Meet the Combined Local Academy Committee Team

Our Combined Local Academy Committee (CLAC) provides governance for St John's and St Peter's. We have a strong team that draws from both communities. This provides a diverse range of backgrounds and viewpoints to support school strategy.  

For information on trust governance, including the scheme of delegation, please see the St Chad's Academies Trust website

All of our members work together to support both academies. In some cases, link roles are separated across the two academies to ensure strong oversight and opportunities for collaboration.

Declaration of interests are included in the structure and attendance document at the bottom of the page.

Role	Name
Co-chair	Greg Shilton Zoe Heath
Vice-chair	Sharon Brackpool
Health and Safety	Greg Shilton (St John's) Lynne Burnam (St Peter's)
SIAMs Link	Margaret Wood (St John's) Pauline Langley (St Peter's)
SEND	Ben Mills
Safeguarding	Zoe Heath

 

Greg Shilton (Co-Chair of CLAC)

Hello everyone, my name is Greg Shilton and I am the interim chair of  CLAC at St. John's and St Peter's. I have been a part of the LAC since February 2021.  I am very proud to be on the committee and I am very happy to be able to make a positive contribution to Academy life. I am a qualified secondary school teacher and have worked in various West Midlands schools.  I am now working at the University of Wolverhampton training new secondary teachers, which is a role I love.  It means I get to visit dozens of schools every year, including all of the secondary schools in Wednesbury!  I have lived in the Black Country for most of my life, apart from a short stay away whilst at University and I am a Wednesbury lad, born and bred.  It is a pleasure to work with Mr Seex and my fellow CLAC members, and I am delighted to be able to support the staff to continue making our Academy the best that it can be.

Mrs. Z. Heath (Co-Chair of CLAC)

Joining St Chad’s Academies Trust in 2015, I bring several years extensive experience in the multi-dimensional discipline of Human Resource both transactional and strategic (payroll, pensions, safeguarding, recruitment, consultancy, job evaluation and Single Status) as well as traded services and academisation through project management principles whilst employed in the public sector at local authority level, incorporating practice to support the organisation both corporately and more latterly within the education sector.

Since joining the Trust I have progressed into management of the Human Resource team through natural growth as the team has expanded before promotion to the Director of Operations post in 2019. Working strategically and operationally during this time to successfully convert 15 academies (having worked collaboratively with the original 4 academy conversions), to develop operational systems to support senior leaders in all academies through policy and procedure writing in line with employment law practice and report writing, develop working relationships with external partners at local Authority, DfE and through MAT leadership programme, project management from scope to implementation of a new Trust wide HRMS and been instrumental in developing Union relations through JNC.

I am an Associate Member of the CIPD in Human Resource Management and have successfully completed the Optimus MAT Leadership programme, encompassing all elements of Trust sustainability (efficiencies, effectiveness and economies of scale), growth and stabilisation, financial management and cultural change.

I have gained extensive experience in governance through representation as both a Trust representative and Chair since joining the Trust; striving to achieve the best for the pupils and communities we serve through accountability frameworks and challenging conversations to ensure we offer quality first teaching and affective governance scrutiny and assurances.

Sharon Brackpool 

 

I have worked as a teacher in schools across Sandwell for 30 years joining St John’s in 2007.

In 2013, I was appointed to the position of Deputy Head and helped to oversee the school’s transition to becoming an academy.

I retired in 2019 as Head of School and now feel proud to continue supporting St John’s as LAC member for SEN and RE.

 

 

 

Susan Mathews

I am married with a grown up family and grandchildren of varying ages. My teaching career has been in and around Sandwell for the most part. I became a supply teacher after finishing full time feeling that I still had a role in education. As a supply teacher I have also worked around the borough. I came to St John's a few years ago in that role and have since joined the CLAC team. It is a joy to be part of St John's School. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. L. Burnam 

I am a HR Business Partner with expertise in People processes, legislation and Employee relations.  I put myself forward to become a member of the St Peters LAC as a Parent LAC to offer my support, help and knowledge from a different business perspective whilst at the same time supporting my 2 boys’ education setting and feeling involved in the school and helping to add value where I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Cheryl Heaton (Parent Representative)

I am currently an Assistant Head Teacher at a local primary school with over 20 years of teaching experience and a Master's in Educational Leadership. I am also a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.  Alongside my professional role, I am a wife and a mother of three children.

I am a firm believer that every child is entitled to an outstanding educational experience, enabling them to achieve their full academic potential while growing into well-rounded individuals. My combined professional and personal experiences have given me an in-depth understanding of what is required from the school, parents/carers, and the children themselves to achieve these goals.

I am deeply invested in the success and well-being of St. Peters. My commitment to education and community involvement drives me to contribute further, ensuring that every child at our school has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I am eager to bring my knowledge, experience, and dedication to the St. Peters family, and I am confident that my contributions will benefit our school community.

Mr Geoffrey Ssenfuma (Parent Representative)

Hello everyone, my name is Geofrey. I am happy to be part of the Combined Local Academy Committee (CLAC). I am a parent to three children at the school. I joined the Governance team in July 2024 as a parent governor for St. Johns. I bring with me a wealth of knowledge and experience in the education sector of 15years in a number of dimensions such as classroom teaching, curriculum development, management in science and Mathematics. I am passionate about education with research interests and particular focus on high prior attainers, challenging and stretching their learning horizon to achieve their full potential and beyond. I joined the team to support and add my input to the learning experience of the children at the two schools and the wider school community that we serve.  I am motivated by the life changing ‘potential-impact’ of education on the life of young people and their families.

Personal Philosophy: In pursuit of excellence, ONLY the best is good ENOUGH. 
 

Mr Ben Mills (Staff Representative)

Mr David Castledine (Staff Representative)

Mrs Pauline Langley (Church Representative)