Our Governors

Governor Introduction:

Rooted in Faith, Growing for Life.

As Chair of Governors, I am delighted to welcome you to our much-loved school. It is the children, the staff and the community that inspire us to be governors and we are committed to serving you all with integrity, objectivity and honesty, and in the best interests of the school. Our role is strategic. Our core functions are:

To ensure the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined.

To ensure the headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the school.

To ensure the sound, proper and effective use of the school’s financial resources.

We take safeguarding very seriously and uphold our legislative responsibility and strategic oversight for the school’s safeguarding arrangements.

Our Governing Board has eleven members, meeting as a full board three times a year, but also using committees to support us in understanding what the school does, how well it does and what could improve. Our committees are:

Strategy (focussing on fulfilling our core responsibilities and enriching our Christian distinctiveness), Buildings and Finance, Curriculum and Learning.

We also run a monitoring timetable with each governor undertaking both formal and informal monitoring activities linked to the priorities in the School Development Plan, as well as our key areas of responsibility.

There are specific areas where we have voted for a named governor to lead and these are included in the list of governors.

Every September the Governors have a meeting to self-evaluate our effectiveness and to discuss priorities for the year ahead. We commit to training to support our effectiveness and value the opportunities to be with children, staff and parents to help us understand what it is like to be a member of our school community. We welcome communication from you, and we always try to be accessible by attending school events as well as sending you a newsletter after every Full Governing Board meeting to keep you informed.

Of most importance is the ambition we share with you and the staff team, that our children find the best of themselves in our school and that we offer the best of ourselves to ensure that happens.

With my best wishes,

Helen Tait C.B.E.

The Governors 

• Mrs. Helen Tait C.B.E.  L.E.A. Governor. Chair of Governors.  Member of Strategy Committee. Member of Curriculum and Learning Committee. Lead on Governor Training and Development.
• Mr. Tom Reynolds. Co-Opted Governor.  Vice Chair of Governors. Chair of Building and Finance Committee. Member of Strategy Committee. Lead Governor for Health and Safety.
• Mrs. Pippa Hawley. Co-Opted Governor. Chair of Curriculum and Learning Committee. Member of Strategy Committee.  Lead Governor for SEND and Pupil Premium.
• Rev. Susan Manners. Ex-Officio Governor. Member of Building and Finance Committee. Member of Strategy Committee. Lead Governor on our Christian vision, values and ethos.
• Mrs. Michelle Cavell Co-Opted Governor. Member of Curriculum and Learning Committee. Lead Governor for Safeguarding and E-Safety.
• Mrs. Martine Bachmann. Parent Governor. Member of Building and Finance Committee. Lead Governor for Equality. Leader Governor for Greener Governance.
• Mr. Fitzroy Simpson. Parent Governor. Member of Building and Finance Committee. Lead Governor for Finance.
• Professor Alan Colchester. Foundation Governor.
• Mrs. Sarah Uden. Headteacher.
• Mrs. Vicki Blackwell. Staff Governor.
• New appointment: Mandy Hanford. Co-Opted Governor. 

Professional Service to Governing Board provided by Sarah Carroll from The Education People.

STRATEGY GROUP

Chair of Governors:                                         Helen Tait

Head teacher:                                                  Sarah Uden

                                                                           Tom Reynolds 

                                                                           Susan Manners

                                                                           Pippa Hawley

BUILDINGS & FINANCE COMMITTEE

Tom Reynolds (Chair)

Martine Bachmann

Fitzroy Simpson

Susan Manners

Sarah Uden (Headteacher)

CURRICULUM AND LEARNING COMMITTEE

Pippa Hawley (Chair)

Helen Tait

Michelle Cavell

Governing Body Information

Full Governing Board Meeting Attendance 2023-24:Attendance 2023-24.

Instrument of Government Stowting CEP

Minutes of the Full Governing Body Meetings can be requested via an email request to the school office.