Our Governors

Co-Chair of Governors

I am delighted to be Co-Chair of Governors at Willingdon Primary School. I have been a governor at the school for 8 years and have thoroughly enjoyed being involved with our wonderful school during those years. I have also been involved in the governing boards of 2 other schools and regularly share best practice with other governors in the area.

I have had over 40 years’ experience in education being a teacher and leader in secondary schools followed by 12 years working for the local authority as a senior manager for school improvement. The importance of a quality education for all is deeply ingrained in me and I have worked with the governing board and the headteachers at Willingdon Primary to strive for the very best for our children.

It is, as always, a demanding and challenging time for schools with changes in curriculum and assessment, pressure to raise standards and coping with reduced budgets. Willingdon Primary is no exception. Please be assured the governing board is rising to these challenges and will continue to work to secure the best possible education for your children.

If you see me around the school, please stop me for a chat. I am always happy to hear your views.

Laura Carter - Co-Chair of Governors

Meet our Governors

The Governing Body of Willingdon Primary School consists of 12 people drawn from the school’s wider community, including parent, staff, local schools and the Local Authority. In line with regulations, our parent governors are elected by other parents with children at our school; staff governors are elected by school staff; co-opted governors are appointed by our governing body and our Local Authority governor is recommended by the Local Authority. Working in partnership with the Headteacher and her senior leadership team, the individual members bring a diversity of knowledge and experience to our school.

The Government is encouraging governors to focus on three core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The Governing Body has a number of legal responsibilities. It is required to meet at least 3 times a year and is legally responsible, amongst other things, for:

• Arranging for the National Curriculum and its assessment procedures to be carried out
• Deciding how to spend the delegated budget
  Staff appointments, staff pay and grading and other aspects of staff management
• Sex education policy
• Discipline (or behaviour) policy
• Health and safety policy
• Determining the admission policy

Much of the work is carried out through the sub-committees which meet termly. Some Governors take on responsibility for a specific area such as Literacy, Special Educational Needs and Safeguarding. This allows the nominated Governor to focus on a particular area, work closely with the relevant staff, and feed back to the full Governing Body.

All Governors are expected to visit the school regularly to get to know the staff and pupils and observe our school at work. The visiting Governor reports back to the full Governing Body to help with the strategic role and future direction for our school.

The Governors are responsible for policy and strategy and the Head Teacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school.

The school is very fortunate in having a committed and supportive governing body that is actively involved. We are also working hard to make the partnership between home and school a valuable one and to make the school approachable and welcoming.

To get in touch with the Governing Body, please email: office@willingdonprimary.co.uk which will be sent to the Governors Clerk.

Please click on the links below to open the referenced document:

• Governors Attendance Record 2022-2023
• Governors Expenses Policy Allowances 2023
• Register of Governor Interests - Sept 2023

 Governing Body Minutes are available on request via office@willingdonprimary.co.uk