The Local Governing Committee

Mr Matthew Newman, is the Chair of Governors designates at Garden Village Primary Academy. 

I’m an experienced professional currently working as an Area Sales Manager. Throughout my career, I’ve held senior roles, including Head of Sales and have led multiple high-performing teams while contributing as part of senior leadership teams.

I became a SEND governor in September 2024, and I have a great passion for each pupil to have the best chance to reach their full potential. I was appointed in January 2026 as Chair of Governors and feel very privileged to take this role. 

With a practical, results-driven approach, I bring a strong blend of leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on experience to everything I do.

 

Mr Newman can be contacted via the main school office: office@gardenvillage.fierte.org

 

The Local Governing Committee at Garden Village Primary Academy

The Local Governing Committee (LGC) are the strategic leaders of our school and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education.

Their purpose, reflected in the law, is to ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school’. 

They have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

We are fortunate to have a strong Local Governing Committee who are committed and work with staff to ensure that all learners achieve and fulfil their potential.  The LGC meets on a termly basis. In addition, the Governors meet as a Curriculum & Standards Committee every term as well as fulfil their role as a Link Governor, holding the school to account.  

Governor Diversity 

Fierté Multi Academy Trust is committed to promoting and prioritising diversity and inclusion.  We encourage our academy Local Governing Committees (LGC’s) to recognise the benefits of diversity and appoint governors from a variety of backgrounds. 

Most of the governors are from a white British demographic, with an approximate 38% being female.  However, the trust understands that more needs to be done to increase representation on LGC’s, and we are working with them to grow the networks we engage with to further this aim. 

Getting people from diverse backgrounds onto our LGCs is an important step.  The Trust supports LGC’s throughout the process of recruiting new governors, with strategies they can put in place to ensure all governors feel included, which leads to improved retention.  This is an ongoing process which we will need to keep reflecting on as to how we achieve this. 

Here are some useful questions and answers about governing bodies and a link to their national online support network: www.governornet.co.uk

 

Name	Category	Date of Appointment	Term of Office
Sonia Burke	Headteacher	N/A	N/A
Matt Newman	Co-opted	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Millie Matthews	Co-opted	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Ravi Daroch	Parent	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Eleftheria Louca	Co-opted	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Shivani Hayer	Parent	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Catherine Blewitt	Co-opted	06. 12.2024	06.12.2028
Ian Scattergood	Co-opted	01.09.2024	01.09.2028
Angela Mulligan	Co-opted	11.02.26	11.02.2030

 

Register of Business Interests: Garden Village Primary Academy 2025-2026
Name	Relevant business interests (name of organisation and nature of interest)	Link to other educational establishments (name of school and nature of link)	Personal relationships (name of staff member/governor and nature of relationship)	Declaration of Pecuniary Interests
Sonia Burke	Headteacher	None	None	None
Matt Newman	Chair of Governors	None	None	None
Millie Matthews	Class teacher	None	None	None
Ravi Daroch	None	None	None	None
Eleftheria Louca	None	None	None	None
Shivani Hayer	None	None	None	None
Catherine Blewitt	None	None	None	None
Ian Scattergood	None	None	None	None
Angela Mulligan	None	None	None	NOne

 

Attendance 2025-2026
Name	Training Autumn Term	LGC AutumnTerm	Training Spring Term	LGC Spring Term	Training Summer Term	LGC Summer Term
Sonia Burke	Yes	Yes
Millie Matthews	Yes	Yes
Matt Newman	Yes	Yes
Eleftheria Louca	Yes	Yes
Shivani Hayer	Yes	Yes
Catherine Blewitt	Yes	Yes
Ravi Daroch	Yes	Yes
Ian Scattergood	Yes	Yes
Angela Mulligan	No	No