At Hester’s Way Primary School, we:
Our Governing Board is made up of volunteers who believe strongly that education can improve everyone’s lives and also that primary school education should provide the strong foundation that all children need for a successful future. We all have our own experiences of this and are proud to be able to give back to our school and its children by fulfilling the important role of governance as the ‘accountable body’ and also by being a driving force for continuous improvement. Our role and responsibilities are explained more fully in the ‘Purpose of Governance’ below.
Our current intent is to strengthen the effectiveness and impact of governance, focusing on vision and strategy, accountability and finance, ‘ensuring by seeking assurance’, so that all HWP children achieve to their best potential and are equipped with the knowledge and cultural capital to enable them to succeed in life.
“The purpose of governance is to provide confident and strong strategic leadership which leads to robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.
All governance boards, no matter what type of school or how many schools they govern, have three core functions:
Our main role is to support and challenge the Headteacher, the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. We help them to set and reach targets and to strive for excellence across the whole spectrum of school life. This is actioned through school development planning, we use a Raising Achievement Plan (RAP) and Curriculum Leaders use mini RAPS. The school’s progress is evaluated termly through the RAP. Also, the School’s Self Evaluation Form (SEF) is another working document that reflects the school’s recent journey and current outcomes.
Our legal duties include: setting strategic direction, policies and objectives; approving the school budget; reviewing progress against the school’s budget and objectives; appointing, challenging and supporting the headteacher.
The Governing Board meets regularly, at least once every term. We are currently holding “virtual” Full Governing Board meetings. Curriculum and Standards, Finance and Personnel, Premises and Health and Safety are covered during these meetings.
There are several categories of governor, appointed by different groups that have an interest in the school. These are Co-opted governors, the Local Authority (LA), Parents, the Head Teacher and Staff. The Chair and Vice Chair are elected annually or whenever there becomes a vacancy.
Governors with statutory subject links monitor the subject area by liaising with teaching staff to discuss plans, data, teaching and learning, children’s work and any other relevant information.
Governors are committed to providing an excellent education and environment for all pupils to enjoy during their time at our school.
Governor Information – Terms of Office and Interests:
Name | Type | Role | Elected by | Term of Office | Declaration of Business & Pecuniary Interests & Governance in any other schools |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Penny Manuel | Co-opted | Chair of Governors | Governors | 12.09.22 – 11.09.23 | None |
Pippa O’Connell | Co-opted | Governor | Governors | 14.11.22 – 13.11.26 | None |
Clare Godzisz | Staff | Governor | Staff | 06.09.21 – 05.09.25 | Member of Staff |
Kirsti Ashman | Head Teacher | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher | 11.04.16 | Member of Staff |
James Hayden | Parent | Governor | Parents | 06.09.21 – 05.09.25 | Teaching staff at Cheltenham College |
Michelle Luca-Halliwell | Co-opted | Governor | Governors | March 2024 | Member of staff at Cheltenham College |
Vacancies | 2 x Parent 1 x Local Authority 1 Co-opted | ||||
Governors left in the last 12 months | |||||
Christina Dee | Co-opted | Governor | Governors | 13.06.22- 01.03.24 | |
Lisa Slawig | Co-opted | Governor | Governors | 13.06.22- 21.07.23 | None |
Subject | Link Governor | Teaching Staff |
---|---|---|
Early Years | Amy Wilkes | Emma Best/Alex Gilbert Green |
Safer Recruitment SEND Curriculum – Art | Penny Manuel | Kirsti Ashman Mel Richards Alex Gilbert-Green |
Pupil Premium/ Disadvantage | Christina Dee | Sarah Royle |
Safeguarding Attendance Curriculum – History | James Hayden | Kirsti Ashman Kirsti Ashman Daniel Matthews |
Health & Safety | Pippa O’Connell | Kirsti Ashman |
Maths | Christina Dee | Emma Best |
English | Penny Manuel | Sarah Royle |
.
Governor’s Meeting Attendance Records:
Governor Meeting Attendance 2023 – 2024
Name | Full Governing Body | Attendance | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14/09/23 | 02/10/23 | 20/11/23 | 22/01/24 | 04/03/24 | 22/04/24 | 20/05/24 | 17/06/24 | 05/07/24 | %YTD | |
Kirsti Ashman | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 33% | ||||||
Penny Manuel | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 33% | ||||||
Chris Dee | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | 11% | ||||||
Pippa O’Connell | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | 22% | ||||||
James Hayden | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | 11% | ||||||
Clare Godzisz | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 33% | ||||||
Amy Wilkes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 33% | ||||||
In Attendance | ✅ | |||||||||
Absent | ❌ | |||||||||
Not Required | – |
Governor Meeting Attendance 2022 – 2023
Name | Full Governing Body | Attendance | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12/09/22 | 17/10/22 | 14/11/22 | 16/01/23 | 13/03/23 | 25/05/23 | 12/06/23 | 17/07/23 | %YTD | |
Kirsti Ashman | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | – | 100% |
Penny Manuel | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | – | 86% |
Chris Dee | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | – | 100% |
Pippa O’Connell | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | – | 86% |
James Hayden | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | – | 57% |
Lisa Slawig | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | – | 57% |
Clare Godzisz | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | – | 86% |
In Attendance | ✅ | ||||||||
Absent | ❌ | ||||||||
Not Required | – |
Governor Meeting Attendance 2022 – 2023
Meeting | In Attendance | Apologies |
---|---|---|
14.11.22 | Penny Manuel, Chris Dee, Clare Godzisz, Lisa Slawig, Kirsti Ashman, James Hayden, Pippa O’Connell | |
17.10.22 | Penny Manuel, Chris Dee, Clare Godzisz, Lisa Slawig, Kirsti Ashman | James Hayden, Pippa O’Connell |
Full Governing Board 12.09.22 | Penny Manuel (Chair), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Pippa O’Connell, James Hayden, Clare Godzisz, Christina Dee, Lisa Slawig | None |
Governor Meeting Attendance 2021 – 2022
Meeting | In Attendance | Apologies |
---|---|---|
Full Governing Board 18.07.22 | Penny Morse (Acting Chair for this meeting only), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Clare Godzisz, Chris Dee, Lisa Slawig | Penny Manuel, Pippa O’Connell, James Hayden |
Full Governing Board 13.06.22 | Penny Manuel (Vice and Acting Chair), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Pippa O’Connell, , James Hayden, Clare Godzisz, Christina Dee, Lisa Slawig | Penny Morse |
Full Governing Board 09.05.22 | Meeting Postponed | |
Full Governing Board 14.03.22 | Jon Glover (Chair), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Penny Morse, Penny Manuel, James Hayden, Clare Godzisz, Pippa O’Connell | None |
Full Governing Board 19.01.22 | Jon Glover (Chair), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Penny Morse, Penny Manuel, James | Pippa O’Connell, Clare Godzisz |
Full Governing Board 08.11.21 | Jon Glover (Chair), Kirsti Ashman (Head teacher), Pippa O’Connell, Penny Morse (virtual), Penny Manuel, Clare Godzisz | James Hayden |
Full Governing Board 06.09.21 | J Glover (Chair), Kirsti Ashman, Penny Morse, Pippa O’Connell, Penny Manuel, Clare Godzisz and James Hayden | None |