Governors

Mr T Edwards (Chair) - Foundation Governor Appointing Body: Diocese of Shrewsbury

I have been a Foundation Governor at St Paul’s since 2009 and have recently been elected as Chair but I have a long association with the school; my father and son were both pupils as I was.  I retired in 2014 after almost 40 years in the NHS as a Radiographer where I held a variety of roles eventually in a managerial position and student training was an integral part of the job throughout my career.  I am pleased and privileged to give my support to all the staff and pupils of St Paul’s School.

Term of Office: 28.01.2024 – 31.08.2028

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None; 

Relationship to members of Staff – None

Miss S Nicholson - Foundation Governor Appointing Body: Diocese of Shrewsbury

I have been a Foundation Governor at St. Paul’s for the last 12 years, being a parishioner at St. Paul’s and my nieces and nephew have all attended the school.

I was initially invited to become a governor as I am a chartered accountant and hence have skills of relevance to serve on the Finance and Personnel committee. I am also pleased to serve on the Curriculum and Standards committee where my background also assists in understanding the number of statistics produced to monitor the children’s progress.

I have always found St. Paul’s to be a lovely and caring environment for the children and I am proud to be involved with the school and offer my support to the Headteacher, staff and governing body to ensure the best for our children here.

Term of Office: 29.03.2022 – 31.08.2026

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None;

Relationship to members of Staff – None

Miss M Flynn – Headteacher Appointing Body: Ex officio

After many years of teaching I started at St Paul’s in January 2010 as Deputy Headteacher.  In September 2012 I was appointed by the Governors as the Headteacher.  It continues to be a pleasure working in partnership with the committed and dedicated Governing Body of St Paul’s who provide both support and challenge to ensure high expectations and outcomes for all of our pupils.   As Head teacher, I report to and attend all committee and full Governing Body meetings.

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None;     

Relationship to members of Staff – None

Mr P Allen - Staff Governor Elected By: Staff of St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School

I joined St. Paul’s as an NQT in 2008 and I have had many different roles throughout school, including PE and Computing lead. I was appointed as Deputy Headteacher in 2016. I have been the Staff Governor since 2011. As Staff Governor, I attend all full governing body meetings and I sit on the Finance and Curriculum and Standards committees.  As a pupil, I attended St. Paul’s and I have been part of the parish since birth even helping Father Denis as an Altar Server for nearly 10 years.

Term of Office: 16.11.2023 – 08.12.2027

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None;

Relationship to members of Staff – None

Mrs L Hanson - Parent Governor Elected By: Parents of St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School 

I have recently joined St Paul’s Governing Body as Parent Governor, although I have a much longer association with the school and the Parish with all 3 of my children having attended St Paul’s, my youngest child currently being in Years 5

I have a Degree in Commerce with Spanish, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Surveying. My working background is within Commercial Property Management, most recently having held the position of Associate Director for a national specialist Commercial Property Management company.

I am very keen to support both the staff and the Governing Body in the ongoing development of St Paul’s and I look forward to playing a part in ensuring that all its pupils achieve their full potential, receiving the best education in a supportive, caring and safe environment.     

Term of Office:    12.10.2022 - 11.10.2026                                      

Register of interests:     None                         ; Other Educational Establishments –  None

Relationship to members of Staff –    None

Mr J Hood - Community Governor

I joined St Paul's Governing Body in December 2018.  It was my expertise in Buildings and Health and Safety, which lead to my invitation to serve on the Governing Board.

I am currently a Building Safety Manager for a Social Housing Landlord.  I manage a portfolio of Higher-Risk Buildings to ensure their safety and compliance in particular to managing risks around spread of fire and structural failure.  Prior to this I worked for another Social Housing Landlord delivering specific workstreams of the annual Capital Investment Programme.

I have a daughter who attends the school and I am committed to ensuring that all children who attend the school reach their potential and to ensure they get a good start in life.

Term of Office: 05.12.2022 – 05.12.2026

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None;   

Relationship to members of Staff – None

Miss P Standen - Foundation Governor Appointing Body: Diocese of Shrewsbury 

I am really pleased to be appointed a Foundation Governor here at St Paul’s school, where I was a past pupil. I have previously been involved for 17 years in another Catholic primary school as a Teaching Assistant and worked throughout all the Key Stages. My strengths were in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage One. I also have a lot of experience working with children in the SEN sector. I resigned my post in 2015 to assist my dad in his engineering business.

I qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1997 achieving the NNEB Diploma. In 2011 I graduated with BA HONS in Education. I have recently in 2021 completed the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies as well as a beginner's Latin course.

Being appointed a Foundation Governor gives me an opportunity to support the Headteacher, Staff and children at St Paul’s and to promote the Gospel values and Catholic ethos of the school.

Term of Office: 07.12.2022 – 31.08.2026

Register of Interests: Business – None; Other Educational Establishments – None

Mrs S Phoenix - Associate Governor   Appointing Body: The Governing Body

Term of Office: 04.01.2022

Register of Interests: Business - None; Other Educational Establishments - None

Mr N Eckersley - Foundation Governor Appointing Body: Diocese of Shrewsbury

Term of Office: 7.2.2025 - 31.08.2028

Register of Interests: Business - None; Other Educational Establishments - None

I have been a Foundation Governor since March 2025 and have been a parishioner at St Paul’s Church for 12 years, serving as a Minister of the Word for more than a decade.  I work at Manchester Metropolitan University in the Development & Alumni Relations team, generating philanthropic support for scholarships and other projects at the University.  I started my career working at Manchester Met in 2023 after completing a Master’s degree in History at the University of Manchester.  

It is a privilege to sit on the Governing Body and have the opportunity to give back to the community by ensuring the children who attend St Paul’s receive a well-rounded, stimulating and Catholic education.  I am passionate about improving the educational outcomes and life chances of children and young people and offer my unwavering support to the staff and pupils.

Mr N Johnson - Foundation Governor Appointing Body: Diocese of Shrewsbury

Term of Office: 17.09.2025 - 31.08.2029

Register of Interests: Business - None; Other Educational Establishments - None

• Solicitor and former managing partner Glaisyers ETL Global.

• Past President Manchester Law Society.

• Vice President Greater Manchester Pro Bono Committee.

• Former Member of the Dioceses Education Committee.

• Past Chair of Corpus Christi Catholic Academy.

• Past Vice Chair of St Nicholas Catholic High School.

• Completed National Governance Association Leadership Program.

• Past Member of Cheshire West and Chester Local Authority Education Forum.