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About Us

Governors

“Effective governance involves team-work with the headteacher, staff, governors and community”

Governors have varied backgrounds and expertise, reflecting the many different interest groups in our school, but they have one important thing in common: all are dedicated to ensuring that the children in our school enjoy the best education possible.

At Hambrook Primary, the governors are extremely aware that successful school governance is a team effort. Regular Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings, Committee meetings and Working Party meetings enable us to work together effectively as a team and ensure that decisions are made democratically in the interests of the school.

Effective governance involves team-work with head teachers, staff, Governors and the community

What do Governors do?

Governors have varied backgrounds and expertise, reflecting the many different interest groups in our school, but they have one important thing in common: all are dedicated to ensuring that the children in our school enjoy the best education possible.

At Hambrook Primary School, the Governors are extremely aware that successful school governance is a team effort.  Regular Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings enable us to work together effectively as a team and ensure decisions are made democratically in the interests of the school.

School Governors make important collective decisions and the Governing Body is answerable to parents and the community.  As such, individual members are unable to act as a representative for anyone in an individual case.

The Most Effective Governors:

  • Care about children and young people
  • Want children and young people to enjoy their years at school and achieve the best that they can
  • Are keen to put something back into their community
  • Are eager to be part of a team with a common purpose and understand the importance of valuing different viewpoints and perspectives
  • Understand the value of life-long learning and show this by undertaking relevant training and development opportunities
  • Are willing to accept responsibility
  • Are willing to ask questions and challenge the school when necessary – Head Teachers and leadership teams welcome challenge if the effect is to improve the life chances of their pupils

The responsibilities of the Governing Body can be summarised as providing strategic management, acting as a critical friend and ensuring accountability.

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Plan the school’s long-term future and decide on the aims and objectives for the school
  • Set the school’s strategic aims and values and reinforce ethos
  • Monitor the provision of high standards of education and achievement
  • Review the staffing structure
  • Approve the Budget and ensuring proper budgetary management and control
  • Review and agreeing policies and practice which allow the Head Teacher the necessary tools to carry out her responsibilities
  • Ensure the national curriculum and religious education is taught
  • Agree pupil progress and set targets for improvement
  • Make sure children with special needs have access to the curriculum
  • Ensure the school is well maintained
  • Ensure Health and Safety requirements are met
  • Receive and discuss reports on the resulting practice 
  • Review our own working practices and standard

Types of Governor

There are various types of Governors drawn from different areas of the community.

Parent Governor

Elected by the parents and carers of children at the school.

Staff Governor

Selected by election from teaching and support staff from the school.

Co-opted Governor

Appointed by the Governing Body to represent the wider community or to provide specific skills.

LA Governor

Appointed by the Local Authority.

Our responsibility

Governors have a general, legally defined responsibility towards the effective management of the school.

Governors work with the Head Teacher and the Local Authority in a close and balanced partnership, making decisions about:

  • The aims, general conduct and ethos of the school
  • The Curriculum Policy including Sex Education, Religious Education and Collective Worship and Special Education Needs
  • The school budget delegated under LMS, the allocation of resources an annual review of staff pay
  • The Behaviour Policy
  • Equal opportunities
  • The maintenance of school buildings and use of the school premises outside the normal school hours
  • The Action Plan following school inspection
  • *  Attendance
  • *  Health and Safety
  • *  Special Educational Needs
  • Looked after children 

* These posts are statutory posts on a school’s Governing Body

Working Parties

Working Parties are set up when a particular need is identified and the Full Governing Body (FGB) feels that it could be more effectively addressed if a group of Governors/school staff/parents worked in a smaller group and reported back to the FGB.

Working Parties’ membership is usually a mixture of Governors and school staff, but sometimes parents and other interested parties are invited along to contribute.  We also have recourse to external advisors who can offer expert assistance to help us move more swiftly with particular projects.

Other information

Being a school Governor is not just all about meetings!  Governors visit the school on planned visits.  We also come along to events that the school has organised, such as:

  • Festivals and assemblies
  • Christmas Productions 
  • Christmas and Summer Fairs

Contacting the Governors

Any complaints must follow the school's complaint policy which can be found here. Please do not contact individual governors with concerns, these must be addressed to the school following our complaints policy found here

Business and Pecuniary Interests 2023-24

Name of Governor

Type of Governor

Date Appointed

Relevant Business Interests

Links to other Educational Establishments

Personal Relationships with School Staff or other Governors

Date Interest Declared

Jennifer Rubel

Headteacher

02.09.2019

None

None

None

08.09.2023

Laura Stace

Co-opted Governor

10.10.2023

None

None

None

12.10.2023

David Jenkins

Co-opted Governor

Chair

17.01.2022

None

Crossways School – Chair of Governors

Schools Forum – Maintained Primary Rep

None

12.09.2023

Emily Lewis

Co-opted Governor

01.01.2020

None

None

None

12.09.2023

Mark Dee

Local Authority Governor

17.01.2022

South Glos LA - Employee

None

None

11.09.2023

Madeleine Dunham

Co-opted Governor

22.03.2022

None

None

None

16.10.2023

Mark Pope

Parent Governor

27.01.2021

None

None

None

02.10.2023

Samuel Noone

Staff Governor

08.07.2023

None

None

Family relation to governor

15.09.2023

Jacob Ashcroft

Co-opted Governor

16.01.2024 None None None 19.01.2024
Lara Loomes Co-opted Governor 16.01.2024 None None Family relation to school staff member 24.01.2024

 

 

Contact Us

Hambrook Primary School, Moorend Road, Hambrook, Bristol, BS16 1SJ
0117 9568933