Welcome to the Governors Information page!
The documents below give information about our Governing Body.
If you are interested in finding out what the role of parent representative governor entails, you may find the document below; entitled 'Being a Governor', quite useful.
Being a Governor.
What is the role of a Governing Body?
· Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
· Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
· Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
What is the role of a Governor?
To ask the right questions, such as:
1. Which groups of pupils are the highest and lowest performing, and why?
2. Do you have credible plans for addressing under-performance or less than expected progress? How will we know that things are improving?
3. Which year groups or subjects get the best and worst results and why? \how doses this relate to the quality of teaching in the school? What is your strategy for improving the areas of weakest performance?
4. How are you going to raise standards for all children, including the most and least able, those with special educational needs, those receiving free school meals, boys and girls, those of a particular ethnicity, and any who are currently underachieving? How will we know if your approach is working?
5. Do we have the right staff and the right development and reward arrangements?
6. What is the school’s approach to implementation of pay reform and performance related pay? If appropriate, is it compliant with the most up to date version of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document?
7. Is this a happy school with a positive learning culture? What is our track record on attendance, behaviour and bullying? Are safeguarding procedures securely in place? What are you doing to address any current issues, and how we will know if it is working?
8. How good is our wider offer to pupils? Is the school offering a good range of sports, arts and voluntary activities? Is the school food healthy and popular?
9. Do we listen to what pupils and parents are telling us?
What does being a Governor involve?
· Two full Governing Body (FGB) meetings a term, including reading papers beforehand
· Involvement in one or more sub-committees
· Linking to a particular curriculum are or other area of activity
· Visiting the school to observe lessons and talk to staff and children
· Undertaking relevant training
· Supporting school activities
What does being a Governor not involve?
· Being an education specialist – just an interest in teaching and learning in its widest sense.
· Raising personal ‘hobby-horses’ or your own child-related issues – ‘Hobby-horses’ have no place and your child-related issues should be discussed with their teacher.
· Being a spokesperson or lobbyist for parents – you’re not required to represent the views of every other parent, just to share your perspective as a parent in the discussions and decisions.
· Sharing the ‘insider’ story – there are some items on the agenda within the confidential section which might affect a pupil or staff member and must remain confidential. The general minutes are publicly available
We need parent governors!
If you care about education become a parent governor!
All schools need committed parent governors – people who are willing to take an active interest in the life of the school. Governors are elected/appointed for four years.
It is important that governors reflect the local community. People of all backgrounds, cultures and races have a valuable contribution to make and should think about becoming a governor.
Who are the governors?
¨ parents, elected by parents of children at the school
¨ teachers, elected by teaching staff at the school
¨ the headteacher
¨ staff, elected by the support staff at the school
¨ people appointed by the Borough of Lewisham, some of whom are nominated by the local political parties
¨ community, people chosen by the governing body to represent the local community or because they have a particular interest or experience
What do governors do?
¨ advise and support the headteacher
¨ meet together regularly to discuss that running of the school
¨ help ensure all children and young people have an equal chance to succeed at school
¨ visit the school to see how it works
¨ select the headteacher and staff
¨ keep under review the aims and curriculum of the school
¨ decide how money allocated to the school is spent
¨ sit on panels to consider pupil exclusion, parental complaints, staff grievance and discipline issues
¨ ensure that the right provision is made for pupils with special educational needs
¨ work in partnership with the school, parents, the local community and Lewisham
How much time will it take?
¨ There is at least one full governors’ meeting each term
¨ In addition you may be asked to join a committee which meets more frequently and reports back to the full governors’ meeting
¨ You will need to visit the school so you can get to know the staff, pupils and parents. The better you know the school, the more confident you will feel in making decisions. It is suggested that you visit during the school day for at least one morning or afternoon each term – please make an appointment with the headteacher
With so much for governors to learn, all schools have the opportunity to buy into Lewisham governor training programme.
Parent governor elections
Why become a parent governor?
Parents are a major source of support for the school. Schools are more effective if there is regular and positive dialogue with parents and if parents are involved in the work of the school. Parent governors are one of the ways parents can take part in the life of the school. You might find it helpful to talk to the outgoing parent governor(s) about what is involved.
Black and ethnic minority parents are currently under-represented on governing bodies. Parents from these groups are particularly encouraged to consider standing for election.
How to become a parent governor?
You will be given details of the parent governor elections. You do not have to wait to be nominated, you can put your own name forward. You will probably be asked to give some information about yourself.
How long do I have to be a governor for?
You serve for four years from the date you are elected. Even if your child leaves, you can still remain a parent governor for the full four years. Any governor may of course choose to resign before his/her term of office ends: this should be done in writing to the Clerk to Governors.
Are parent governors different from other governors?
Parent governors have the same status, duties and responsibilities as other members of the governing body. They have no power to take action as governor unless they have been asked to do so by the governing body.
Parent governors are not elected to represent the parents but to bring the voice of the parents to the governing body. Although parent governors may be regarded as the official channel for parents’ views they do not have to consult with the body of parents before they can speak or act as governors.
Am I allowed to talk about governing body meetings?
Most governing bodies aim to keep confidential items to a minimum, however, all governors need to bear in mind that indiscreet talk about what has been said or decided at a governors’ meeting can cause problems. Governors need to feel secure enough to speak openly and make decisions without fear that their every word will be reported.
In general all governors should make sure that they never discuss individual children or adults outside the governing body, if they have gained information about them as a result of being a governor.
If you want more information about becoming a governor please contact :
Governors’ Services
3rd Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8313
Fax: 020 8314 3050
Email: governors.services@lewisham.gov.uk
ST STEPHEN’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
GOVERNING BODY
(Reconstituted 4 March 2015)
GOVERNING BODY MEMBERSHIP: 12 governors
CATEGORIES OF GOVERNOR: Headteacher
Staff (1)
LA Nominated (1)
Parent Elected (2)
Foundation (7)
CHAIR OF GOVERNORS: Philip Ratcliff
CLERK TO GOVERNORS: Jane Smith
STANDING COMMITTEES: Strategic
Finance and Personnel
Curriculum and Achievement
Children Family and Community
Admissions
Premises
COMMITTEES: Statutory Committees include the Pupil Discipline, Staff Discipline, Pay Appeals and Parent Complaints. These committees meet as and when required, with a minimum of three eligible governors to be drawn from a pool of all members of the Governing Body subject to availability and with regard to any declared conflicts of interest.
Governors’ details 2017-18
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FULL NAME |
CATEGORY |
APPOINTED BY |
DATE OF APPOINTMENT |
TERM OF OFFICE (NO OF YEARS AND END DATE) |
DATE RESIGNED |
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP |
RESPONSIBILITIES |
VOTING RIGHTS (if applicable)) |
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Christopher Chambers |
Foundation |
Parish Church Council
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12/04/2018 |
4 |
11/04/2022 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Children, Family & Community Admissions |
Health & Safety Link RE Link |
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Fr Philip Corbett |
Foundation |
ex officio |
22/11/2013 |
n/a |
n/a |
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Curriculum & Achievement Children Family & Community(Chair) |
Vice Chair EYFS link Appraiser |
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Errol Harris |
Foundation |
Parish Church Council |
22/01/2014 |
4 |
21/01/2018 |
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Curriculum & Achievement |
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Resigned November 2017 |
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Frances Holland |
Headteacher |
ex officio |
01/09/2008 |
n/a |
n/a |
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All committees |
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Ken Kitson |
Foundation |
Southwark Diocesan Bd of Education |
01/04/2018 |
4 |
31/03/2022 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Finance and Personnel (Chair)
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Vice Chair Numeracy Link Data Link Appraiser |
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Ayesha Lahai-Taylor |
Parent |
Parent Body |
30/11/2015 |
4 |
29/11/2019 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Finance and Personnel |
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Irene Olaleye |
Foundation |
Parish Church Council |
11/03/2015 |
4 |
10/03/2019 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Children Family & Community |
SEN Link Website Link Literacy Link |
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Gillian Parker |
Parent |
Parent body |
18/09/2014 |
4 |
17/09/2018 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Finance and Personnel
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Colin Plant |
Foundation |
Southwark Diocesan Bd of Education |
10/12/17 |
4 |
9/12/21 |
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June Reid |
Foundation |
Parish Church Council |
05/12/17 |
4 |
04/12/2021 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Finance & Personnel Children Family and Community Admissions Complaints |
Child Protection Link Looked After Child Young Carers Treasurer |
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Philip Ratcliff |
LA |
Governing Body |
01/09/2014 |
4 |
31/08/2018 |
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Curriculum & Achievement(Chair)
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Chair of Governors ICT Link Training Link |
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Karen Vorster |
Staff |
Members of staff |
22/09/2016 |
4 |
21/09/2020 |
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Curriculum & Achievement |
n/a |
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Monica Whitney |
Foundation |
Parish Church Council |
15/10/2017 |
4 |
14/10/2021 |
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Curriculum & Achievement Admissions |
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Governors Register of Interests
As a school we are required to publish the register of interests for governors of our school on our website.
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The following interests have been declared: Name of Governor |
Relevant business interests |
Nature of interest |
Date Interest began |
Any other educational establishments governed |
Relationships with the school staff including spouses, partners and relatives |
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Philip Ratcliff |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
Wife: employee at school |
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Ken Kitson |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
Wife: employee at school |
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All other Governors have signed to state that they have no interest to declare.
Parent Governor Vacancy
To all parents and guardians of pupils attending St Stephen's C E Primary School
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Parent Governor Vacancy
There is an upcoming vacancy on the governing body, from 30th November 2019, for one elected parent governor. All parents and guardians with children at the school are eligible to stand for election and to vote for a candidate if there is more than one nomination. Parent governors serve for four years from the date they are elected and are not required to stand down if their child leaves the school before the end of their term of office.
The Role
As you may know, the Governing Body of St Stephen’s School plays and important role in the day to day running of the life of the school. A governor’s main role is to:
As part of a regular skills audit the Governing Body is seeking to recruit a Governor who is able to assist in the following areas:
Can you offer skills and expertise in one or more of these areas? In addition to regular meetings Governors are expected to take part in the life of the school. Governors regularly assist in the life of the school in the following important ways:
Please consider whether you might be able to serve our School in this important way. You can find out more information about the role of a Parent Governor via https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/volunteer-as-a-school-governor, or if you would like to discuss the role further please do not hesitate to be in touch with me. I can be contacted by email at pratcliff1.209@lgflmail.org
The Process
You are invited to submit nominations for the election on the attached form and return this to the school by 12 noon Tuesday 29th October 2019. No nomination will be accepted after that date. You may nominate yourself or another parent who has a pupil at the school, but if you are nominating someone else, please first check that they are willing to stand for election.
Those nominated to stand as parent governor should supply with their nomination form, a short personal statement about themselves of not more than 100 words, for circulation to the parents. If only one nomination is received that parent will be appointed without a ballot.
Key Dates
If an election needs to be held, the timetable for the election will be:
1st Nov Ballot papers sent out if necessary
18th Nov Closing date for receipt of ballot papers (midday) and count
21st Nov Notification of result
Nominations
Nominations must be submitted to the school office, in a sealed envelope addressed to Philip Ratcliff, marked Parent Governor Election, by 12 noon Tuesday 29th October 2019. Please also supply a passport sized photograph of the nominee.
If you require further information about being a Governor you can find more details online at
https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/volunteer-as-a-school-governor or pick up a leaflet from the school office.
If you have specific questions about being a Governor you can also email myself (pratcliff1.209@lgflmail.org) or Ken Kitson (kkitson1@lgflmail.org)
Yours sincerely,
Philip Ratcliff
Chair of Governors
NOMINATION FORM
To be submitted FAO Philip Ratcliff, Chair of Governors
No later than 12 noon, 29th October 2019
I wish to nominate myself for election as a parent governor of St Stephen’s C of E Primary School, SE8
Name and address (BLOCK CAPITALS)
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Nominee's Signature |
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Name of nominee’s child(ren) |
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Child(ren)’s class(es) |
or
I wish to nominate the person named below as a parent governor of St Stephen’s C of E Primary School, SE8
(You must check that they are willing to stand and ask them to sign the form below and complete their personal statement)
Name and address (BLOCK CAPITALS)
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Nominator’s Signature |
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Nominee's Signature |
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Name of nominee’s child(ren) |
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Child(ren)’s class(es) |
Nominee's Personal Statement
(not more than 100 words)
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