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:
- Monday – 25/09/23 – 10am
- Monday – 13/11/23 – 10am
- Monday – 04/03/24 – 10am
- Monday – 24/06/24 – 10am
Our current governors are:
Phil Round - Community Governor/Chair
Liz Preston - Community Governor/Vice Chair
Rachel Newman - Community Governor
Sharon Prendegast - Staff Governor
Courtney Shawcross - Student Governor
Owen Metcalfe - Student Governor
Muir Miller - Trustee Governor
About us
Specialist college welcomes the local community for spring fayre extravaganza
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, recently celebrated the beginning of a new season with its annual spring fayre. The spring fayre, which took place on the college grounds, welcomed students, staff, parents/carers and the local community to...
Ascent Autism Specialist College celebrate Neurodiversity Week with a jam-packed schedule of activities
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, recently participated in Neurodiversity Celebration Week from Monday, 18 March to Friday, 22 March. The college, which provides specialist education to autistic individuals aged 16 to 25, is committed to...
Finalists in the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards at the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Culture & Creativity Awards 2024. The shortlist, which was announced earlier today, revealed that the college had been...
Breaking down barriers with employer-focused autism awareness training
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, is helping employers break down barriers to work for autistic individuals with employer-focused autism awareness training. On Thursday, 9 November, Ascent College staff and student, Alicia, visited a...
Ascent Autism Specialist College teaching assistant receives national award
Sam Lowe, a teaching assistant at Ascent Autism Specialist College, has received a national award from Teaching Personnel. The SEN Teaching Assistant of the Year Award recognises and celebrates the hard work and dedication of teaching assistants in Special Educational...
Ascent Autism Specialist College shortlisted for three prestigious Educate Awards
Ascent Autism Specialist College, part of the Remarkable Autism Charity, has been shortlisted for three awards in the highly anticipated Educate Awards 2023 shortlist. . The Educate Awards is the largest education awards in the North West and celebrates the...
Community enterprise project awarded community funding from MRWA for the second year
The Pre-Loved Project, part of Ascent Autism Specialist College, has been awarded community funding for the second year running. The MRWA (Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority) Community Fund aims to support eco-friendly and sustainable projects. For 2022/23 the...
Student named DoE ‘Voice of Neurodiversity’ Youth Ambassador
Student named Duke of Edinburgh’s Youth Ambassador Ascent Autism Specialist College student, Courtney, has been chosen as the voice of neurodiversity for the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Youth Ambassador programme. The DofE UK Youth Ambassador programme involves a...
Remarkable Autism awarded the National Autistic Society’s Beacon Status
Wargrave House School and Ascent Autism Specialist College, part of the Remarkable Autism Charity, have been awarded the National Autistic Society’s highest award accreditation, Beacon Status. The award, given to provisions that have already achieved an advanced award...
Ascent Autism Specialist College student gets a visit from a celebrated author
Fantasy author Wes. M Henshaw recently visited the Preloved Project in Newton-le-Willows to discuss his new book with students from Ascent Autism Specialist College. The distinguished author met with Ascent Autism Specialist College student; Courtney, a...