Our Governing Body
The governing body has overall responsibility for ensuring the highest standards of education are provided in both schools, and for setting the strategy for future development.
What the Governing Body does
Governors work in close collaboration with the staff and parents to ensure high-quality education and care in a welcoming environment. To do this the Governing Body formulates relevant policies and sets aims and objectives which are addressed in annual School Development Plans for the two schools. Governors' scrutiny at Church Hill and Low Hall covers these areas:
- planning and development of the educational curriculum and extended services,
- children’s learning progress and all-round development
- policy-making and review
- the staff teams and professional training
- the school budgets and fund-raising
- maintenance and improvements to the buildings and school grounds.
How the Governing Body works
Our Governing Body is made up of:
- the Executive Head teacher and 1 member of staff, voted for by all staff at both schools
- 2 parent governors
- 1 Local Authority governor, proposed by the London Borough of Waltham Forest
- 10 co-opted governors, people from our local community who all bring particular expertise
- occasionally, an associate governor is appointed
This combination of volunteers is designed to bring a range of appropriate expertise and engagement which can understand and challenge the school operations in a supportive yet critical way.
There are 4 ways governors and the schools meet:
1. Some governors take particular Link Governor responsibility for specific areas. They make visits to the schools, usually once a term and during school hours, to have in-depth discussions with staff and observe how their area of interest is working. After the visit they write a report, which is circulated to all governors.
2. Three sub-committees meet every term:
- Finance, Pay and Personnel
- Children's Learning and Development, and
- Premises.
These meetings have detailed discussion, and make recommendations to the Full Governing Body. As the occasion arises, governors sit on recruitment boards, disciplinary committees and complaints panels.
3. Full Governing Body meetings of all governors are held once a term. Parents who are interested can attend as observers.
4. From time to time some governors also join working parties with staff leaders to draw up new policies or guidance, or to work on a particular matter.
You can see which governor does which role if you click here.
Who's who, and attendance at meetings
|
Name |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Pauline France |
Co-opted Governor, Chair of Governors |
|
Helen Currie |
Executive Head Teacher |
|
Gail Allaway |
Co-opted Governor Link Governor for Early Literacy |
|
Sandra Campbell |
Co-opted Governor, interim Link Governor for Safeguarding & Children's Welfare |
|
Peter Dawe |
Co-opted Governor, Vice Chair of Governors |
|
Sally Davey |
Co-opted Governor |
|
Maxine Lafayette |
Co-opted Governor Link Governor for Child's Voice |
|
Jana Mills |
Co-opted Governor Link Governor for Sustainability & Equalities |
|
vacancy |
Co-opted Governor Link Governor for Children's Play & Learning |
|
vacancy |
Parent Governor |
|
Abrar Malik |
Parent Governor |
|
Lindsay Read |
Staff Governor |
|
vacancy |
Local Authority Governor |
Click here to view the record of governor attendance data for the school year 2017-18, and here for 2018-19.
Approved minutes of meetings
Minutes are signed off at the meeting after they are taken. As meetings are termly, ratified minutes are always a term in arears.
Autumn 2019
Summer 2019
Spring 2019
Autumn 2018:
Summer 2018:
Transparency
We pay the Local Authority to clerk our meetings; we don't write our own minutes. These minutes (confidential items excepted) are made public.
The clerk also records who attends which meetings, who is on which committee, who the link governors are for particular subjects and who has declared which pecuniary or personal interest. Governors declare at each meeting whether they have any financial or personal interest in any agenda item, and this is minuted.
Click here to view the Pecuniary and Personal Interests of the members of the Governing Body in the school year 2018-19.
Listening to understand and improve
We are always happy to meet with parents to talk about our role on the governing body and how our shared vision for young children is being put into outstanding practice. We support Listening Week and follow up on any suggestions, ideas and comments from parents.
