Our Governers
Welcome from the Chair of Governors
As the Chair of Governors I would like to welcome you to King Edward Primary School.
Our children are kind and caring individuals and their achievements are valued and encouraged and we take great pride in our pupils and the education we provide.
Our school is a hive of activity and the diversity in teaching style and opportunities will ensure that your child is motivated to learn and have fun whilst doing so. The amazing staff go above and beyond to ensure that the children have experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. This enables them to challenge themselves and develop a wide range of skills and knowledge that they can be proud of.
As a school we communicate with our parents and carers in a wide range of ways; using social media, our school website and different messaging platforms, so you will always be kept up to date with school life and events and the staff in our school office are highly experienced and available to help with any queries that you may have.
There are many opportunities and events where you will be able to join in and build a relationship with the school, other parents and the children at school and we actively seek to engage with our families on a regular basis.
The school is supported in its goals by a strong and experienced Governing Body and we continue to strive to make the school the best it can be. We make sure that the school’s strategic direction is supported, and that policies and procedures are robust and fit for purpose. We ensure that the school budget and resources are being used in the best way possible for our children. In addition to this we make sure that we have a wide-ranging set of skills and training so that we add value in everything we do.
Our children are our best advert and I would encourage you to visit the school if you can. You will be greeted by hardworking and enthusiastic learners, friendly staff, and a positive and bright teaching environment and will leave feeling the same way about the school as we do. I hope that you will feel that your child would like to join us and we look forward to your family choosing our school.
Chair of Governors
Contact our Governors
Jonathan Heath
Adele Tong
Governing Body’s Annual Statement 2020-21
The past year has seen some changes to the Governing Body with a new Chair (former Vice Chair) and Vice Chair and the appointment of a further 4 Governors. These new appointments resulted from one resignation, 2 unfilled vacancies and one governor reaching the end of their term of office; the Governing Body now has its full complement.
Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings and Sub-Committees has been excellent throughout the year with the majority of meetings continuing to take place virtually, partially due to Covid, but also because Governors and Leaders recognised the benefits of virtual meetings in terms of travel and workload.
Individual governors are directly involved in the school improvement process by being linked to a priority. Following the end of restrictions in the Summer and Autumn Term, Governors were again able to make visits to the school to better understand provision relating to each priority. Governors visit the school and talk to leaders, staff and children in order to report back to the Full Governing Body on the progress towards that priority from the school improvement plan.
Governor visits also fulfil the statutory requirements of around safeguarding and health and safety; again, these visits are reported to the Full Governing Body.
This year, the Governing Body have addressed:
- Ongoing issues relating to the pandemic, including bubble closures and remote learning.
- The gaps relating to lost learning and the subsequent successes in recovery.
- New statutory requirements within ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and relationships and sex education.
- The priorities from the school improvement plan.
- Children’s wellbeing.
- The welfare and workload of staff
- The school budget including the strong management shown by the headteacher on the negative financial impact of Covid, particularly around Out of School Hours provision.
- Updates to the Education Inspection Framework.
In all areas, Governors offer both challenge and support to school leaders in constructive dialogue that is evidence based and reflective.
| Committee | Abrv. | Name of Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing and Finance | S&F | Adele Tong |
| Curriculum and Pupil Outcomes | C&O | Claire Graham |
| Premises and Pupil Safety | P&S | Maria Humphreys |
| GOVERNOR / ASSOCIATE MEMBER | CATEGORY | APPOINTED BY OR ELECTED | START DATE | EXPIRY DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline Afolabi-Deleu | Foundation | Appointed | September 1, 2019 | August 31, 2023 |
| Kate Byrne | Head teacher | Appointed | September 1, 2010 | - |
| Jonathan Heath | Co-opted | Appointed | January 21, 2019 | January 20, 2023 |
| Jeannette Hefford | Parent | Elected | November 1, 2021 | October 31, 2025 |
| Lucy Laidler | Staff | Elected | September 1, 2019 | August 31, 2023 |
| David Lilly | Local Authority | Appointed | March 21, 2022 | March 20, 2026 |
| Mhairi McGowan | Co-opted | Appointment | September 1, 2021 | August 31, 2025 |
| Berni Miller | Co-opted | Appointed | September 1, 2021 | August 31, 2025 |
| Debra Nichol | Foundation | Appointed | December 5, 2019 | December 4, 2023 |
| Adele Tong | Co-opted | Elected | October 5, 2020 | October 4, 2024 |
| Sandra Garrity | Clerk/Support | - | ||
| Sarah Parnaby | Clerk/Admin | - | ||
| Vacancy | Co-opted | |||
| Vacancy | Parent | |||
| Claire Graham | Local Authority | Appointed | July 2, 2018 | March 20, 2022 - resigned |
| Maria Humphreys | Parent | Elected | March 8, 2019 | August 31, 2022 |
Strategic Governance
The purpose of a Governing Body is to support leaders in school by providing confident, strategic leadership and upholding robust systems of accountability for educational and financial performance. Governors are not involved in decisions around the day-to-day operational running of the school.
In order to perform this role well, a governor is expected to:
- Get to know the school, including by visiting the school occasionally during school hours, and gain a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses
- Work in partnership with the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and other governors to raise standards and improve outcomes for all children
- Attend induction training and regular relevant training and development events
- Attend meetings (full governing body meetings and committee meetings) and read all the papers before the meeting
- Act in the best interest of all the pupils of the school
- Behave in a professional manner, as set down in the governing body’s code of conduct, including acting in strict confidence.
Governors now play an even more vital role in the leadership of the school in relation to the new Ofsted inspection framework. It is important that a Governor understands their role within this and that they have a good level of understanding of the inspection framework and where the school currently sits within this and its plans for the future.
They must be comfortable to question and challenge within meetings and also be aware that their name may be reflected in the minutes when doing so.
