Governors

Our Governors

Wold Academy is governed by an Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Our governors are:

Julia Eley

Principal

Julia Eley
Alice Gowland

DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)

Alice Gowland

As a Governor for Wold Academy I aim to give something back to the community that I grew up in, and use my skills hopefully to the benefit of the staff, students, and wider community around the school. I am currently a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, working to support adults struggling with their mental health including a variety of anxiety and depression-related difficulties. My particular skills include a vast knowledge of mental health and a passion for making mental health a priority for all, alongside experience of the education sector through my family and experiences I have undertaken independently (e.g., talks and outreach work with schools). I have a lengthy personal history in education, and I aim to use my experiences to the benefit of the Wold Academy community. My passions are in science, nature, and understanding people, and I feel my strength is in critical analysis with an empathic consideration of the impacts on all people involved. I find the sciences to be one of the most fun subjects I have studied, and I hope I can encourage younger generations to share this enthusiasm. For those who were looking for a more personal touch to this bio, I love desserts, playing a variety of games (e.g., videogames, trading card games), and Japanese culture!
Karen Chapman

DRET Appointed Governor

Karen Chapman

As she felt it would be valuable to be part of the governing body of another DRET school and contribute to working together towards the shared vision and aims of the Trust and the local city Karen became a Governor in March 2026.

In her working life, Karen is the Interim Principal at Ainthorpe Academy, which allows her to bring a perspective from another DRET school to the governing body.

Outside of work, Karen enjoys walking and cycling, spending time outdoors and enjoying nature. Karen also enjoys travelling and exploring new places.
Victoria Aves

Staff Governor

Victoria Aves

As a teacher, I decided to take on the role of Staff Governor to improve my leadership skills and to provide a staff viewpoint on the ASC. Being a staff governor will provide me with the opportunity to have a positive impact on school outcomes, support my colleagues and help improve the overall educational experience for all pupils. I am committed to working collaboratively with the leadership team and fellow governors to raise standards across the school. As an Class Teacher, I bring firsthand insight into early childhood education, curriculum implementation and pupil progress. Outside of work, I value spending time with family and friends, as it helps me maintain a healthy work-life balance and stay grounded.

Current Governors

Name	Governor Type	Appointed By	Term of Office	Term From	Term To	Declarations of Interest and other Governance Roles	Governor Assigned Responsibilities	Attendance 24/25	Attendance 25/26
Victoria Aves	Staff governor	Elected by school staff	First	13 Mar 2025	12 Mar 2029	Nothing to declare	Sustainability Link Governor	2 of a possible 2	3 of a possible 3
Karen Chapman	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/Trust	First	25 Mar 2026	24 Mar 2030	Nothing to declare	Stakeholder Voice Link Governor	Not applicable, not in post	1 of a possible 1
Julia Eley	Principal	Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal	Not applicable	1 Jan 2025	Ex-officio	Parent Governor on All Saints Hessle CE Federation Governor at Wheeler Primary		3 of a possible 3	3 of a possible 3
Alice Gowland	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/Trust	First	29 Jun 2023	28 Jun 2027	Employee of Hull and East Yorkshire Mind Parents are employed at Newland School for Girls in Hull	Safeguarding & Attendance Link Governor Inclusion Link Governor	5 of a possible 5	3 of a possible 3

Former Governors

Below is a list of Governors that have served in the past 12 months.

Name	Governor Type	Appointed By	Terms Served	First Appointed	Leaving Date	Declarations of Interest and other Governance Roles	Attendance 24/25	Attendance 25/26
Julie Robinson	Appointed governor	Appointed by Foundation/Trust	1	24 Mar 2025	13 May 2025	Nothing to declare	1 of a possible 1	Not applicable, not in post
Olga Rutkowska-Lis	Appointed governor	Appointed by Foundation/Trust	1	13 Jul 2021	9 Jul 2025	Nothing to declare	2 of a possible 5	Not applicable, not in post
Richard Welsh	Parent governor	Elected by parents	2	08 Jan 2024	30 Sept 2025	Nothing to declare.	3 of a possible 5	Not applicable, not in post
Moyinoluwa Abudu	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/trust	1	2 May 2025	22 Oct 2025	Nothing to declare.	0 of a possible 1	0 of a possible 1
Kimberley Lawton	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/Trust	1	4 Dec 2024	25 Feb 2026	Sister Chloe Webster is the Principal at Thomas Hinderwell Primary Academy. Ofsted Team Inspector	3 of a possible 5	1 of a possible 2
Christine (Chrissie) Horton	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/Trust	1	1 Oct 2024	16 Apr 2026	Nothing to declare	2 of a possible 5	0 of a possible 3
Barbara Doe	Appointed governor	Appointed by foundation/Trust	1	23 May 2024	28 Apr 2026	Nothing to declare	3 of a possible 5	1 of a possible 3

Contacting Us

The Governance Officer for Wold Academy is Victoria Linthwaite. Victoria can be reached at governance@dret.co.uk.

To contact a governor, please contact the Trust Governance Team by emailing governance@dret.co.uk.

If you are looking to contact a Governor to make a complaint or share a concern, please note that as per our Complaints Policy, governors do not investigate complaints at Stage 1 or Stage 2. This enables them to be impartial should a complaint be escalated to a Stage 3 governor panel. If you wish to make a complaint, please complete this form and your complaint will be investigated accordingly.

Scheme of Delegation

Information about the David Ross Education Trust’s scheme of delegation is available here.

Minutes of the Academy Scrutiny Committee

Should you wish to view a copy of the minutes of the ASC at this academy, please contact the Trust Governance Team (governance@dret.co.uk), who will be able to provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the minutes.

Are you interested in becoming an academy governor?

We are looking for new governors to support our academies. Our governors work closely with their academies to support the Trust’s goal of broadening the horizons of young people through a world-class education, equipping our students with the skills and experiences to become their confident, academic best, no matter what.

If you have an interest in, and commitment to, improving education and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our governor application form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governance@dret.co.uk or review our information pack below.

aug 2025 governor recruitment booklet.pdf

What is it like being a Governor with DRET?

To understand what it is like to be a governor with us, take a look at our testimonial booklet and videos which contain insights from serving governors.

governor testimonial booklet .pdf