The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust and the Academy Governance Committee (AGC) is part of the governance structure of the Trust which is responsible for overseeing strategic decisions of the school. The governance structure for the trust as a whole is outlined in the governance structure documents here.

As an Academy Governance Committee we work in close partnership with the Headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure the best quality education is provided to every child. It is our responsibility to support, challenge, ask questions and ultimately represent the school community. The Academy Governance Committee acts as a ‘critical friend’ to the senior leadership team, questioning and challenging decisions in a constructive and professional way.

Academy Governance Committees have key roles in relation to: providing support, monitoring and challenge around educational experience and performance; church, community and stakeholder engagement and supporting alignment with Trust strategy, approach, ethos and values. The AGC Members meet regularly, visit the school when possible and during special events.  As a team, we are able to support the school to function well and strive to provide a high standard of education.

As a Church of England Academy (part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust) all the AGC Members support the school in being a place of inclusive welcome and education for everyone.

Academy Governance Committee (AGC) 

AGC Members

Parent and staff AGC Members are elected, except for the Headteacher who holds an ex-officio staff AGC member position. Parent AGC Members must have a child currently at the academy to be eligible; Staff AGC Members must be employed at the academy. Foundation AGC Members are nominated by the parochial church council (PCC) and appointed by the Diocesan Board of Education. One foundation position is reserved for a member of the clergy from the parish in which the academy exists.

AGC Chair: Caroline Taylor

The contact address for the Chair is:

The Chair of Governors, Studley St Mary's CofE Academy, c/o The Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, Harris CofE Academy, Harris Drive, Overslade Road, Rugby, CV22 6EA

Email:  caroline.taylor1@studleystmarys.covmat.org

You can contact any of the AGC Members through the academy office

Term of Office for an AGC Member is 4 years. The chair is elected annually.

Caroline Taylor

I'm Chair of the Academy Governance Committee (AGC). I'm a Foundation Governor and also link Governor responsible for Safeguarding.  

Both my children attended Studley St. Mary's and flourished during their time here. I joined the AGC in 2020 initially as a Parent Governor because I wanted to get more involved in supporting and contributing to school life.

I'm passionate about supporting children in our local community to enjoy school and achieve their full potential. As a Governor,  I can use my skills and expertise to work strategically alongside the senior leadership team and staff to enable the school to be as effective as possible and to drive school improvement. 

Studley St. Mary's is such a welcoming place and the best part of my role is going into school and seeing pupils enjoying school life and thriving. 

Shirley Stout

I'm the Vice-Chair and I moved to Studley only fairly recently in 2021, and as such I am keen to get to know the village better and play 

an active part in the community. Having worked as a secondary school teacher of modern languages for

the last thirty years, and being a practising Christian too, becoming a Foundation Governor at St Mary’s offers

a great opportunity to do just this. I believe passionately that a good education is every child’s right and the key to a brighter future for all. As a Foundation Governor I want to serve the school community by supporting the staff and headteacher in their academic and wider provision.

Rich Lewis

I am a Foundation Governor at Studley St. Mary’s School. I have very fond memories of my time growing up in a Christian school and I value the enormous impact it had on my life, my beliefs and values.

I moved to the area in 2013 and I think we have a fantastic community here.

I am keen to make a contribution and being a governor at Studley, St. Mary’s is the perfect

place for me to do this. It is a wonderful school and I find it very rewarding supporting the staff

in providing a great education and experience that I enjoyed as a child.

Glenn Harris

I recently joined the AGC as a Parent Governor and I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to support Studley St Mary’s in a more active role.

With a child currently attending the school, and one that already completed their time here, I’m passionate about contributing to the school’s continued success and ensuring every pupil has the best possible experience.
I’m particularly interested in helping strengthen the link between families and the school community, and bringing a parent’s perspective to support decision-making.

It’s a privilege to be involved in a school that values each child and creates such a positive, caring environment.

Adam Clark

I first joined Studley St Mary's in May 2023 having worked in a number of senior leadership roles at smaller schools, and the first thing that I noticed was how well everyone works together to ensure that all of our children get the best possible education, both academically and socially. I was delighted to be appointed as Headteacher in April 2025, and have enjoyed working alongside the governing body since then to continue to take the school from strength to strength. 

I am passionate about ensuring we utilise current educational research in school development, and I share this with other schools through my role as Evidence Lead in Education through Billesely Research School. I believe that working with others is the most effective way to improve, and it helped to inspire our vision of Walking alongside to live life in all its fullness. The governors 'walk alongside me', and I ensure that I also 'walk alongside' as many people within our local community as I can. 

Leanne Robinson

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