Governors
The Governing Body plays a vital role in the running of the school. It is made up of people from all of the groups involved in the school; local councillors, members of the church, parents, people from the local community and members of the school staff; they have a range of skills, expertise and knowledge that will be useful in running the school.
Governors work with the school to ensure that it provides the best possible education. Together with the Head Teacher the Governing Body set the school’s aims and policies, oversees the finances of the school and reviews the overall standards of attainment of the pupils. Each governor has a specific area of school life that they will look after. Full Governing Body meetings are held at least once per term; however some of the responsibilities of the Governing Body are managed by sub committees which may meet more often.
The Full Governing Body
Currently the Governing Body consists of 14 people:
Name | Type of Governor | Area of Responsibility | Roles | Term Starts | Term Ends | Voting Rights | Declaration of Business Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Gary Gentle | Headteacher | All committes | Governance and Training | 1 Apr 2008 | yes | Governor at Bilston Nursery school, Chair of Trustees at Shine Academies, Trustee of Kingswood Trust, Trustee of Bilston Relief In Need Charity, Trustee of Emma Bussey Trust, Director of ConnectEd Partnership | |
Mr Mark Bircher | Chair, Foundation Governor | F&GP, T&L, H&S | Chair, Pupil Premium, Wellbeing | 28 Feb 2020 | 27 Feb 2024 | yes | Church Warden St. Leonard's Church |
Mrs Trisha Gallardo | Co-opted Governor | T&L | EYFS | 23 Mar 2021 | 22 Mar 2025 | yes | Manager Bilston People’s Centre |
Ms Natasha Bhardwaj | Co-opted Governor | H&S | 28 May 2021 | 27 May 2025 | yes | ||
Ms Omowunmi Salami | Parent Governor | T&L | 1 Sep 2021 | 31 Aug 2025 | yes | ||
Mrs Sue Smith | Parent Governor | H&S | 1st Dec 2021 | 30 Nov 2025 | yes | Penn Fields School Admin Assistant | |
Ms Marcia Oshinowo | Parent Governor | SEND, Writing | 12 Dec 2021 | 11th Dec 2025 | yes | ||
Mrs Lucy Cooper | Other | F&GP, H&S | Access to GHub Only, School Business Manager, Papers Only - F&GP Committee | no | Governor at Fibbersley Park Academy | ||
Miss Isabelle Bugler | Other | H&S | Access to Ghub Only, Staff Representative for H&S Committee | no | |||
Mrs Jacky Thornton | Other | Access to Ghub Only, Deputy Headteacher | no | ||||
Mr Thomas Quinton | Other | H&S | Access to Ghub Only, Site Manager, Papers Only for H&S Committee | no | |||
Fainak Hamad | Parent Governor | T&L | Writing, Safeguarding Link Governor | 10 Oct 2022 | 9 Oct 2026 | ||
Sunita Kumar | Staff Governor | T&L | 28 Feb 2022 | 27 Feb 2026 | |||
Jayne Dooley | Foundation Governor | T&L | Attendance, Behaviour and Attitudes Link Governor | Summer 2024 | Spring 2028 | Yes | Warden at St. Leonard's Church |
Chineze Okoye | Foundation Governor | LAC Link Governor | Summer 2024 | Spring 2028 | Yes |
Business Interests - No conflicting interests
Remit: To provide the vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school; develop and monitor the School Development Plan; ensure sound financial management of the school’s financial resources, agreeing and monitoring the budget; ensure the Head Teacher is held to account for the educational performance of the school, monitoring standards and progress in achievement for all pupils.
Finance and General Purposes Committee
Chair: Mr Mark Bircher
Remit: To oversee the preparation of the school’s annual budget plan; ensure that financial systems comply with regulations; monitor expenditure; approve virements at the level specified in the school’s agreed financial procedures; ensure the maintenance of the inventories and security of assets.
Health and Safety Committee
Chair: Mr G Gentle
Remit: To recommend to the full governing body a health and safety, welfare and security policy; determine matters relating to building maintenance, health and safety and security and lettings outside of school hours; determine insurance arrangements.
Teaching and Learning Committee
Substantive Chair: Sunita Kumar
Remit: Ensure that the national curriculum is in place; agree, monitor and review a curriculum policy and scheme of work for each subject and area of the curriculum, report standards of teaching and attainment to the governing body; ensure that the delivery of sex education and RE are in line with the governors’ policies and legal guidance; monitor the arrangements for and provision of collective worship; ensure the curriculum complies with all relevant legislation; monitor the curriculum in respect of Special Needs and Disability.
Pupil or Staff Discipline Committee
Any three governors providing they have no involvement in the case being considered.
Remit: To consider exclusions and representations by the parent/carers and the LA in accordance with regulations; consider representations by staff/other parties in accordance with regulations in the case of issues involving staff.
If you are interested in becoming a Governor, or have any questions about the work of the Governing Body please contact the school.
All the Governors are required to disclose any business or pecuniary interests to avoid possible conflicts of interest. As of January 2016 there are no relevant interests. Declaration of interests is a statutory agenda item at every Governing Body meeting.
If parents/carers require paper copies of any documents on the website please contact the school office
Governor Attendance 2023/24
Name | Type | FGB | FGB | FGB | FGB | FGP | FGP | FGP | T&L | T&L | T&L | H&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Sp | Su | A | Sp | Su | A | Sp | Su | A | Su | ||
Mark Bircher *Chair | F | / | / | / | / | / | / | |||||
Rev Simon Skidmore | F | / | / | *Resigned April 2024 | ||||||||
Jayne Dooley | F | / | *Joined Board in Summer Term | |||||||||
Chineze Okoye | F | / | *Joined Board in Summer Term | |||||||||
Trisha Gallardo | Co-Opted | / | / | Ab | / | Ab | / | |||||
Sunita Kumar | Staff | Ab | / | / | / | / | Ab | |||||
Gary Gentle | HT | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
James Crawley | Co-Opted | / | / | *Resigned June 2024 | ||||||||
Sue Smith | P | / | / | / | / | Ab | ||||||
Mary Salami | P | / | / | Ab | / | / | Ab | |||||
Marcia Oshinowi | P | / | Ab | / | / | Ab | / | |||||
Fainak Hamad | P | / | / | / | Ab | / | / | |||||
Cllr BMomenabadi | LA | / | Ab | *Resigned Summer 2024 | / | Ab | ||||||
Natasha Bhardwaj | Co-Opted | / | / | / | / | / | ||||||
Lucy Cooper | Associate | / | / | / | / | / | ||||||
JThornton | Associate | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
Governor Attendance 2022/23
Key –
FGP = Finance and General Purposes
T&L = Teaching & Learning committee
FGB = Full Governing Body Meeting
LA = Local Authority
P = Parent
F = Foundation
Co-opted
Head Teacher
Staff
A = Autumn
Sp = Spring
Su = Summer