Our Governors

Elmridge Primary School is part of Bright Futures Educational Trust.

The Trust’s Articles of Association, Delegation Framework and other governance documents can be found on Bright Futures’ website: https://www.bright-futures.co.uk/information/governance-documents/

The Governing Body is responsible for ensuring the school is run both efficiently and effectively by the Principal and its staff, by playing the role of “critical friend”.  The Body meets in full 6 times per academic year.

The Governors take a full and active role in the monitoring of the School Development Plan.  Each Governor acts as a ‘Link Governor’ to a named member of staff and meets twice per year to focus on particular areas of the curriculum.

You can contact the Chair of Governors, Mr Neil Downie, via the school office email. 

Stuart Nicholls, Principal

I am incredibly proud to take up the role of Principal at Elmridge Primary School. It is a privilege to lead within such a supportive school community, with our high-achieving pupils at its heart. I believe that a high-quality education can unlock every child’s potential, inspire young minds and give them the confidence to thrive. Having worked for many years as a Deputy Headteacher in Warrington, alongside extensive teaching experience across Altrincham and Trafford, I bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to my new role. I am very much looking forward to working with our dedicated staff, supportive families and, most importantly, the wonderful pupils of Elmridge.

Angeline Sands (Chair of Governors) Term of Office 25.7.26 to 24.7.30
Link Governor for Safeguarding & Attendance

As Chair of Governors, I am committed to ensuring that every child receives a safe, supportive, and high-quality education at Elmridge Primary School that enables them to reach their full potential. Working closely with school leaders, staff, governors, pupils, and families, I help provide strategic direction and ensure robust accountability across all areas of school life. I am a parent at the school and have volunteered my time as a Parent Governor since 2019 before accepting the appointment of Vice-Chair and more recently, Chair of Governors.

A key priority of my role is safeguarding. I work with fellow governors to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective, policies are regularly reviewed, and that the welfare and wellbeing of all pupils remain at the heart of decision-making. We are committed to creating an environment where children feel safe, valued, and able to thrive. As Attendance Link governor, attendance is an important focus. Regular attendance is essential for pupil achievement, wellbeing, and future success. The governing body supports the school in promoting high attendance, monitoring attendance data, and working collaboratively with families to address barriers that may impact a child’s ability to attend school regularly.

I am proud to serve our school community and remain dedicated to supporting continuous improvement so that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed both academically and personally.
Professionally, I am a former Child Protection lawyer and now work within a large Multi Academy Trust as a Designated Safeguarding Lead. I have worked to safeguard the best interests of children, in both legal and educational settings, for the last eighteen years.

David Thompson-Allen (Staff Governor) Term of Office 14.10.24 to 13.10.28

I have been a teacher for 13 years and had the opportunity to work in 5 different schools across 3 boroughs in the Northwest. Since joining Elmridge, I have enjoyed being part of the school community.  Now I want to share my experience of teaching and leadership that I have accumulated along my career to a school I feel has welcomed me. I am very passionate about ensuring each child has the opportunity to grow both academically and holistically. Both of these are crucial for everyone- including staff in school too. 

In previous roles, I have had leadership positions which has given me insight into the wider life of school outside the classroom and the importance of clear communication between all stakeholders (such as Local Authority Leaders, Ofsted Inspectors, Local Universities and Local Faith leaders in the community). The knowledge and skillset I gained to this will help me contribute well to my role as Staff Governor. 

Stephanie Gill (Appointed Governor) Term of Office appointed 09.02.26 to 08.02.30
Link Governor for Assessment & Maths

I am the Principal at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls as well as a mathematics teacher. I have taught in a variety of schools both at home and abroad. I was Head of Sixth Form and then Director of Studies at The Queen’s School in Chester, before taking up my previous role as Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) at West Kirby Grammar School. I have had a number of years’ experience as a governor, having previously been a member of the board at Trafford Alternative Education Provision. Alongside leading my school, I am involved in school improvement work, both within the Trust and beyond, and I am an executive coach.

Layla Kelly (Parent Governor) Term of Office 03.12.24 – 02.12.28

Link Governor for SEND

As a parent of a child who has only relatively recently start his journey at Elmridge, and a parent of a younger child who I hope will follow that journey, I am passionate about the level of education, be it mentally, physically, emotionally or socially, that Elmridge Primary School can offer our children. Like many, having children in school is a relatively new experience for me, which can be both thrilling and (sometimes) daunting, and that being the case I am able to bring that new perspective into a role as governor.

In my professional career I am a senior solicitor in a City Centre law firm with almost 13 years’ experience, working within dispute resolution. I am therefore adept at quickly getting to grips with new concepts, scrutinising decision making and offering guidance or (where appropriate) critical feedback. This also means that I have a real understanding of the needs of busy working parents in ensuring the welfare of their children at school and the challenges such parents (and often their children) can face as a consequence.

Through the role of governor I hope to offer a positive contribution to a school that has made such a positive contribution to my child.

Angeline Sands (Appointed Vice Chair of Governors) Term of Office appointed 19.02.24 to 18.02.27

Link Governor for Safeguarding & Attendance

I am a parent of two children at Elmridge Primary School. I became motivated to become a parent governor in November 2019 as I wanted to make a positive contribution to my son’s primary school lives, which I feel I am able to do within the role of parent governor.

Professionally, I work as a Safeguarding Consultant within a local Multi Academy Trust. I am a former child protection lawyer and have worked to safeguard the best interests of children, whether in a legal or educational setting, for the last twelve years. I am the Safeguarding link governor at Elmridge and I am passionate about achieving effective safeguarding throughout the school. I challenge where necessary and I will work alongside Mrs Bolton to ensure that children at Elmridge are consistently provided with safe and effective care as well as being given equal access to the best learning.

Sheu Hirst (Appointed Governor) Term of Office appointed 05.06.23 to 04.06.26

Link Governor for Writing

I have recently graduated with a Masters in Politics from the University of Manchester, and have an extensive background in social research and public policy. Having worked in the Civil Service, I have experience in implementing government policy and delivering public services. My mother was a teacher and sat on the governing body of my former school, and it was through her that the extremely important role of teachers, governors and wider school staff was demonstrated to me. Therefore, I am pleased to be a member of the governing body, and grateful for the opportunity to support the school in delivering excellent education for our community’s children. 

Niels van Manen (Parent Governor) Term of Office appointed 19.02.24 to 18.02.2027

Link Governor for the Curriculum

Both my children have been attending Elmridge Primary School since our move from The Netherlands in 2022. Having witnessed how well they have transitioned at Elmridge, I am motivated to help the school continue to provide excellent care and education to children in our community. Professionally, I have worked as university lecturer and curriculum coordinator for 15 years in both the UK and The Netherlands. I was Parent Governor at my children’s previous school in Amsterdam and chaired the Governing Board. I thus know what is required from an educator team to create the right environment for young learners to be safe and thrive. Through the role of governor, I hope to challenge and support the school in achieving the best possible environment for all children at Elmridge.

Attendance at Local Governing Body Meeting 2025/2026

	Local Board 13.10.25	Local Board 08.12.25	Local Board 02.02.26	Local Board 30.03.26	Local Board 18.05.26	Local Board 13.07.26
Neil Downie	Present	Present	Present	Present
Rebecca Bolton	Present	Present	Present	Apologies
David Thompson-Allen	Present	Present	Present	Present
Angeline Sands	Present	Present	Present	Present
Sheu Hirst	Present	Apologies	Present	Apologies
Stephanie Gill	Present	Present	Present	Present
Layla Kelly	Present	Apologies	Present	Present
Niels Van Manen	Present	Present	Present	Present
Rishabh Kalra	Present	Present	Present	Apologies
Observers	Andy Needham (Finance)	–	Vic Leigh (Governance & Compliance Lead)	Andy Needham (Finance)

Attendance at Local Governing Body Meeting 2024/2025

	Local Board 14.10.24	Local Board 09.12.24	Local Board 03.02.25	Local Board 24.03.25	Local Board 12.05.25	Local Board 07.07.25
Neil Downie	Present	Apologies	Present	Present	Apologies	Present
Rebecca Bolton	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
David Thompson-Allen	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
Angeline Sands	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
Sheu Hirst	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
Stephanie Gill	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
Layla Kelly	Present	–	Present	Present	Present	Apologies
Niels Van Manen	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present
Rishabh Kalra	–	Apologies	Present	Present	Apologies	Present
Observers		Layla Kelly	Laura Aspinwall (Math Lead) & Jenny Ewart (Finance)		Jenny Ewart (Finance)