The academy is a member of a trust which delegates certain decision-making powers to our Academy Community Council.

We are a part of the Co-op Academies Trust, which is a multi academy trust. Our Trust Board is legally responsible for the effective running of the whole Trust. To learn more about trust-level governance, please visit our Trust’s central website here.                                                                               
Our Academy Community Council (ACC) is made up of our Community Council Members (CCMs) who are responsible for ensuring a high-quality pupil experience that meets the needs of our local community. Learn more about them below.

The Academy Community Council (ACC) consists of 8 to 12 Community Council Members (CCMs), of which between 2 and 4 are appointed by the sponsor. In addition, the ACC includes up to 2 staff CCMs, 2 parent CCMs and the Headteacher. The ACC can then appoint a number of community CCMs to be representative of the local community, provide insight into local partnership links, or bring a particular set of skills.

Caroline Sellers

Hi!
My name is Caroline Sellers and I am a Sponsor CCM, appointed by the Co-op as Chair of your ACC in March 2021.
I am a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and have over 30 years governance experience; my entire career working for the Co-op. I was also a Member of the Co-op Academies Trust since its incorporation until 2022, when I stepped down.
I am honoured to be Chair of Friarswood Academy and during my four years as Chair have been delighted to see it flourish, particularly through the difficult times during Covid. I was also delighted to see the school be rated as ‘Good’ from the Ofsted inspection in May 2023 – this was no mean feat and was all down to the commitment and hard work of Mrs Wilmer and all the Academy staff, who live the Co-op Values and work together to be the best every day!
Please feel free to contact me with any comments/observations you have on the school.

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Adrian Colerick

I am a parent CCM at Friarswood as I am the dad of an amazing young boy who has been attending the school since nursery. I have an extensive background in Childrens Social Care as I have run my own care company and school since 2010. I have a working knowledge of HR, health and safety and finance issues which I hope will help in my role supporting the school.

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Craig Livesy

As the Head of Internal Audit at Co-op, Craig leads independent assurance across the business, having joined the Internal Audit team in 2016. Craig is a Chartered Accountant and started his career in external audit. Prior to joining Co-op, Craig spent most of his career at PwC in Business Recovery; as a Director and Insolvency Practitioner, he undertook strategic business reviews, restructurings and insolvencies. Craig lives in Cheshire. He is married and has two children who are now a few years past primary school age but still keep him busy!

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Fiona Williams

My name is Fiona Williams. I am married with three children and have lived in Newcastle under Lyme since 1978. I was born and brought up in Ireland (both North & South of the border). I obtained a B.A. Hons in Geography at Aberystwyth University in Wales and obtained a College Certificate in Biblical Studies alongside my PGCE, which covered both primary and secondary education.

My first job was working on a research project at Keele University to produce educational materials on historical buildings located mainly in Shropshire.Then I got a job teaching Geography to 11-18 year old pupils at the Orme Girls School (now Newcastle under Lyme School) in Newcastle under Lyme and retired from there in December 2015, after just over 36 years of teaching. I also taught Religious Studies and had various roles of responsibility including Head of Year to pupils in both years 8 and 9, mentoring experience, as well as experience in conducting careers interviews with year 10/11 students. Also, for many years I coordinated the senior school’s annual prize giving.  I thoroughly enjoyed my years of teaching, especially sharing my passion for geography and being involved with young people. 

I am very pleased to be a CCM at Co-op Academy, Friarswood. It is a privilege to be involved with this school which aims to develop well rounded, caring, confident and resilient children. I enjoy being involved in the local community and especially to be able to invest in the learning and development of children and young people.

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Rebecca Bagguley

I started my professional career as a teacher in a Further Education and Sixth Form college in Stoke-on-Trent before working as a Curriculum Manager in a Free School in Bolton and as a Course Leader in a Sixth Form in London. After 7 years of teaching, I changed careers to work for an examination board in the Assessment and Standards teams, where I am currently a Standards Manager who is responsible for setting and maintaining standards across a range of different vocational qualifications. Prior to relocating back to Newcastle-under-Lyme, I was a school governor at a primary school which was part of a large federation in London. 

Outside of my professional life, I took up running to raise money for the Poppy Appeal in 2020 and have continued to run completing my first ever 5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile and half marathon races in 2022 and 2023. In 2024 I will be completing my second ever half marathon in Leeds for the ME Association (as this year marks 13 years since my own diagnosis) before attempting to complete my first (and last) ever marathon at the Paris Olympic Games as part of the Mass Participation Marathon event!

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Sarah Eglin

Hello.  I’m Sarah Eglin, one of Friarswood’s community CCMs.  I’m also the SEN link CCM.

I began my career with a law degree but moved into Human Resources as an HR graduate at Boots.  After having done 5 years in Boots’ Retail, International and latterly its FMCG business units, I ventured to Britivic and was asked to pick up people change management during their implementation of SAP.  I then moved to Balfour Beatty where I spent 6 years in an HR Director role in its rail business.  I had two children during this time and then moved to a role in Social Housing as Executive Director Corporate Services, where I got to directly support the impact that social housing providers can have on the lives of those within their communities.  I moved from there back into a people focussed role as Group HRD for Coventry University, by this time, I had three children.  I joined the Co-op, again in an HR role, with a remit covering all 60,000 operational colleagues from a People perspective and had the freedom to explore what a culture of true co-operation and a different way of working together and ‘doing business’ can really mean.  My current role is as Director of People and Culture at Barnardo’s where I have the opportunity to have a real impact on the lives of children and young people across the UK.

I have five children, three with neurodiversity and I live in Crewe

Community Council Members can be contacted by writing to the Governance Officer for the academy at:

Katie Whitmore 

Co-op Academy Friarswood
Abbots Way
Newcastle-under-Lyme
ST5 2ES

katie.whitmore@coopacademies.co.uk

Full Name	Caroline Sellers
Date of appointment	01/03/2021
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor, Chair of the CCM
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Senior Assistant Secretary of the Co-operative Group Limited (the sponsor of the Co-op Academies Trust) since 11 March 1988
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	6/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Lindsey Wilmer
Date of appointment	01/12/2018
Term of office	n/a
Category of CCM	Ex-officio
Appointed by	By virtue of appointment as Headteacher
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Chair of Trustees for Windmills Charity since 1 May 2019 Family relationship with the owner of Tablaeu printing company since 1 March 2012
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	4/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Adrian Colerick
Date of appointment	20/10/2020
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Parent
Appointed by	Elected by parents/carers
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Proprioter of Prestige Adolescent Care & Education Ltd since 20 October 2020
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	4/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2022-23)	n/a

Full Name	Craig Livesey
Date of appointment	09/09/2021
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	6/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Paul Tierney
Date of appointment	27/10/2021
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Parent
Appointed by	Elected by parents/carers
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	TBC
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	3/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Fiona Williams
Date of appointment	08/12/2021
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the ACC
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	None
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	6/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Rebecca Bagguley
Date of appointment	16/11/2022
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the ACC
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Employee of EAL, a national awarding organisation working with schools, since 2 September 2024
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	3/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Sarah Eglin
Date of appointment	30/01/2023 (second term)
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the ACC
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	Governor at The Grange School since 20 June 2022
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	4/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Anup Kumar Saha
Date of appointment	04/07/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Community
Appointed by	Appointed by the ACC
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	TBC
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	2/6
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a

Full Name	Jodie Whittle
Date of resignation	10/11/2023
Date of appointment	22/09/2023
Term of office	4 years
Category of CCM	Sponsor
Appointed by	Appointed by the sponsor
Subcommittee membership (2023-24)	None
Declarations of Interest	TBC
Attendance at Academy Community Council meetings (2023-24)	1/1
Attendance at subcommittee meetings (2023-24)	n/a