Governors
OUR GOVERNING BODY
On the 1st September 2014 we joined both of our schools together to form the Federation of Heavers Farm and Selsdon Primary Schools. This means that we now share one governing body.
We meet as a governing body at least once a term. We also have two committees which also meet once a term; the School Improvement Committee and the Resources Committee. Governors allocate themselves to a particular committee each year. For the list of who sits on what committee, please see the list below.
Our Governance Manager is Liz Parry. She is responsible for the leadership, organisation, administration and clerking arrangements for our governing body.
Here is a leaflet explaining what our governing body do: What Governors Do
The Governing Body is composed as follows:
2 Parent governors (one from each school)
The Executive Headteacher
1 staff governor
1 Local Authority governor
2 Partnership Governors
6 Co-opted Governors
Total Number of governors is 13. This is confirmed in our Instrument of Government dated 19th January 2016.
HOW TO CONTACT THE GOVERNING BODY
If you need to contact the Governance Manager, the Chair or Vice Chair you can reach them by:
Telephone: 020 8653 5434 and speak to any of the office staff. Please give them your name, and telephone number and an indication of the best time to contact you. They will pass your message on to the relevant person.
Email to office@heaversfarm.croydon.sch.uk with ‘Governor Enquiry’ in the subject line. The office will forward your email immediately.
Post please address your letter to the relevant person:
c/o Heavers Farm Primary School
58 Dinsdale Gardens
London SE25 6LT
OUR GOVERNORS
Attendance figures are based on the academic year 2015/16.
GRAHAM CLUER
I have been a governor of Heavers Farm for about 12 years and was a governor of Selsdon in the period running up to federation. I am chair of governors of the Federation Governing Body. Previously I have served on the governing bodies of three secondary schools and three other primary schools. Before I retired I was a secondary school teacher in Croydon teaching science to GCSE and A level and was head of faculty of science and technology.
For 8 years I sat on the national executive of one of the major teacher unions. I have served on Croydon Council’s Education Sub Committee and the Scrutiny Committee for Education. Also I sat on the Borough’s exclusion appeals’ committee and admission appeals’ committee. I am married with two grown up children. I am a licensed radio amateur and my hobbies include computing, photography and astronomy.
Partnership Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 1st September 2014
Committees served on: Resources Committee and School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Chair of Governors. Headteacher Performance Management Panel
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: Wife is a governor for Beulah Infant School. Member of Croydon’s Schools Forum.
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 80%
GARY COY
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 24th November 2015. Stepped down 19th October 2016.
Committees served on: Resources Committee and School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Headteacher Performance Management Panel
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 50%
MICHAEL FORTEATH
I have been a governor for just over seven years, starting as a parent governor at Selsdon Primary. I am now a Local Authority governor which has allowed us to include other parents into the governing body. Both my daughters have been taught at Selsdon. I was Chair of governors at Selsdon before the federation. My main responsibilities are looking at behaviour and activity regarding anti-bullying.
Local Authority Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 1st September 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated Safeguarding Governor
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 80%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
LYNSEY BARNETT
Staff Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 22nd October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 60%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
MOSES BUKENYA
Parent Governor (Heavers Farm)
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 13th October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 60%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
NIGEL COLLINS
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 22nd October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
SARAH FAULDING
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 22nd October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 80%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 67%
DESMOND OGG
I became a governor at Selsdon Primary in March 2014 and remained on the federated schools governing body with Heavers Farm as the finance governor. I am currently the vice-chair of governors, and the chair of the Resources Committee.
I became a governor representative to the local authority School’s Forum in 2008. This forum works on funding allocations to schools based on locally adjusted criteria for total education funds allocated to the borough by government. I am currently vice chair and a member of two work groups covering early years and high needs (special needs) funding.
Business Background. Now retired. Before retirement and included in my career positions I was the director for of strategic, long and short term planning, manager of ICT and many other senior positions in the company that remains a major worldwide organisation in oil and gas exploration and production.
Partnership Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 1st September 2014
Committees served on: Resources Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated finance governor and effectiveness of Early Years. Vice Chair of Governors. Chair of Resources Committee.
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: Governor for Kensington Avenue Primary School. Member of Croydon’s Schools Forum.
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
SUSAN PAPAS
Executive Headteacher
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 1st September 2014
Committees served on: Resources Committee and School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: Daughter is a member of staff at Heavers Farm.
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
LIZ PARRY
Governance Manager
Voting rights: None
Register of business and pecuniary interests:
Clerk to the Governing Body at St John’s Cof E Primary School
Clerk to the Governing Body at Bensham Manor School
Clerk to the Governing Body at Rockmount School
Clerk to the Governing Body at The Crescent School
Governance Clerk for the STEP Academy Trust
SIMON POWELL
Parent Governor (Selsdon)
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 13th October 2014. Stepped down 21st June 2016.
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
JOANNA READ
Deputy Executive Headteacher/Associate Member
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 30th September 2014
Committees served on: Resources Committee and School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: None
Voting rights: Full voting rights in committees. No voting rights in full governing body.
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 60%
HILARY SMITH
Now retired, I previously held senior administrative positions in the civil service, local government and the charity sector, as well as sitting as a lay member of Employment Tribunals. As a longstanding governor of Heavers Farm Primary School, the positions I have held have included Chair and Vice-Chair and Finance Committee Chair. I have lived in South Norwood for many years and my two daughters attended a nearby Croydon primary school.
Associate Member
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 30th September 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated Looked After Children governor.
Voting rights: Full voting rights in committees. No voting rights in full governing body.
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 33%
JANICE SPROUSE
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 22nd October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated SEND governor.
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 60%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 0%
ALAN TIGG
I live in Croydon and am father of two girls, my oldest attends Heavers Farm Primary School and is in Year Six. I work in local Government as a IT Networks and Telecoms Manager, and I have experience in IT, large capital building projects, contracts and tenders and purchasing. I am a qualified Project Manager and in my personal life I was the commanding Officer of a Cadet unit. I have over 20 years experience in Youth Projects and have held trustee positions in a number of charities and committees and was on the Children’s and Young People Panel in Bromley. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, canoeing and sailing.
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 3rd March 2015
Committees served on: Resources Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated health and safety governor.
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: Employed by London Borough of Richmond and Wandsworth Borough Councils.
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 100%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 100%
CHRIS WILLIAMS
My Names is Chris Williams, I have four children, three of which attend Heavers Farm. I work as a music Teacher for a London Council. As a governor, I have a focus on the Schools Special Needs provision.
Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 4 years
Date of appointment: 22nd October 2014
Committees served on: School Improvement Committee
Positions of responsibility: Nominated SEND governor.
Voting rights: Full
Register of business and pecuniary interests: None
Attendance record at Full Governing Body Meetings: 40%
Attendance record at Committee Meetings: 6%
MINUTES OF FULL GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS
Hard copies of the minutes are also available from either school office.
FGB Minutes 19th September 2016
FGB Minutes 24th November 2015
FGB Minutes 30th September 2015
What do governors do?
We have taken some of the following information from the National Governors Association (NGA).
School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education.
Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing body is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school.
School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. At Selsdon Primary the site is owned by the governing body as they are a Foundation School. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the Executive Headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.
Each individual governor is a member of a governing body, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing body. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body.
The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:
- set the aims and objectives for the school
- set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
- set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
- monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
- be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend)
The Executive Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.
Who can become a governor?
Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people. There are different types of school with different categories of governor.
The types of state schools in England are:
- community
- voluntary controlled
- voluntary aided
- foundation
- trust – a type of foundation school
- academies, free Schools & City Technology Colleges (CTCs) – independent state funded schools
There are also different categories of governor:
- parent
- staff
- foundation
- partnership
- local authority
- co-opted
The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however all governors have the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing body.
More Information on school governors
For more information on what school governors do and for information on how to become a school governor there are excellent resources here:
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