.  No previous school governor experience is necessary as training will be provided but a commitment to support and challenge school leaders in the best interests of all Old Moat pupils is essential. 

 The role requires attendance at four meetings a year (Tuesdays 6pm-8pm) where there is an expectation that governors have read the reports associated with the agenda and will ask questions of school leaders.  You would be joining a great team of seven governors, some very experienced, some newly-appointed, but all committed to the success of Old Moat.  You would also be joining a strong multi-academy trust and would benefit from learning and development opportunities.

 If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Steph Rhodes at CLIC Trust: srhodes@clictrust.org

OUR LOCAL GOVERNING COMMITTEE

Sally Fletcher - Chair of Local Governing Committee

Sally is the Chair of Governors at Old Moat Primary School and has been part of the governing body since 2019. She worked in the tech industry for 15 years before setting up her own business, where she now supports both employees and employers through coaching and consultancy.

She is committed to ensuring the governing body reflects the needs of the whole school community, pupils, parents, and staff alike.

Sally lives locally and is proud to support a school that plays such an important role in the area.

Gavin White 
Vice Chair of Local Governing Committee 

Gavin is a local councillor in Old Moat ward, a qualified architect and a charity trustee for a number of charities in Manchester.  His charity work includes helping with various homeless projects in Manchester, supporting ex-offenders in their rehabilitation, and is involved as a volunteer with many charities and community groups in Old Moat and Withington such as Withington Assist, Friends of Old Moat Park and Withington Civic Society.

Gavin also works part-time (1 day a week) for Jeff Smith MP as a constituency caseworker.  He is now a co-opted Governor at Old Moat Primary School and has been a Governor at Old Moat since 2006.  Since 2009, all three of his children have also attended Old Moat Primary School.

Avni Hindocha  
Co-opted Governor 

Avni is a public health doctor in the North West, having previously trained in paediatrics in the NHS, and also undertakes research into child health inequalities.

She has several years’ experience working with children and families in Greater Manchester, and is particularly passionate about early years development, health promotion and safeguarding. She is especially interested in understanding the long-term effects of the pandemic and economic crisis on the health and wellbeing of our children and young people. 

Avni has strong links with the area having been born at Withington Hospital, attending school nearby, and after many years living and training in London, she now lives locally with her son and husband.

Sharon Smirk 
Staff Governor 

Sharon is a Teaching Assistant at Old Moat and runs the school breakfast club, in addition to many roles outside school working with children in the local community. 

Sarah Bennett-Green
Staff Governor

Sarah is a Year 2 Teacher at Old Moat and member of the Geography Curriculum Team.

Keiran James
Co-opted Governor 

Keiran currently works for Manchester City Council for Early Help as a Triage Practitioner in the North Manchester area. Previously, he has worked at a high school in South Manchester working alongside the Pastoral and Safeguarding Team and has a varied knowledge on safeguarding and pastoral needs that apply within schools in Manchester. 

Theo Abbott
Co-opted Governor 

Theo lives in Withington and currently works at the University of Manchester Library in their Teaching, Learning, and Students team. Outside of his day job, he works with young people and children in Manchester as a volunteer at the Dunham Massey National Trust site and as an activities facilitator for a summer school in Stockport.

Rosie Sweeney
Co-opted Governor 

Rosie is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Justice, currently working within the Family Justice Unit. With a background in child psychology, she brings understanding of child development, safeguarding, and the workings of both local and national communities, courts and family support services. 

Adwoa Boakye
Parent Governor

Adwoa joined the governing committee in December 2023 as a parent governor.

Irsa Javed
Parent Governor

Irsa is proud to serve as a parent governor. She brings a strong spirit of volunteering and a genuine desire to support our school community. 

With a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance and a Diploma in Online Teaching, she's passionate about applying her skills in a way that supports effective decision-making and promotes well-being.

Irsa enjoys helping others and believes in the power of collaboration to make a positive impact. As a parent, Irsa is committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to thrive in a supportive, inclusive, and high-quality learning environment.