Please click on the links below for "Governor information", "Governing Body Structure", "Code of Conduct for Governors" and "Scheme of Delegation".  Further down the page are details about our Governors.

The Governing Body

Governors are a voluntary body of people who are responsible for working with the nursery to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the Head Teacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, the Governors set the nursery's aims and policies.  Their contribution to the running of the nursery is highly valued.

 Key roles of Governors:

• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.

• To ensure accountability for the performance of the nursery and its pupils.

• To oversee the financial performance of the nursery and ensure value for money.

• To support and challenge and undertake the role of ‘critical friend’.

The governor responsible for Safeguarding is Paula Pattison - see details below.

More information about our Governors:

Sally Lynch

I was delighted to be appointed Head of Oaklands Nursery School in January 2024. With over thirty years’ experience teaching and leading across the Early Years, I have been fortunate to work in a wide range of roles that have allowed me to develop ideas, lead projects, and support new initiatives at both local and national levels.

I am passionate about creating environments where children, families, and practitioners feel supported and empowered. Throughout my career, I have focused on developing high-quality teaching and learning, improving outcomes for children, and supporting colleagues to grow in confidence and expertise. I believe that outstanding leadership is about empowering others and building strong, reflective teams.

Alongside my role as Headteacher, I am a Lead Practitioner for Early Years with the Societas Trust and a committee member of the Midlands Early Education Group.

I am deeply committed to ensuring every child has the very best start in life and to leading a school community that shares this vision.

Paula Pattison

I became a Governor when my children attended the nursery here and I live and work locally. I started out as a Parent Governor and have now taken on the role as Chair of Governors. Within the Governing Board we each have areas of responsibility and I monitor the area of Safeguarding. I feel it is important to support the school, so that future generations can have the wonderful experience my children had here.

Graham Cook

Having had a background in scientific and analytical roles I became a governor when my son attended the nursery. I saw first hand the important role Oaklands nursery had in my child’s early development and wanted to help safeguard this amazing resource for future generations.

Gema Goldstone 

I became a governor at Oaklands when my eldest attended in 2018. I’ve wanted to work in childcare for a while and feel this is a great insight into the ins and outs of a nursery setting. I feel passionately about the parent voice being heard and would like to bridge the gap between the parents and the staff. I also feel it’s important to support the nursery so my younger child gets to enjoy the experience as much as my eldest.

Alice Worthington

I have held the post of Deputy Head Teacher at Ash Green Primary Academy since June 2019. Prior to this I was the Assistant Head Teacher and before this I worked in a large international school teaching Year 2 in Doha, Qatar – teaching the English National Curriculum to a class of 17 different nationalities. I feel very fortunate and privileged to be the Deputy Head Teacher at Ash Green Primary Academy – a school I have not only watched grow but have grown with. Being a part of the Ash Green family, in a trust that is committed to ‘great learning opportunities for all’, has allowed me to develop an extensive insight into leadership and management, whole school assessment and strategic direction and school improvement, all whilst still having a class teacher responsibility. I am passionate about school improvement and creating world class opportunities in an education system that is inclusive of all, no matter what a child’s background or circumstance and really do believe that this can only be achieved through a deep rooted commitment to achieving the best outcomes for all. More recent lines of work have included SLE work in across the local authority driving standards in English.  

Lorna Pateman

I was recently appointed Headteacher at Ellison Primary Academy, where I bring over twenty years of teaching and leadership experience, all within the local area to Oaklands. My career began as a class teacher, Assistant Headteacher, and SEND Leader at a local primary school, before I joined Ellison Primary Academy. Over the past thirteen years I have held senior leadership roles there, initially as Deputy Headteacher and, for the last three years, as Head of School.

Alongside these roles, I have served on governing boards for more than fifteen years, including both schools and the Five Star Care Club at Ellison. This experience has given me a strong background in strategic leadership, school development planning, teaching and learning, safeguarding, Health and Safety compliance, assessment, and financial management.

It has been a real pleasure to work in close partnership with Oaklands Nursery as part of The Societas Trust, where we have shared expertise and supported each other to give our children the very best start. I am passionate and committed to ensuring that every child in our community has access to the highest quality education and care, and I feel privileged to contribute to the future success of Oaklands in my role as governor.