"The role played by the governing body has developed rapidly since the last inspection. Governors work closely with other leaders. They provide good levels of support and challenge for the school." -
Ofsted December 2014
Central Government, quite rightly, has high expectations of all governing bodies and expects them to work to a competency framework. Governors are the strategic leaders of schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. This is underpinned by law, which states that the purpose of governing bodies is to: Conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school.
There are three core functions:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and performance management of staff; and overseeing the financial performance of the school, making sure its money is well spent.
To ensure Governors carry out these functions successfully, there is a framework of 16 competencies under six headings: strategic leadership, accountability, people, structures, compliance and evaluation.
From time to time we ask all members of the Governing Body (GB) to take part in a skills audit and we commission external reviews of governance. This allows us to constitute the GB in line with the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 and in line with the needs of this school. Governors have access to professional training to ensure their skills are kept up to date.
Should you wish to contact the Governors, you may write to them c/o the school or use the email address: governors@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk
The full Governing Body comprises 12 Governors. Where vacancies arise from time to time, new Governors are identified and appointed (in the case of Co-opted and Local Authority Governors) or elected (in the case of Parent and Staff Governors).
All our Governors are members of the Children and Learning Committee as all take a close interest in the pupils' education, progress and attainment. Governors regularly come into school in the day to spend time in classrooms and to meet with and hear from staff and children. This is followed through with written or verbal reports to a Governor meeting. Each term there is an Achievement Day, where Governors spend the day in school on various tasks and projects, liaising with staff and feeding back to the other Governors. To help advise this committee and to scrutinise detail in the data we have a small Data Sub-Committee.
There is one other main committee, Resources, which, among other things, deals with finance, spending, budget and property matters.
Governors with the appropriate training sit on Appeals and Discipline Panels as and when necessary, and there is a Pay Committee and a Headteacher's Appraisal Panel, with trained Governors. Governors also visit in school more informally to attend events and get to know parents, staff and pupils.
In addition to attending Committee and Full Governing Body meetings, Governors have specialist roles, meeting with subject leaders and taking a lead focus on aspects of teaching and learning. Details for our Governors are as follows (in alphabetical order), with attendance figures for the previous academic year September 2018 - July 2019 (six meetings), and any declared interests:
Margaret Bird, Co-opted Governor, term of office November 2017 - November 2021. Governor responsible for Training and Maths. No declared interests. Attended four FGB meetings.
Liz Down, Co-opted Governor and Chair of the Governing Body, and Chair of the Resources Committee; term of office July 2018 to July 2022; declared an interest as Chair of Sing Spelthorne Community Choir; Governor responsible for liaison with the LA in the event of a child protection allegation against the Headteacher. Attended five FGB meetings.
Dan Beedell, Elected Parent Governor in November 2019 to November 2023. A new Governor.
Claire Dyson, Local Authority Governor; Deputy Child Protection and Safeguarding Governor; Governor leading on English; term of office April 2017 to April 2021; declared interests, none; attended five FGB meetings.
Paul Goulden, Co-opted Governor, Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, Chair of the Children and Learning Committee, Governor responsible for Looked After Children; term of office July 2018 to July 2022; declared interest as a Governor at the Marjory Kinnon School, Bedfont, Middx; attended all FGB meetings.
Johnny Kyriacou, Co-opted Governor, term of office July 2017 - July 2021; member of the Resources Committee and Governor responsible for Disadvantaged Children; declared an interest relating to his professional role in school effectiveness for Slough Borough Council which may involve support for Governing Bodies; attended all FGB meetings.
Lynsey Makepeace, Assistant Headteacher and Special Education Needs Co-ordinator, Co-opted Governor, term of office July 2018 to July 2022; no declared interests; attended all FGB meetings.
Graham Ledger, Elected Parent Governor, member of the Resources Committee, Governor with responsibility for Child Protection and Safeguarding; Governor leading on computing and science, and Freedom of Information and Data Protection; term of office April 2017 - April 2021; no declared interests; attended all FGB meetings.
Richard Little, elected Parent Governor, attended five Full Governing Body meetings; he stepped down in the autumn of 2019 owing to work pressures; a Parent Governor election is underway (Autumn 2019)
Sayed Qadri, Co-opted Governor appointed 9 October 2019; declared an interest with a relative working in school as a Teaching Assistant; member of the Resources Committe.
Sarah Tarrant. Headteacher, term of office from September 2009; no declared interests; attended all FGB meetings.
Attending at Full Governing Body and Children and Learning Committee meetings: Lucy Allen, Deputy Headteacher; Mel Wootton Assistant Headteacher.
In attendance at Resources Committee: Mrs Amanda Woods, School Business Manager, to present the budget and keep Governors informed about all financial matters throughout the school year.
In attendance at all formal meetings: Clerk to the Governing Body, Ms Jill Sanders, who draws up agendas and takes minutes.
Where Governors do have to miss meetings, apologies are made in advance, along with reasons for absence, before being accepted by Governors.
Professional negligence statement: Advice given by governors at this school is incidental to their professional expertise and is not being given in their professional capacity.
Confidentiality Statement: Governors respect the confidential nature of discussions and do not disclose governor business or decisions. When minutes of governing body meetings, Part 1, are approved they are made available to any member of the public who requests sight of them.
Governing Body Code of Conduct - please see attachment.
Open Meeting Protocol - please see attachment, for anyone wishing to attend a Full Governing Body Meeting. These are held at the school beginning at 5pm, and scheduled on the following dates for the academic year:
4 December 2019; 12 February 2020; 20 May 2020; 15 July 2020.
Email for the Governing Body: governors@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk
Open Meeting Protocol 19-20Download
GB Code of Conduct 19-20Download
Altern Partic in Meetings 2019-2020Download
Freedom of Information Act Definition Document for Governing Bodies FOI definition-document-schools-in-englandDownload
GovRoles17_18Download
Governors' Secure Area - FULL GOVERNING BODY