To love, to learn, to live... to leave a legacy
The Governing Body
Governing bodies are responsible and accountable for all major decisions about the school and its future. The Governing Body has, enshrined in the Education Act 2002, a legal responsibility to, ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school’.
It has specific statutory responsibilities and its main tasks are to:
- Offer a strategic view of the work of the school
- Support and challenge the Headteacher
- Hold the school to account for the standard and quality of education it achieves
- Deliver effectively by working as a team to plan, monitor and evaluate
- Appoint the Headteacher
Additionally, in Church of England schools the Foundation Governors have the special legal responsibility to ensure that the distinctive character of the school as a Church of England school is “preserved and developed” – that the school is recognisably Christian. It is their particular responsibility to see that the school’s Church of England basis has a relevant and meaningful role in the daily running of the school.
The governors do not get involved in the day to day running of the School; this is the responsibility of the Headteacher and the Staff. Should you have any issues or concerns about your child’s education, his/her Classteacher is always the first point of contact.
Our clerk to Governors is Mrs J Kelly, she can be contacted on clerk@smannellenham.hants.sch.uk
Who can be a Governor?
There are two types of governors, whose terms of office are initially for four years:
- Elected Governors – are representative of certain stakeholder groups, and can be parents or members of teaching and non-teaching staff (in addition to the Headteacher who is automatically a Governor). Parents are notified when parent governor vacancies arise, and are elected by the parents.
- Appointed Governors – include the Headteacher and, the LA Governor (appointed by the Local Authority) and Foundation Governors (appointed by the Diocese following recommendation from the Parochial Church Council of the Parish church, in our case Christ Church Smannell)
Governors are volunteers who want to make a positive contribution to the school and children’s education. Each brings with them a wide range of skills and experience.
We would like to add to our Governing Body. If you have skills in the following areas, please do get in touch with our clerk, Mrs J Kelly; clerk@smannellenham.hants.sch.uk.
- Accountancy & finance
- Marketing
- HR & personnel
- Communications
What do Governors actually do?
Governors in our school meet every month. We do not have separate committees but occasionally, for project or enquiry based work, we may have separate working parties. When we meet, we pre-read documentation compiled by various members of the school staff, including Governors. In doing so, we can ensure that our meeting time is productive and we are able to ask strategic, challenging questions.
During meetings, we may explore policies to ensure we meet statutory obligations, we may explore an aspect of the school’s provision eg. wrap around care, to ensure we are meeting the needs of our families or we might hear from a subject lead or member of the staffing team who carries specific responsibilities, eg, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo). The Headteacher also provides us with an update report at each meeting and each term, we monitor progress towards the school improvement plan.
Governors also set and monitor the budget and address any concerns as well as set future plans to ensure the school is financially viable and meeting all of its obligations with regards to finance. They oversee safeguarding and there is a nominated safeguarding Governor who meets with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) regularly.
Governors are also busy outside of meetings. They come into school to monitor the provision children are receiving. Whilst not qualified to make judgements about quality of teaching and learning, they can ensure that the policies they agree are being put into place. This is a critical part of the role to ensure the school is doing as it says and that the Governors are able to offer challenge as well as support.
Our Governors
Amanda Cox
Chair of Governors
My name is Amanda Cox I am chair of Governors for the school, I became a governor whilst my son was a pupil at the school.
I am myself an ex pupil of the school, with most of my family at some point attending the school. I feel very fortunate and privileged to be able to work with the children and staff at school to make Smannell and Enham the best if can possibly be.
I have sat on teh school development and finance committees over the years, been on training courses and seminars to improve my knowledge of the school and how we hold leaders to account and ensure the Governors have a strategic view of the school in the short, medium and long term.
James Cumpsty
Vice-Chair of Governors (Foundation)
I was previously a parent governor throughout my daughter Jessica’s
time at the school (she started in Sept 2014) and now I continue to
volunteer as a Foundation Governor. I run a small media production
business, which affords me time to dedicate to the school.
I grew up in Cambridge, but my work life was mainly in London until we
settled in Enham in 2006 when my wife got a job at a local Secondary
School.
There are a myriad of challenges a small rural Primary faces; and the
dedication of all stakeholders – especially the staff, make a
successful and safe school. As governors we never lose sight that it
is all about the children’s best possible experience/progress and
hopefully they will look back fondly at their time here.Being an
understanding critical eye on all aspects of school life is a role
that I relish.
Rev. Alex Randle-Bissell
Foundation Governor
Steph Drewery
Foundation Governor
I’m a parent to two children at Smannell and Enham, we moved to the area from London in 2021 and I became a governor in 2022 after my daughter had joined the school as I was keen to become more involved with the local community.
As an education professional myself I believe all children deserve a high quality of education that is inclusive and that schools should always be a safe and nurturing environment in which children can thrive. In my spare time I love gardening and am a keen but not always successful allotmenteer!
