Academy Council (Governing Body)

Weldon Village Academy is part of the Meridian Trust family. The Trust was formed with a simple and clear vision: ‘to ensure high quality education at the heart of the community.’

Details of the Trust Members and Directors can be found here: Our Trustees

Each academy within the Meridian Trust family retains their own Academy Council (formally local Governing Body), identity and individuality.

While the Trust is the employer of all staff, it has delegated powers to the Academy Councils to exercise governance arrangements for the Academy within the Trust.

The Academy Council is focused upon the individual school context, monitoring standards and achievement, and their local community needs and aspirations.

Contributes to the development of strategic priorities and plans for the Academy
Supports and challenges the Principal and other school leaders by acting as a ‘critical friend’
Ensuring Trust and local Academy policies are implemented
Engaging with all stakeholders to improve outcomes
Supporting and positively challenging practices within the Academy, to ensure effective mechanisms are in place to safeguard all students, monitor standards, quality assure the curriculum, monitor budgets and help ensure value for money.

Each Academy Councillor takes on the role of ‘Champion’ for a particular area, in which they hold the Academy leadership to account by providing challenge from their local knowledge and support from their own wider experiences. The Champions link with the Trust leadership and directors to represent the interests of the Academy. The Academy Council meets as a full body six times in the year. There are no committees.

Meridian Trust does not publish any minutes on any websites. 

Approved minutes are available on request from the Academy Council clerk or Governance.  The requirement is to make the minutes available once they have been approved with some very limited exceptions which are kept confidential.

This is an excellent opportunity to volunteer and share your skills and experience to support children and young people in our community as well as to further your professional development. The strength of the Academy Council is its diversity and the varied skill sets brought to the table. All Academy Council Members will share a passion for improving the education and welfare of children and young people.

There is some mandatory training, and further advice and training are available.

For more information about governance at Weldon Village Academy please see

Governance & Key Information – Meridian Trust

Weldon Village Academy Council

Trevor Toulson: Chair of the Academy Council. Resources Champion.

Trust Appointed Academy Councillor. (Term 7th July 2023 – 6th July 2027)

Chris Dunn: Standards & Curriculum Champion.

Trust Appointed Academy Councillor. (Term 7th July 2023 – 6th July 2027)

John Rice: SENDV Champion.

Trust Appointed Academy Councillor. (Term 7th July 2023 – 6th July 2027)

Adrian Morris: Safeguarding & Welfare Champion.

Trust Appointed Academy Councillor. (Term 7th July 2023 – 6th July 2027)

Christopher Crane:

Trust Appointed Academy Councillor. (Term 17th October 2023 – 16th October 2027)

Cara Condon:

Parent Elected Academy Councillor. (Term 12th December 2023 – 11th December 2027)

Paul Longhurst:

Parent Elected Academy Councillor. (Term 6th March 2024 – 5th March 2028)

Matt Norris: Principal (Term: ex officio)

Sarah Wilson: Meridian Trust Executive Principal (Term: ex officio)

Rob Grover: Trust appointed Senior Colleague. (Term 1st September 2025 – 31st August 2029)

Any correspondence to the Chair of Academy Council should be addressed to : C/o Louise Sturman, Clerk to the Academy Council, Weldon Village Academy, Oundle Road, Weldon NN17 3GE. LSturman@gov.meridiantrust.co.uk

Copies of approved minutes of Academy Council meetings can be obtained by contacting governance@meridiantrust.co.uk

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