Our Governors – November 2023
Name – Mr Andrew Baker (Chair of Governors)
Category of Governor – Nominated by LA
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee and Appeals Committee.
Committee Membership - Finance & Personnel Committee, Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee and the Appeals Committee.
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - N/A
Term of Office Ends – 13/12/2024
Name – Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice Chair of Governors)
Category of Governor – Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - Pupil Discipline Committee.
Committee Membership - Health, Safety & Safeguarding Committee, Pupil Discipline Committee and Headteachers Performance Committee.
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Attendance and EYFS.
Term of Office Ends – 10/06/2027
Name – Ms Rebecca Thomas
Category of Governor – Staff Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - N/A
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Equality and Diversity
Term of Office Ends – 13/03/2026
Name – Mr Justin Tyrer
Category of Governor – Parent Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Finance & Personnel Committee, Health, Safety & Safeguarding Committee and Headteachers Performance Committee.
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - N/A
Term of Office Ends – 10/01/2025
Name – Mrs Samantha Barrett
Category of Governor – Parent Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Health, Safety & Safeguarding Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - SEN, Vulnerable Learners/Safeguarding and Children in Care and Online Safety including Filtering and Monitoring
Term of Office Ends – 13/06/2026
Name – Miss Gemma Smith
Category of Governor – Parent Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Health, Safety & Safeguarding Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Curriculum Review, Equality & Diversity and Staff Work-life Ballance/Wellbeing including Healthy Eating
Term of Office Ends – 14/06/2026
Name – Mrs Clare Lo (Kwai Sim Lo)
Category of Governor – Parent Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Finance & Personnel Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Online Safety including Filtering and Monitoring
Term of Office Ends – 27/03/2027
Name – Mrs Katrina Baker (MBE)
Category of Governor – Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - Finance & Personnel Committee
Committee Membership - Finance & Personnel Committee and Headteachers Performance Management Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Pupil Premium and Catch Up Funding
Term of Office Ends – 13/07/2024
Name – Mrs Debbie Young
Category of Governor – Associate Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - Governor Review/CPD
Term of Office Ends – 07/11/2026
Name – Mr Andrew Thomas
Category of Governor – Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - N/A
Term of Office Ends – 01/03/2024
Name – Mrs Kath Osborne
Category of Governor – Headteacher Governor
Appointing Body – Ex-officio by virtue of office as Headteacher
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Finance and Personnel Committee and Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee.
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - N/A
Term of Office Ends – N/A
Name – Mrs Emma Morris
Category of Governor – Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body – Governing Body
Chair Responsibilities - N/A
Committee Membership - Finance and Personnel Committee and Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee.
Link Governor/Responsibility Area - N/A
Term of Office Ends – 07/11/2026
Historic (Left within last 12 months)
Name - Jenny Evans - (Chair of Governors)
Appointing Body - Governing Body
From - 09/11/2022
To - 19/01/2023
Committee Structure & Link Governors for Academic Year 2023/2024
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Finance & Personnel
Mrs Katrina Baker (MBE) (Chair of Committee)
Mr Andrew Baker (Chair of Governors)
Mrs Kath Osborne
Mr Justin Tyrer
Mrs Clare Lo
Mrs Emma Morris
Mrs Donna O’Reilly (Clerk)
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Health, Safety and Safeguarding
Mr Andrew Baker (Chair of Governors & Chair of Committee)
Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice Chair)
Mrs Kath Osborne
Mrs Emma Morris
Mr Andrew Thomas
Mr Justin Tyrer
Mrs Samantha Barrett
Mrs Gemma Smith
Mrs Debbie Young (Associate Governor)
Mrs Donna O’Reilly (Clerk)
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Pupil Discipline
Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice Chair & Chair of Committee)
*Members requested when required.
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Headteachers Performance
Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice Chair)
Mrs Katrina Baker (MBE)
Mr Justin Tyrer
Mrs Donna O'Reilly (Clerk)
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Appeals
Mr Andrew Baker (Chair Governors & Chair of Committee)
*Members requested when required.
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Attendance
Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice chair)
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Pupil Premium and Catch Up Funding
Mrs Katrina Baker (MBE)
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SEN (Special Education Needs)
Mrs Samantha Barrett
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Vulnerable Learners /Safeguarding/
Children in Care
Mrs Samantha Barrett
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Governor Review/CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
Mrs Debbie Young (Associate Governor)
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Equality & Diversity
Miss Rebecca Thomas
Mrs Gemma Smith
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EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)
Mrs Penny Hustwick (Vice Chair)
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Curriculum Review
Mrs Gemma Smith
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Staff Worklife Balance/Wellbeing including Healthy Eating
Mrs Gemma Smith
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Online Safety including Filtering and Monitoring
Mrs Clare Lo
Mrs Samantha Barrett
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Governors Annual Statement 2023/2024
The major focus of the Governing Body is to ensure that our pupils progress appropriately in a well-managed, stimulating and safe environment. The governors appreciate that for this to happen the pupils must be supported by a well led, enthusiastic, professionally competent, and motivated staff all working together within a safe, supportive and stimulating environment.
Governors appreciate too the requirements of our children’s parents and carers and their need to be satisfied about the overall leadership and management of the school and how it affects safety, learning, progress and enjoyment.
To achieve their objectives governors must continually evaluate the role they have played within the life of the school, and publish relevant information to all appropriate parties.
Governors Visits – The governors are invited to visit the school as part of their monitoring of the Raising Achievement Plan and of specific issues. Guidance in terms of the roles and responsibilities of statutory link governors are provided to relevant governors and regular training is available in order to up skill our team.
Data Analysis – Data is made available to governors through termly meetings with verbal and written presentations followed by questions and answer sessions with the head teacher and members of the senior leadership team. Thus the governors are able to benchmark their data against similar schools, the Local Authority and schools nationally to ensure the schools standards and expectations are high and are able to be closely scrutinised.
Particular scrutiny is placed on pupil progress across all groups including vulnerable groups and those in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG), attendance data, safeguarding data and behaviour analysis.
Policies – Governors review all relevant policies on a programmed basis to ensure that all guidance is current and up to date. Specific attention is paid to ensure that the school complies with the Department of Education mandatory policy list and the Local Authority recommended list.
Financial Management – The impact of the governor’s role in the school ensures that the budget is managed effectively, and improvements are effective and continuous. Governor expertise – the governors bring a wide variety of expertise to the school and this helps to ensure the school is moving forward.
Safeguarding – Governors review and adopt safeguarding policies annually and carry out staff and pupil interviews to assess their understanding of the policies. The Governors also take part in termly Health & Safety walks around school and attend site safety meetings when needed. All Governors are kept up to date with their roles and responsibilities within safeguarding by attending appropriate training. There is a special interest governor for safeguarding who meets the DSL and comes into school to carry out work related to her area at least termly. This includes being involved in safeguarding audits carried out by the Local Authority
Safer Recruitment – The head teacher and a number of staff and governors are trained in “Safer Recruitment”. Governors are involved in the recruitment and selection of teaching staff and use the appointment process to ensure that high quality staff who share the schools mission statement and aims are appointed.
Governor Meeting Attendance – Governor attendance has been of a good level, with any absences having been fully explained and accepted and approved by the governing body. Our governors are a committed group of people.
Review -The governing body, the head teacher and all members of staff are constantly striving to improve and develop the school. This was recognised by OFSTED in their June 2019 inspection. The school continues to be successful with ongoing improvement in pupil progress and attainment which reflects our whole school drive to consistently raise standards. There has been effective allocation and imaginative use of Sports funding so as to further inspire and develop teaching staff and pupils.
The Governing Body of Hollinswood Primary School & Nursery is organised as follows:
There are two main committees –
- Finance and Personnel Committee.
- Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee.
The Governors also meet as a Full Governing Body twice a term.
Most decisions are devolved to these committees and the head teacher sits on both. The committees usually convene at least twice a term with extra meetings if required. The Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee will meet once a term. Other Committees meet when required.
Special Interest Governors – These cover different areas and include Special Education Needs, Pupil Premium, Safeguarding, Curriculum, Attendance, Wellbeing, Early Years.
Training is available to Governors, from an induction course for new Governors, to Appraisal, Ofsted and SENCo courses. All Governors training records are kept in school.
In order to fulfil their strategic role and address the development points from the Raising Achievement Plan, Governors have:.
- Provided challenge and support to the Head teacher and other Senior Leaders.
- Visited school to monitor the performance of pupils, for example by learning walks to look at specific aspects of the children’s work including their books.
- Talked to pupils about their work and their targets and observed them in the classroom.
- Monitored and evaluated all available data, including internal reports from teachers to ensure that action is being taken on targets set.
- Sought the views of parents and pupils via questionnaires, evaluated the responses and ensured that appropriate follow-up actions are taken.
- Invited senior leaders to Governors meetings to explain their work and answer any questions.
- Attended events with parents to solicit feedback and to keep Governors informed and up-to-date with current initiatives in teaching and learning.
- Ensured robust appraisal systems for teachers and addressed any under-performance.
In order to fulfil their statutory duties Governors have:
- Ensured that the school website is up-to-date and complies with regulations.
- Attend regular meetings with clear agendas to discuss, review and approve key compliance requirements, e.g. Child Protection Policy, and that Safeguarding responsibilities are met.
November 2023
Who Are Governors?
School governors play a key role in helping Headteachers and their staff to secure the best possible outcomes for the children and young people in our schools.
School governors come from every walk of life. We are looking to recruit people with skills that can be used to strengthen the work of the governing body.
What is the Role of a School Governor?
Governors work as part of a team. They are responsible for making sure the school provides good quality education. Governors govern rather than manage. They are there to give direction and focus by performing a strategic role. The day to day management of the school is the responsibility of the Headteacher. Governors will support and, at the same time, challenge Headteachers by gathering views, asking questions and deciding what is best for the school.
Governors are required to play an active part in the decision making process of the school, getting involved in real issues. Governors make important decisions together on policies and strategies.
There are several different categories of governor, each appointed in different ways. In LA maintained schools these are:
Parent: Parent governors are usually parents (or have parental responsibility) of children at the school, or, at the very least, parents of children of compulsory school age. Most are elected by parents of the school in question, if not enough parents stand for election then the governing body can appoint an individual to the position.
Staff: Staff governors are elected by those who are paid to work at the school.
Co-opted: Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body. In LA maintained schools, this is on the basis of the skills they can bring to support the effective governance and success of the school. Only in governing bodies constituted under the 2012 regulations.
Foundation: These are governors appointed by a foundation body. In schools with a faith ethos, in addition to their other responsibilities as governors, they are tasked with ensuring that the religious character of the school is upheld. If the school does not have a religious character then they must ensure that the foundation is conducted in accordance with the governing documents.
Partnership: Where the school has a religious character, they must be appointed with the purpose of preserving this. In non-faith schools, partnership governors are similar to community governors. Under the 2012 regulations, governing bodies can reject nominees if they do not have the skills to contribute to effective governance and the success of the school.
Local Authority (LA): Governors are appointed by the LA. Under the 2012 regulations, your governing body can set eligibility criteria which appointees must meet.
Associate Members: Are not governors, but can be invited to sit on one of the committees of the governing body, usually because they have specific skills. They can be given the right to vote at committee meetings. They can be appointed for between one and four years.
Being a governor can be a demanding but fulfilling role. Some of the things Governors can expect to be involved in include:
- Governing Body Meetings
- Committee Meetings
- Classroom/school visits to monitor and evaluate provision
- Training and development activities in order to improve the functioning and impact of the governing body
- Appointment of Headteacher and senior staff
- Making strategic financial decisions
- Gathering views from pupils, staff and parents
What Skills do you need to be a School Governor?
Experience has shown that all governors need a strong commitment to the role, the inquisitiveness to question and analyse, and the willingness to learn. They need good inter-personal skills, a basic level of literacy in English (unless a governing body is prepared to make special arrangements), and sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data.
How much time do Governors give?
All schools are different and have individual needs. The normal term of office for a governor is 4 years. Full governing body meetings usually take place once a term. Governors are expected to be involved in interim activities to promote school improvement. The time committed by each governor to these activities would be negotiable with the school.
Those governors, who are employed within business, may find employers will support their role as a governor by letting them have time off work to fulfil these duties.
Governor Training
The School Governance Service offer a varied training programme for governors and governing bodies to assist them in becoming more effective in their role and keep them updated on current issues. The School Governance Service also offers governing bodies bespoke training within their school on relevant topics of their own choice to meet any specific needs
If you are interested in becoming a school governor in Telford and Wrekin then please contact 01952 380808/380868 or e-mail school.governance@telford.gov.uk
Useful Websites
Torch – this website provides up to date information on Telford & Wrekin School https://torch.taw.org.uk/CorporateInformation/SchoolGovernanceService/SitePages/Home.aspx
National Governors’ Association: www.nga.org.uk
DfE: www.education.gov.uk/
Governance Service: School Governance One Stop Shop: www.sgoss.org.uk
Governor’s Handbook:
School Governors Handbook - October 2020
Current Governor Vacancies:
January 2023 - Parent Governor
Form 1 - Notice of Parent Governor Election and Request for Nominations
Form 2 and Form 3 - Parent Governor Election Nomination Form and Disqualification Declaration Form
