Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary

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. Time and time again Ofsted (the national inspection body for schools) has noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management - including by the Governing Body.  

All schools in England have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’: to support, to challenge, to ask questions, ultimately to represent the school community.

The Governing Body works in close partnership with the headteacher, staff and the local authority. Whilst the headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with such things as staffing, curriculum, school buildings and finance. It ensures the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives.

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability. Governors appoint the Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher.  It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance  and it is governors who work with the head teacher 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 to ensure high standards of achievement for all children in the school, its key functions are: 

• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• ​Hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
• Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.
• The 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.

If you would like to use your skills to make a positive impact on the education of our pupils and would like to know more about how you can become a school governor at Shaw-cum-Donnington Primary School, please contact the school office on 01635 40971 or email office@shaw.w-berks.sch.uk

In 2015 the governing body elected to reconstitute, in keeping with statutory guidance from the Department for Education. We took this decision as it allowed us to change the numbers and types of governors we have and to appoint more people on the basis of the skills they could bring.

The governing body now consists of:

• The Headteacher
• One elected staff governor
• One appointed local authority governor
• Two foundation governors
• Two elected parent governors
• Three co-opted governors

The standard term of office for a governor is four years. The chair and vice-chair are elected annually at the first meeting of the academic year.
The chair of governors is Mr Nick Breach, who can be contacted via the school office.  The work of the governing body is carried out at full board level with two focus based (Teaching & Learning and Resources) meetings per term.  There are seperate committees dealing with school policies and pay reviews.

Our Governors                                                                             Instrument of Governance
                                                                                                                                    Governor's Statement of Behaviour Principles

Headteacher - Miss Vicky Murray
The Headteacher is an Ex-officio governor which means they are a member of the governing body by virtue of the position held in school and do not need to be elected.
Positions of Responsibility: Policy Committee
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  7/7 FGB, 1/1 Pay, 2/2 Policy
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  9/9 FGB, 1/1 Pay, 3/3 Policy
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance:  3/3 FGB, Policy1/1
Register of Interests: None

Nick Breach
Category of Governor: Foundation
Appointed By: Oxford Diocese
Term of Office: 29/4/16 to 28/4/2020
Positions of Responsibility: Chair of FGB, Health & Safety
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  6/7 FGB
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  9/9 FGB, 1/1 Pay
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 9/10 FGB, 1/1 Pay
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 4/4 FGB, 4/4 Resources, 1/1Pay
Register of Interests: None

Rev'd Dr Marion Wood
Category of Governor: Foundation
Appointed By: Oxford Diocese
Term of Office: 3/12/2014 to 2/12/2018
Positions of Responsibility: SEN
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance: 7/7 FGB, 1/1 Pay, 2/2 Policy 
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  8/9 FGB
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 8/10 FGB
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 3/4 FGB, 2/2 Teaching & Learning
Register of Interests: None

Alison Richman
Category of Governor: Staff
Appointed By: Staff
Term of Office: 12/1/2015 to 11/1/2019
Positions of Responsibility: Policy Committee
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  7/7 FGB, 2/2 Policy
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  7/9 FGB, 3/3 Policy
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 10/10 FGB, 2/3 Policy
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 4/5 FGB, 3/3 Resouces, 2/3 Teaching & Learning, 1/1 Policy
Register of Interests: Husband provides an occasional ad hoc maintenance service for the school.

Peter Loomes
Category of Governor: Parent
Appointed By: Parents
Term of Office: 2/2/2017 to 1/2/2021
Positions of Responsibility: Safeguarding
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  5/7 FGB, 1/1 Pay
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  7/9 FGB, 0/1Pay
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 8/10 FGB
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 1/1 FGB, 1/1 Teaching & Learning
Register of Interests: None

Debbie Evans
Category of Governor: Co-Opted
Appointed By: Governing Body
Term of Office: 3/7/2017 to 2/7/2021
Positions of Responsibility: Development
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  5/7 FGB, 1/1 Pay
Register of Interests: None

Keith Watts
Category of Governor: Co-Opted
Appointed By: Governing Body
Term of Office: 25/9/2017 to 24/9/2021
Positions of Responsibility: PPG
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  4/5 FGB, 0/2 Policy
Register of Interests: None

Hannah Elder
Category of Governor: Parent
Appointed By: Parents
Term of Office: 6/11/2017 to 5/11/2021
Positions of Responsibility: Data Protection
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  4/5 FGB
Register of Interests: None

Robert Mitchell
Category of Governor: Local Authority
Appointed By: Governing Body
Term of Office: 23/4/2018 to 22/4/2022
Positions of Responsibility: TBC
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  3/4 FGB
Register of Interests: None

Local Authority Governor - One vacancy
  If you are interested in becoming a Local Authority Governor, please contact our Clerk - Delia Jones in the school office or see our vacancies page for more information.

Past Governors

Judith Bunting
Category of Governor: Co-Opted
Appointed By: Governing Body
Term of Office: 25/9/2017 to 27/2/2018
Positions of Responsibility: TBC
2017 - 18 Meeting Attendance:  0/3 FGB
Register of Interests: None

Diana McMinn
Category of Governor: Local Authority
Appointed By: Governing Body
Term of Office: 18/5/2015 to 8/2/2017
Positions of Responsibility: Policy Committee, Safeguarding
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  5/5 FGB, Policy1/1
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 8/10 FGB, 2/3 Policy
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 4/4 FGB, 3/4 Resources, 3/3 Teaching & Learning, 2/3Policy
Register of Interests: None

Daryl Brown
Category of Governor: Co-opted
Appointed By: Governing Body
Positions of Responsibility: None
Term of Office: 30/3/2015 to 5/6/2017
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  5/7 FGB, Pay 1/1
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 6/10 FGB, 1/1 Pay
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 2/2 FGB, 2/2 Resources
Register of Interests: None

Kathryn Leslie
Category of Governor: Parent
Appointed By: Parents
Term of Office: 2/2/2017 to 5/7/2017
Positions of Responsibility: Chair of FGB, Chair of Policy Committee, Finance & Governor Development
2016 - 17 Meeting Attendance:  5/7 FGB, 1/1 Pay, Policy2/2
2015 - 16 Meeting Attendance: 10/10 FGB, 3/3Policy, 1/1 Pay
2014 -15 Meeting Attendance: 4/5 FGB, 4/4 Resources, 1/1 Policy,
Register of Interests: None

2017/2018 Objectives
The FGB objectives and strategic priorities for the next academic year are:
Leadership and Management
Recruit new governors to fill all current vacancies. Actively seek people with the required skills to strengthen and grow the effectiveness of the governing body. Undertake a review of our new governor induction process to ensure we give new governors the best preparation possible.

To review and implement whole school policy and procedures for behaviour and wellbeing grounded in the school’s recently agreed values and to improve communication with parents.

Behaviour and Safety of Pupils
Review our Anti Bullying Policy in conjunction with the relevant safeguarding documents to ensure that the school has the right tools to combat bullying and to issue suitable sanctions when/if it occurs. Implement all agreed recommendations and improvements and monitor for effectiveness.

Quality of Teaching
Through the regular review of performance and effectiveness of interventions, improve outcomes in mathematics and phonics to reduce variations in achievement within the school.

Achievement of Pupils
To ensure that vulnerable groups across the school make accelerated progress where necessary in order to keep up with their peers.

Early Years Provision
Redevelop and grow the foundation class outside learning area so that it is more engaging and supports complex learning and teaching.