Meet the Governors – Wavendon Gate School

Wavendon Gate School Governing Body September 2023

Name	Category/Appointed By:	Date Of Appointment	Term Of Office Ends	Committee/Responsibility	Declarations Of Interest	Meetings Attended 2024/25	Meetings Attended 2023/24	Meetings Attended 2022/23	Meetings Attended 2021/22	Meetings Attended 2020/21
Ms Kerry Jarman	Headteacher	N/A	N/A	Business Committee Curriculum Committee Pay Committee	None	3/3	12/12	12/12	12/12	11/11
Mrs Joanna Cattigan	Parent Governor Appointed by Parents	5th April 2019	5th April 2027	Chair of Governors Induction of new Governor Pay Committee Early Years Governor Phonics Governor	None	2/2	6/6	6/6	6/6	6/6
Miss Tracey De Beer	Co-opted Governor Appointed by Governing Board	10th November 2021	10th November 2025	Vice Chair of Governors Chair of Curriculum Committee English Governor History Governor	None	2/2	6/6	5/6	4/4	N/A
Mr Charlie Deycon	Parent Governor Appointed by Parents	20th September 2021	20th September 2025	Chair of Business Committee Pay Committee School Council PSHE Governor	None	2/2	8/9	8/9	9/9	7/8
Mrs Jane Elsdon	Co-opted Governor Appointed by Governing Board	5th July 2021	5th July 2025	Curriculum Committee Health and Wellbeing Governor Science Governor	None	2/2	6/6	6/6	5/6	1/1
Mr Gareth Doward	Parent Governor Appointed by Parents	20th September 2021	20th September 2025	Business Committee PE Governor Remote Learning Link Governor	Coach Walton MK FC	3/3	6/9	11/12	11/12	N/A
Mr Douglas Pearson	Co-opted Governor Appointed by Governing Board	17th July 2023	17th July 2027	Business Committee	None	2/2	8/9	1/1	N/A	N/A
Mr Michael Scott	Staff Governor Appointed by staff	1st October 2023	1st October 2027	Business Committee Development Governor	None	1/2	8/9	7/9	5/6	8/8
Mr Simon Cheung	Co-opted Governor Appointed by Governing Board	18th March 2024	18th March 2028	Business Committee History Governor Geography governor	None	1/2	3/3	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mrs Jenny Hover	Parent Governor Appointed by Parents	4th November 2024	4th November 2028	Curriculum Committee	None	1/1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mrs Sally Sheridan	Deputy Headteacher Associate Governor Appointed by Governing Board	11th November 2019	11th November 2023	Curriculum Committee – no voting rights	None	2/2	6/6	6/6	5/6	5/6

Previous Governors

Name	Category/Appointed by:	Date stepped down	Committee/Responsibility
Mrs Alison Byrne	Local Authority Governor	Resigned as a Governor on 30th September 2024	Chair of Governors Business Committee Curriculum Committee Pay Committee Safer Recruitment Governor Induction of new Governors MFL Governor Safeguarding Governor Looked after Children Governor GDPR Governor
Mr Ben Butlin	Co-opted Governor	Resigned as a Governor on 17th July 2024	Curriculum Committee Pupil premium Governor SEND Governor RE Governor
Miss Emma Reaney	Parent Governor Appointed by Parents	Resigned as a Governor on 16th March 2024	Curriculum Committee Behaviour Governor Maths Governor
Mr Dan Butterfield	Co-opted Governor	Resigned as a Governor on 17th July 2023	Business Committee Computing Governor Design Technology Governor Music Governor
Mrs Hazel Whitfield-Green	Co-opted Governor Appointed by Governing Board	Resigned as a Governor on 21st April 2023	Business Committee Art Governor Geography Governor Health and Safety Governor Accident book

What do governors do?

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the Head Teacher and are involved in the appointment of other staff. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the Head Teacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Each individual governor is a member of a governing body, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing body. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to

set the aims and objectives for the school
set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
be a source of challenge and support to the Head Teacher (a critical friend).

Each governor is a member of either Business or Curriculum sub committee. An overview of the roles of these committees are:

Business Committee

To review policies and procedures that fall in the remit of business committee.
To draw up, taking into account the School Improvement Plan priorities, and approve the annual budget plan of expenditure for the school.
To monitor the school’s income and expenditure (budget share and Standards Funds) and report the financial situation to the Governing Board each term.
To monitor the effect of the pupil premium on the progress and educational attainment of those pupil for whom the funding was allocated and to publish the information on the school’s website as required by the School Information Regulations 2008.
To monitor the effect of primary PE and sport funding on the provision of PE and sport.
To review and approve as required the staffing structure for the school in consultation with the headteacher.
To assist the Governing Board and the headteacher to discharge their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in collaboration with the LA.

Curriculum Committee

To advise the Governing Board on the school’s curriculum statement and their statutory obligations regarding the National Curriculum.
To provide guidance and assistance to the headteacher and the Governing Board in all matters relating to the curriculum, including pastoral care, pupil behaviour and home school relationships.
To advise and ensure individual governors take a leading role in relation to specific curriculum areas (Governor Subject links). Reports will link to the school improvement plan and this will then be shared in FGB meetings.
To co-ordinate all governor visits.
To review attendance, behaviour, racial and SEND reports.
To review, amend where appropriate, and approve for adoption all policies and procedure documents that fall within the scope of the Curriculum Committee.
Various methods are used to monitor and review progress across the school including data. This includes monitoring disadvantaged, SEND, EAL and more able.
To monitor and evaluate the school’s SATs results on an annual basis and report any conclusions to the Governing Board.
To monitor school Improvement with the help of information contained in such documents as School Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) Fisher Family Trust (FFT) and Target Tracker.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

How much time is involved?

This will vary depending on the number of governing body meetings and the amount of committee work governors choose to do. Governors work as a team and as such the amount of time that each governor can give to the role will vary. In addition to meetings, governors need to get to know their school. This will be done by visiting the school for events, focused visits and attend the more informal activities taking place in school, for example open days, assemblies, school fetes and concerts. The majority of meetings tend to take place in the evenings, but this will be agreed by all members of the governing body.

Why become a school governor?

By becoming a school governor you will

Help ensure that every child at the school reaches his/her potential
Play a vital part in raising standards and achievement
Make an important contribution to your community
Have an opportunity to gain new skills
Work as part of a team

How do I become a governor?

If you think you have what it takes to be a school governor, please contact the Head Teacher, Kerry Jarman, or the Chair of Governors by emailing admin@wavendongateschool.co.uk.