Exclusive by Alan Quick

THE clerk to the governors at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Crediton, Lisa Champ, has been nominated for a National Outstanding Governance Award, awards which celebrate the unique and inspiring contribution that school governors, trustees and clerks make every single day in schools around the country.

Deborah Leighton Plom, Chair of Governors at QE, said: “Lisa has worked successfully in the role of clerk since 2008, and is an inspiration to all her staff and governor colleagues.

“She is also a parent at the school, works in the local community volunteering at the football club and raises money for charity in her cycling and sporting events - she really is a local hero.

“As clerk to governors she is a trusted adviser, always reliable in her information and up-to-date in her knowledge.

“She is a skilled administrator, providing ‘invisible’ support that always makes a measurable difference to the smooth running of meetings, events and communications activities.

“Lisa undertakes an enormous body of work that would overwhelm most people, and yet she always maintains her sunny disposition and solution focused approach, even though in a typical year she can be called upon to prepare for, minute, facilitate and record more than 35 official governor meetings.

“She is integral to the governing body, and is an exceptional asset whom we value and appreciate - for all these reasons we have nominated her for the award, which will be shortlisted this month.”

Mrs Leighton Plom said that QE is keen to celebrate the exceptional contribution Lisa makes to the school.

All entries in the competition will be evaluated by NGA judges who will compile a shortlist.

A carefully selected panel of governance experts will visit each shortlisted entry for an interview in spring 2017. The judges will meet to deliberate

and select a winner from each category.

The winners for all award categories will be announced at a prestigious ceremony in May 2017 and receive certificates and trophies.

In previous years the awards have been held at the House of Commons, presented by shadow secretary of state for education, Tristram Hunt, and Lord Nash, under-secretary of state for schools.