Governing Body
Meet The Governors
Wayne Steel
My name is Wayne Steel, and I have the pleasure of currently being the Chair of Governors at Cottam Primary School.
I am a parent to three children, two boys and one girl, one of whom (the youngest) is still in attendance at Cottam, whilst the older two have now moved on to secondary school. I have been a governor since 2015, during which there has been a number of changes to the school, changes to both Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher positions, and the surrounding area, which has seen a large amount of housing built (and still to be built) within the catchment area, which is leading to the expansion of our school.
Away from governing, I am a senior manager at National Grid Electricity Transmission, where I am the Head of Overhead Line Safety & Engineering. I manage a diverse set of teams, from the aviation unit (helicopter pilots and engineers), safety professionals, and CDM & equipment designers. My work has allowed me to travel both nationally and internationally, allowed me to build skillsets such as contract and stakeholder management, data & budget management. I have sat on British Standard Institute committees and presented at International Standards meetings.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and children, following them around watching them compete in their various sports teams.
Lindsay Bevan
My name is Lindsay Bevan, I am a parent of a child at Cottam Primary School and I have an older child that has been through the school and is now at high school. I have been on the governing board since 2017, being a governor is a rewarding experience that allows me to positively contribute to the school. I work as a clinical practice lead with the Lancashire health visiting and school nursing team. My background working with children and their families provides me with the knowledge and skills needed to support the school in my role as early years governor.
Over the years I have worked closely with children with additional needs and support needs, this requires me to work with other members of the multidisciplinary team and has been beneficial in my role as SEND and safeguarding governor. I am pleased to work with such a dedicated team and always enjoy my visits to the school.
Gemma Duxbury
Since joining the School Governing board in 2023 as a parent governor I have had the privilege of getting to know the inner workings of the school and meeting and getting to know some of the dedicated staff who have taught both of my children.
Within my day to day work I work closely with children, ensuring that children are safeguarded and their needs met. I also have to work collaboratively with other services and agencies to improve outcomes for the children.
I am passionate about the education, welfare and protection of children and young people, to ensure that they are given every opportunity to succeed and grow in to well-rounded individuals.
I hope that I will be able to share some of my knowledge and experience I have gained in my job to assist in my parent governor role.
Trevor Hart
My name is Trevor Hart and I have been a member of the Governing Body since 2019. I am an active member of the local community and have a background in education which helps me contribute to the life and development of the school.
I spent my working life in Education as a Teacher starting my career in Coventry, Deputy Headteacher at Queen’s Drive Primary School in Preston, and Headteacher of Lea Community Primary School in Preston. I retired from Lancashire Education Department in 2016 as a Lancashire School Advisor.
I have two adult children and three grandchildren. I have gained considerable experience in the voluntary sector which include: Governor of Cottam Primary School, Chair of Cottam Community Association, Secretary of Headway Lancashire, President of Preston Sea Cadets, Ambassador for Preston Dance Syndrome, member of UClan Creative Communities, and Vice Chair on board of directors for Preston Vocational Centre.
I served as a Parish Councillor on Lea and Cottam Parish Council, I also served as City Councillor for 14 years on Preston City Council, where I held the position of Audit Chair twice and was Mayor of Preston from 2018 to 2019.
I enjoy my visits to the school in the capacity of Maths Governor and Community Governor where I hope I add both community experience and professional experience as we see the school grow and develop.
Susie Lowde
I have two children currently attending Cottam Primary School, and another who will hopefully join in 2026. I was elected as a parent governor in 2023. I feel heavily invested in the school, and its surrounding community, and feel privileged to play a part in ensuring that it delivers the best start in education and life for its students.
I was a CQC Registered Manager of a social care Charity for 7 years, where I guided a board of Trustees in all of their decision making and was responsible for ensuring regulations were met. I am also a Dramatherapist registered with the HCPC, and have worked with children and families in a therapeutic capacity. I currently run my own business, providing sensory storytelling sessions and educational workshops to babies, children and adults. These roles, and my experience as a parent, have helped me develop skills and knowledge that I would like to use to help support our head teacher, and the Cottam Primary School community.
I am a member of the Curriculum, Standards and Strategic Vision Committee, and hold the Nominated Role of Pupil Voice. These are areas that are relevant to my professional experience, and which I am passionate about. I am particularly looking forward to spending time with our student councils learning about what they do to inform and improve the school’s development.
Iain Martin
My name is Iain Martin, I am a parent of two boys and a girl, two of whom are at Cottam Primary School and the third was a pupil here before moving on to secondary school. I have been a governor at the school since 2015 and I am currently the Chair of the Finance and Resource committee and the Vice-Chair of Governors. I have been involved as a governor throughout a period of significant change at Cottam which has included the change of school leadership, Covid and the start of the transition from 1-form to 2-form entry. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience contributing to the school community where I can.
Outside of being a governor, I work in a senior management role at research and technology organisation based in Samlesbury, a part of the University of Sheffield, where I am Head of Industry Engagement and Low Carbon Smart Buildings. In my work I am responsible for complex budgets and resource planning which has given me a good footing for chairing the Finance and Resource committee. Outside of work, I am an avid carp angler and a season ticket holder at North End, going to games with the kids whenever I can.
Chris Smith
I joined the school's governing body in 2023, eager to apply my background in childhood education and health to support our pupils. As a curriculum designer focused on wellbeing and a father of two young kids, I am passionate about creating enriching learning environments.
In my role developing health and social care programs at the university level, I have gained valuable insights into promoting healthy lifestyles, positive behaviours, and enrichment opportunities for young learners that I hope to contribute as a governor.
Additionally, through community volunteer work and local collaboration, I understand the importance of bringing people together to achieve outcomes that benefit children. I aim to build inclusive policies, encourage new ideas to enrich pupils' experiences, and nurture confidence and self-belief from a young age.
With academic expertise and the heart of a parent, I am fully committed to advancing excellence in our school. I will work diligently with staff, parents and partners to promote achievement and personal growth for every child under our care.
About the Governing Body
The Governing Body plays a vital role in the life of the school. It is responsible for setting the overall strategy, vision and ethos of the school, formulating and reviewing school policies and overseeing the educational and financial performance of the school. Our aim is to provide the best possible education, in the best possible environment for the children who attend Cottam Primary School.
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What is the Governor Vision for Cottam Primary School?
The Governors will ensure that as a community primary school, the family ethos we celebrate remains securely in place and the excellent reputation the school holds in the local area remains. The school will continue to be outward looking and embrace innovative practice. Cottam Primary School will ensure pupil achievement remains excellent, whilst promoting a rich and vibrant curriculum that meets the needs of our learners and traditional values will remain at the heart of our success.
In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the 3 core strategic functions of Cottam Primary School Governing Body are:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, values and strategic direction;
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governance Structure and Meetings
The Governing Body of Cottam Primary School was recently re-constituted .
We have two committees:
Resources, Health and Safety & Safeguarding
Curriculum, Standards and Strategic Vision
Each committee is made up of :
Staff Governors
Headteacher Governor
Elected Parent Governors
Local Authority Governors
Co-opted Governors
Co-opted governors
Co-opted governors are only in schools with governing bodies constituted on or after 1 September 2012. Governing bodies constituted before that date have community governors.
Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body and are people who the governing body believes have skills which will contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
There is no restriction on the categories of people who can be appointed as co-opted governors.
Parent governors
Parents, including carers, of pupils at the school are eligible to stand for election as parent governors. They are elected by other parents. If not enough parents stand for election, the governing body can appoint parent governors.
The law does not allow elected members of the local authority, or people who work at the school for more than 500 hours in a year, to become parent governors.
The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a parent governor at the school.
Staff governors
Staff governors are elected by the school staff. Both teaching and support staff employed to work at the school are eligible for staff governorship; volunteers are not eligible.
The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a staff governor at the school.
Local Authority governors
Local authority governors are appointed by the local authority (Lancashire County Council) or nominated by the local authority and appointed by the governing body.
Anyone who is eligible to be a staff governor cannot be appointed as a local authority governor, but any other eligible person can.
Please click on the documents below for an overview of our Governing Body. (NB These documents are updated on an annual basis)