Governance
Our School Committee
Church Lawton School is part of Liberty Academy Trust. The Trust Board has overall responsibility for the governance of the Trust and its schools.
Each Liberty school has a School Committee, which is a committee of the Trust Board. The School Committee provides local insight, assurance and constructive challenge, helping the Trust Board understand the experiences of pupils, families, staff and the wider school community.
The School Committee is an advisory and assurance committee. It does not have executive responsibility for running the school or the wider governance responsibilities of the Trust Board.
What does the School Committee do?
The Committee helps strengthen the connection between the school, its community and Liberty Academy Trust.
Members bring their knowledge and experience of the school and local community to:
- provide feedback on the school's vision, ethos and priorities
- understand the experiences and outcomes of pupils
- provide constructive challenge and local insight
- champion the school's strengths and achievements
- strengthen relationships with parents, families and the wider community
- help pupils benefit from local opportunities for learning, development and employment
- provide a local voice, raising concerns constructively where appropriate.
Committee members meet four times during the academic year and spend time in school so that their discussions are informed by direct experience as well as information provided by school leaders.
Meet our School Committee
Mrs Lisa Thompson - Chair
Lisa has over 20 years' experience working with data and systems across the commercial, policing and education sectors. Her experience spans, Secondary, Primary and Specialist provision with roles both in School as a Data Manager and working for 2 large Multi Academy Trusts.
She has exceptional insight into the challenges facing Trusts in developing the use of data to support the strategic management of the Trust and has proven experience of using data and systems to drive school improvement at scale. In her last Trust Lisa was responsible for the successful procurement, migration and implementation of a new Management Information System across 27 schools.
Lisa is well known across the sector with peers in other Trusts and the Ed tech Sector and is a member of the CST Data Network. Lisa is also Chair of Governors for a Primary School in another academy trust working with the school to bring about rapid improvement from requires improvement through to a successful OFSTED achieving good within a year.
Victoria Tufail - Parent Governor
Victoria serves as a parent governor at Betley Primary School, where she currently oversees SEND provision. Her daughter Ayesha joined Church Lawton School in September 2025, and Victoria holds a deep passion for ensuring that children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education along with the right support. She firmly believes that every child is entitled to an education and the tailored support needed to help them thrive.
By profession, Victoria is a Paramedic, having previously worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service. She now dedicates her expertise to training GPs and dentists in their annual emergency life support requirements, and she also works closely with asylum seekers to support their initial medical needs upon arrival in the UK.
Outside of her professional commitments, Victoria treasures time spent with her family and enjoys writing in her spare time.
Katy Goetzee - Co-opted Governor
Katy is married with two children. Her son joined Church Lawton School back in 2018. Katy currently works supporting ASD children within a mainstream school environment.
Katy has been the Treasurer for the local National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) for the past ten years and enjoys event planning and fundraising for the charity.
Katy is passionate about ensuring that all children reach their full potential and spends her spare time studying SEN law.
Rebecca Swain - Parent Governor
To follow.
Mrs Kim Cepeda-Wilson - Safeguarding Governor
Kim is 'Head of School' at Springfield School in Crewe. She has over 20 years' experience working with children with special education needs as both a teacher and senior leader. Kim constantly strives to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their additional needs, are given the opportunities to reach their full potential. Kim is passionate about creating a happy, positive and safe environment where pupils can thrive and staff enjoy coming to each day.
Kim’s SEN experience is across all the age ranges from reception through to 6th form. She also has extensive experience of safeguarding, curriculum management and leading and managing a large special school.
Outside of school, Kim has 2 young boys who are passionate about football and this tends to be what fills the weekends!
Mr Paul Scales - Principal
Paul is an appointed Staff Governor of the Local Governing Board.
Paul has 24 years’ experience of teaching in a wide range of schools across The North West and Midlands. With 18 years in a variety of specialist education provisions, Paul is a highly motivated school leader with over 16 years’ successful senior leadership experience.
He has a proven track record of raising standards, maximising outcomes for students and driving rapid and sustainable whole school improvement. Since 2000, Paul has been involved as a senior leader in different specialist schools, catering for the needs of a wide range of autistic students and has worked to maximise opportunities for those students.
Before joining the National Autistic Society, Paul worked as a Specialist School Consultant working with a range of organisations to ensure all students in the various education settings were able to achieve their very best.
Paul is passionate about the school’s Adventure Learning curriculum, given his experiences in the outdoors and leading a number of school trips to both UK and European based residential centres.
Mrs Tracey Ellis - Teacher and Phase Lead for KS3-KS5
Tracey is a teacher with 15 years of experience in education. After graduating from the Open University with a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature, she began her teaching career in Merseyside before moving to Cheshire where she has taught English in several secondary schools. Since joining Church Lawton, she has taken on the role of Key Stage Lead for Key Stages 3-5.
Tracey has completed the National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy and is currently studying for a National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership with the National Institute of Teaching.
Tracey is very passionate about the English curriculum in school, and also about weaving an oracy curriculum throughout each subject to help our students learn valuable skills for life.
Tracey is an elected staff governor of the Local Governing Board.
Mr Andy Richardson - Trust Appointed Governor
Andy’s role is to work in collaboration with local teams in support of our HR services across our academies, as well as leading on trust-wide HR developments to ensure we have the systems and processes in place to be effective. This is all aimed at making Liberty Academy Trust a great organisation to work for, which in turn enables us to provide excellent education opportunities for our children and young people.
A chartered member of the CIPD, Andy has spent 25 years providing comprehensive HR services in a range of organisations, particularly in the public and charity sectors; with lots of experience of helping those organisations meet various challenges and develop positive cultures. He is also Chair of Governors at a large local secondary school.
Could you join our School Committee?
We are keen to hear from people who want to make a positive contribution to the life of our school.
You do not need previous governance experience. We particularly welcome interest from parents and carers and people from our local community who can bring different experiences, perspectives and connections.
This might include people involved in local businesses, charities, further education, community organisations, sport, the creative arts or other services supporting children, young people and families.
Being a School Committee member is an opportunity to learn more about the school, provide constructive challenge and feedback, champion its achievements and help strengthen its connections with the community it serves.
If you would like an informal conversation about joining the School Committee, please contact governance@libertytrust.org.uk.
Further information
The School Committee operates in accordance with Liberty Academy Trust's School Committee Terms of Reference, which explain its membership, responsibilities and relationship with the Trust Board.
For further information about governance across Liberty Academy Trust, please visit the Trust's governance pages.