The Role of School Governor
The Role of School Governor
The Governing Board at Great Bardfield School is made up of a range of volunteers from the community, parents and teaching staff who work together to ensure the best possible education for every child at the School. The Governing Board works with the Headteacher and her senior leadership team to set the strategic direction of the school, aspiring to ensure the optimum progress for all our pupils.
The governors bring a wealth of skills and experience to the Board from various sectors including finance, education and the law. All governors undertake training and have specific responsibilities, including safeguarding, financial management, special educational needs, equality and health and safety.
The role of School Governor can be challenging but always rewarding, striving to provide the best educational opportunities for all the children by working in partnership with parents, teachers and governors.
Governors have a statutory obligation to:
• hold the Headteacher and the school management team to account
• help evolve and agree the school’s Strategic Plan
• ensure that all relevant policies are up to date, fit for purpose and adhered to
• agree the annual budget and monitor income and expenditure throughout the year
• agree the School Development Plan (which details the school’s educational priorities for each academic year and how they will be achieved),
• agree the progress and attainment targets for our pupils
• monitor and review results regularly.
From Spring 2024 we are operating via what is known as the Circle Model of governance. Instead of having a number of sub committees which report in to the Full committee, we are trialling a system where all governors attend half termly full committees. Reducing the overall number of meetings, reduces the workload of preparation and out of hours meetings for staff and for governors ensures they are all better informed, repetition is lessened and governors have more time to be in school and attend training. We are lucky to have always been very welcomed in our school as via visits, governors triangulate insights from reports and meetings, enabling us to better know and support our school.
There are other committees which meet to discuss particular areas of responsibility such as Safeguarding and Pay and Conditions.
Our role is strategic and whilst we work to support the headteacher and the success of the school, we do not run the school on a day-to-day basis – this is done by our headteacher, Elizabeth Crow.
To contact the Chair of Governors please email, write or telephone via the school office.
Governor Appointments 2023/24
Chair
Jane Tillotson
Vice-Chair
Vacant
Headteacher
Elizabeth Crow
Governors by appointing body:
Staff Governor
Emma White
Co-opted Governors (appointed by the governing board)
Christopher Barr
Molly Blackburn
Julia Collins
Janet Dyson
Geoff Gardner
Johanna Goldsmith
Jan Hitchcock
Julie Lowe
Sheree Reilly
Jane Tillotson
Christian Young
Local Authority Governor
Vacant
Parent Governors
Sheree Reilly
Associate Governor – Health and Safety
Darren Hockley
Clerk
Debbie Rogers
Previous Governing Body Members who have served in the past 12 months
Sam Rode-Eagle – Stepped down March 2024
Sonia Strickland Stepped down May 2023
Susannah Mercer stepped down July 2023
IMPORTANT GOVERNOR DOCUMENTATION
Governor Code of Conduct 2023/24
Great Bardfield Primary Sealed Instrument of Government
Governor Details, Terms of Office, Responsibilities & Business Interests 2023/24
Governor Meeting Attendance 2022/23
We encourage all parents to use the Ofsted ‘Parent View’ link https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk to express your views on our school? Your feedback is essential for continued improvement. Every September the previous year’s comments are erased for the new academic year. So, if you have not used the service since September 2023, please take a minute to do so and give your valued feedback on our school, it is much appreciated. The more submissions the better and do note that BOTH parents can submit their views (from separate e-mail addresses). Thank you.
Meet the Governors
Jane Tillotson
Responsibilities: Chair, Management and Leadership
Current term started: June 2010
Term ends: July 2023
Message to Parents: Having originally been a parent governor, while my two now grown up children went through the School, I am now a co-opted governor. I live in Great Bardfield and truly believe we are very privileged to have a school, at the heart of our community, offering a good education. The school likewise ensures that every child is encouraged to develop in to a kind and respectful, individual.
My wish is to encourage all our parents and carers to focus on how much their children can gain from providing the school with their support, a positive attitude and mutual respect.
Christopher Barr
Responsibilities: Marketing and Finance support
Current term started: May 2023
Term ends: May 2027
Message to Parents: Having a background in finance, I am a partner of Morrel, Heard and Barr having previously worked at a number of investment banks for 30 years, specialising in Asian Equities. As such I hope to apply my business and finance insight to support the school.
Living locally, I am married with three adult children and I also run a smallholding, a Christmas tree and decoration business and a wedding venue at our home, just outside Steeple Bumpstead.
Molly Blackburn
Responsibilities: Personal Development
Current term started: January 2023
Term ends: January 2027
Message to Parents:
Julia Collins
Responsibilities: Finance and Early Years and Foundation Stage
Current term started: September 2021
Term ends: September 2025
Message to Parents: I am an accountant and have lived in Great Bardfield for 18 years. I worked in the education sector in the latter part of my career and have been a governor in a secondary school and a university. The school is incredibly impressive, and I am delighted to be part of this vital part of the community of our village.
Elizabeth Crow
Responsibilities: Headteacher, Chair of Data Committee
Service started: September 2022
Nature of interest: Employed by school
Job: Headteacher
Message to Parents: My role, as part of the Governing Body, is to meet with the Safeguarding Governor to discuss any safeguarding concerns, report to the different committees that link into the Full Governing Body and welcome all Governors into the school as supportive and critical friends. I believe that the collaborative partnership between the Headteacher and the Governing Body is intrinsic to moving the school forwards to provide the best care and opportunities for our children. Our dedicated governors help to cement our links within the community and put our school at the heart of the village. Together we will help your child to reach their full potential, embracing all that is special and unique to them.
Emma White
Responsibilities: Deputy Headteacher, Year 6 Class Teacher, Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Current term started: March 2020
Term ends: March 2024
Nature of interest: Employed by school
Job: Deputy Headteacher, English Leader, History Leader
Message to Parents: I joined Great Bardfield Primary School in 2015 as a trainee teacher and loved it so much that I’ve stayed. I currently teach Phoenix (year 6 class) and I have also taught year 3 and 4. Although year 6 is a busy year, I really enjoy the challenge and the conversations with my class. My personal interests are reading and history and I love sharing this with my children. I became the staff governor in 2020 and I really enjoy being part of the school community and the governing body.
Julie Lowe
Responsibilities: Inclusion, Special Educational Needs, Disadvantaged pupils, Pupil Premium
Current term started: June 2023
Term ends: May 2027
Job: Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy
Message to Parents: My involvement with Great Bardfield Primary School began many years ago when all four of my children had a wonderful primary education here. I became a parent governor when my youngest child was in the school, and have for many years been the governor with responsibility for monitoring the school’s special educational needs provision.
Over the years I have seen the school manage many structural and procedural changes and challenges without ever losing sight of the core responsibility to educate our children in the fullest sense: to be thoughtful, enquiring, responsible and caring.
We are very lucky to have a new dynamic head teacher who demonstrates an extraordinary level of commitment to maintaining this caring perspective, alongside an explicit determination to work with her staff to raise standards of attainment across the school.
Janet Dyson
Responsibilities: Equality and Diversity/Race and Equality and Quality of Education,
Current term started: June 2023
Term ends: June 2027
Message to Parents: I have been connected with the school for over 40 years as a teacher, parent of three children and as a governor. I enjoy being a governor and believe that we have a major role in ensuring that the school provides the best education for our children. I have a particular interest in links with the community and feel that we are fortunate to have such a successful primary school at the heart of this lively village.
Geoff Gardner
Responsibilities: Behaviour and Attitudes
Current term started: September 2020
Term ends: September 2024
Message to Parents:I live in the village and I’m grandad (and my wife is grandma) to two boys, and soon a girl, who are pupils at Great Bardfield School. I am a planning consultant and was Head of Planning at Essex CC. Having spent many years in Local Government I hope I bring some relevant skills to the Governing Body. My objective is to support the Head and the team in any way I can, who are doing a fantastic job running a very good school. I see the school as the centre of this community (and the Coop – obviously!).’
Jan Hitchcock
Responsibilities:Early Years and Foundation Stage
Current term started: January 2023
Term ends: January 2027
Message to Parents: I have lived in Great Bardfield for five years and really appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a vibrant community with so many facilities and a great primary school.
Darren Hockley
Responsibilities: Associate Governor with Health and Safety and Premises Link
Current term started: September 2023
Term ends: August 2024
Christian Young
Responsibilities: Safeguarding Governor
Current term started: May 2023
Term ends: May 2027
Message to Parents: I am a solicitor, married and have two children who have now left home. I know the school as my wife’s sister lives in the village. I love the role of a governor and the ability to help the school and its pupils.
Jo Goldsmith
Responsibilities: Behaviour and Attitudes
Current term started: September 2021
Term ends: September 2025
Message to Parents: I currently work part time as a Humanities teacher in a local secondary school. My specialist subject is Geography. I have worked in a variety of schools in my career so far, a boys school, a girls school and 2 mixed schools. I worked my way up to Head of Humanities and did this job for a few years until I had my first child. I now have three young children and I work part time. I have extensive experience of organising and leading school trips, from day trips to residential trips abroad.
Before teaching I used to work abroad, in France, for a holiday company. I was a resort manager, managing their operations and their staff in a few different French ski resorts. I love sports, particularly skiing and cycling.
I recently moved to Great Bardfield (from Stansted) so I am new to the community. I am very pleased to be a Governor at Great Bardfield Primary School.
Sheree Reilly
Responsibilities: Personal Development
Current term started: November 2020
Term ends: November 2024
Message to Parents: I feel very honoured to be a parent Governor at Great Bardfield and it is a great school to be a part of. Since becoming a Governor, I have been enthused with the commitment of parents, teachers and Governors to providing the best education possible for our treasured pupils. The pupils leave Great Bardfield with a broadened knowledge of the world around them and with a mature, responsible attitude; eager to build on their knowledge at secondary.