Cheshire West Governance Association
Supporting the work of governors, trustees & clerks
Cheshire West Governance Association (CWGA) is a voluntary, independent organisation established to support the work of governors, trustees and clerks in Cheshire West and Chester. We are affiliated to the National Governance Association.
Our aims are to:
1. Champion good governance
- Continued links and open dialogue with the Local Authority at Executive meetings and networking events
- CPD - coach and mentor our members
- Support the local authority and other regional groups by providing guidance about training and advising our members of free training opportunities
- Provide a link between the Schools’ Forum and the Governors’ Forum
- Provide a link with the Cheshire West Education Improvement Board
- Maintain links with NGA
2. Provide networking opportunities for members
- Organise termly governor networking events
- Organise an annual conference
- Maintain affiliated links with the NGA
3. Communicate to members
- Maintain an up to date NGA microsite
- Social media presence
- Encourage feedback from our members
Annual Membership of the CWGA is open to all trust boards and local governing boards, in all categories of educational settings Cheshire West and Chester (CW&C). The annual subscription is £40 per trust/LGB and is payable in September. For further details email CWGA@cwgovernanceassoc.co.uk
Executive Officers 2025-26
Chair and Secretary
Debbie Tomkinson- Governance Director to Board, Cheshire Academies Trust
Vice Chair
Moira Griffiths-Parr- Governance Professional (NCDP), St.Winefride's Catholic Primary School
Treasurer
Andrew Canham- Chair of Governors (LA governor and formerly Parent Governor), Elton Primary School
- Chair of Local Governing Body (previously a member of IEB ), St Paul's CofE Primary School, Chester Diocesan Academies Trust
- Parent Governor, Helsby High School
- Co-Opted Governor, Mickle Trafford Village School
Other Executives
- Chair of Local Governing Body, Woodfall Primary & Nursery School, Cheshire Academies Trust
- Governor, The Mosslands School
- Local Governor, Huxley CofE Primary School, Chester Diocesan Academies Trust
- Governor, The Observatory School
- Trustee, Neston High School
- Governor, Ysgol Sandycroft
- Member, Peninsular MAT
- Lay inspector for Estyn inspecting schools in Wales
- LA Governor, Malpas Alport Endowed Primary School
- Co-Opted Governor, Sutton Green Primary School
Annual statement 2025
Appendix 4 - Annual Report June 2024 to June 2025
The Executive of the Association is pleased to report that membership of governing bodies in the Association continues to be high, with 67% of CWAC schools in membership.
During the year, we have championed the cause of governance. We can summarise our involvement as follows.
- Work with the Local Authority – We hold meetings of the Executive of the Association, and, at many meetings, a senior member of the Local Authority team attends to talk about issues in their particular area of expertise. This allows the Executive to understand and influence policy. The Executive wishes to place on record their thanks to the senior managers of the Local Authority for attending these meetings.
- Events – we have held a number of this events this year including two networking sessions (new governors and chairs and vice chairs) and we were pleased to welcome speakers on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Inclusive Practice.
- The Association is a local association member of the NGA. The membership supports the Executive Committee to develop professional governance and keep up to date and compliant. The affiliation with the NGA provides opportunities to network with other local associations
- We have continued to use the services of our part-time freelance administrator to reduce the administrative burden on the Officers of the organisation and ensure prompt and professional communication with our members, to include updates via LinkedIn and Facebook. Further information can be found on our NGA affiliated web page https://www.nga.org.uk/Membership/CWACAGB.aspx
Recruitment is always a priority for the Association and the Executive recognises the importance of having a wide range of skills and experiences so that we can continue to deliver events that appeal to our members and remain at the heart of school governance and system leadership in CWAC. This will continue to be the highest priority for the Association next year. If the Association is unable to attract new volunteers this poses a critical risk to the future of the Association.
Please reach out to the Association if you would like to express an interest in joining us, or if you would like to chat about the role cwga@cwgovernanceassoc.co.uk
Debbie Tomkinson, Chair – Cheshire West Governance Association [July 2025]