Governors and Trustees

As a non-maintained college we are required by the Department for Education to have a Governing Body.

The Governing Body of Ascent Specialist College works closely with the Trustees, Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Management Team to set the future direction for the college and decide how the budget should be spent.

Our governors make decisions, collectively, on matters such as performances targets, college policies and the college improvement plans.

Our Chair of Governors is Phil Round who can be contacted by post at the school address which is Wargrave House School & College, 449 Wargrave Road, Newton Le Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8RS.

Governors are committed volunteers who want to make a difference.

When do we meet?

The Governing Body meets once per term. Dates of the meetings for the current academic year are:

  • 07.10.24
  • 20.01.25
  • 31.03.25
  • 07.07.25

 

Our current governors are:

Phil Round - Community Governor/Chair

Phil Round

Liz Preston - Community Governor/Vice Chair

Liz Preston

Denise Wright - Governor

Denise Wright - Governor

Sharon Prendegast - Staff Governor

Sharon Prendegast

Tarran Faulkner - Student Governor
Will Elliot - Student Governor
Muir Miller - Trustee Governor

About us

A Heartfelt Thank You to Speedy

We are incredibly grateful to Speedy for their generous donation of £496.17 to Ascent College. We truly can’t thank you enough — and we couldn’t have asked for better neighbours. Your support directly strengthens the opportunities and experiences we’re able to provide...

Ascent Autism Advice Forum – December Session

Date: Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Online via Microsoft Teams Register your interest: gemmasutton@ascent.college This month’s Ascent Autism Advice Forum focuses on an important and sensitive topic for families navigating the digital world:...

Student Business Breakfast – Christmas Edition

College students welcome you to a Christmas-themed Business Breakfast Ascent Autism Specialist College is hosting a special Student Business Breakfast on Thursday 11th December 2025 at 11 The Parks, WA12 0QJ. Local business guests are warmly invited to join us for a...

Ascent College Christmas Market

Join us for some festive cheer at the Ascent College Christmas Market! Students and staff at Ascent College are delighted to invite families, friends, and members of the community to our Christmas Market at the Ascent College Vocational Learning Hub, Vista Road, WA11...

Ascent Autism Advice Forum – November Session

Date: Wednesday 12th November 2025 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Online via Microsoft Teams Register your interest: gemmasutton@ascent.college We are pleased to announce the next session in our Ascent Autism Advice Forum series, continuing our mission to share practical...

Ascent College staff and students move into their new home

Last week, staff and students at Ascent Autism Specialist College moved into their new home on the multi-use business park, The Parks in Newton-le-Willows. Staff and students walked through the college’s doors in awe as they started the 2025/26 academic year by...

Autism Advice Forum – October Session

Ascent Autism Advice Forum – October Session Date: Thursday 2nd October 2025 Location: Online via Microsoft Teams Register your interest: gemmasutton@ascent.college We’re pleased to invite you to the next session of the Ascent Autism Advice Forum – an open and...