Governors
The Chair of Governors is Linda Meredith
To contact her or to ask for information about Petersfield Governors please email - clerk@petersfield.cambs.sch.uk
Forward from the Chair
The Governing Body of Petersfield School is committed to steering school improvement. Our governors are a voluntary group of dedicated people that are focused on clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction for Petersfield School.
Our responsibility is to challenge all expectations, to monitor targets for pupils and staff and to set a budget that meets the needs of the school. Working together with the Headteachers, as the school's critical friend, we are helping to improve education for every child in this school.
'Governors know the school well. They offer precise support and challenge to leaders.' Ofsted September 2017.
The Governing Body commissioned a health check from the local authority governance service to take a look from within at its effectiveness, efficiency and ability to challenge. As a result we have endeavored to ensure that we have the tools for the new challenges in the education system and that we concentrate our time and skills effectively.
'Governance is significantly improved. Governors now provide a clearer strategic direction for the school.' Ofsted September 2017.
The purpose of this page is to provide information about the work of the Governing Body and its committees involved in the management of our school, and how, together with the Headteachers we make decisions that affect our pupils and parents.
Linda Meredith
The Governing Body:
- guides and helps plan the school's overall direction
- selects the head teacher, assists with the recruitment of teaching staff and approves decisions on staffing
- sets the policies which define how the school is run and ensures these are followed
- annually sets a balanced school budget
- reviews the progress of the school against agreed targets and objectives
- ensures the National Curriculum is taught
- makes sure that proper safeguarding procedures are in place
- makes sure that statutory duties are fulfilled
Petersfield Governors come from many walks of life. We are a diverse group that includes people from a wide range of backgrounds. All Governors, except Ex Officio Governors, are appointed for a term of four years.
The Governing Body
| Linda Meredith - Chair | Co-opted Governor |
| Colin Wilson - Co-vice Chair | Foundation - Tadlow |
| Jane Johnson - Co-vice Chair | Local Authority Representative |
| Laura Penrose | Ex-officio - Co-Headteacher |
| Karen Gwynn | Ex-officio - Co-Headteacher |
| Rachel Peachey | Staff Governor |
| VACANCY | Minister for the Tadlow benefice |
| VACANCY | Minister for the Whaddon benefice |
| Gerry Burnell | Foundation - Croydon |
| Felicity Couch | Ex-officio - Minister for the Orwell benefice | VACANCY | Foundation - Whaddon | Sara Metherell | Foundation - Wimpole |
| Katie Reid | Foundation - Orwell |
| Ian Dugdale | Parent |
| Nik Cunniffe | Parent |
| Imogen Loxam | Foundation Arrington |
The Clerk to Petersfield Governing Body is Andrew Pulham. The Clerk is responsible for arranging meetings, circulating relevant materials, ensuring compliance with the governing body's constitution and relevant guidance, and taking and keeping minutes of meetings.
Chairs:
Chair – Linda Meredith
Co-Vice Chair – Jane Johnson and Colin Wilson
Sub-Committees:
Resources - Colin Wilson (Chair), Laura Penrose, Karen Gwynn, Linda Meredith, Katie Reid and Gerry Burnell
Standards – Sarah Metherell (Chair), Laura Penrose, Karen Gwynn, Linda Meredith, Jane Johnson, Felicity
Couch, Imogen Loxam, Rachel Peachey, Ian Dugdale and Nik Cunniffe
Staff Pay Award Committee – the Resources Committee excluding Linda Meredith, Karen Gwynn and Laura Penrose.
Head Teacher Performance Management Committee – Sara Metherell, Imogen Loxam, Colin Wilson and Linda Meredith.
Exclusions Committee – Colin Wilson, Jane Johnson and Imogen Loxam
Nominated Governors:
Nominated Governor for Health and Safety – Katie Reid
Nominated Governor for the Website – Linda Meredith
Nominated Governor for Training – Jane Johnson
Nominated Governor for Safeguarding – Felicity Couch, Linda Meredith (and all governors are
responsible for safeguarding)
Nominated Governor for E-Safety – Gerry Burnell and Katie Reid
Nominated Governor for Inclusion including SEND & Gifted and Talented - Colin Wilson, Imogen Loxam
(and all governors are responsible for SEND children)
Nominated Governor for Looked After Children (LAC) and Post LAC – Felicity Couch
(and all governors are responsible for Care Experienced children)
Nominated Governor for Pupil Premium – Linda Meredith, Imogen Loxam (and all governors are responsible
for Pupil Premium children)
Nominated Governors for EYFS – Jane Johnson
Nominated Governor for allegations against the Headteacher - Colin Wilson
Nominated Governors for English – Jane Johnson and Sara Metherell
Nominated Governors for Maths – Colin Wilson, Ian Dugdale and Nik Cunniffe
Nominated Governor for PE – Jane Johnson
Nominated Governor for EYFS – Jane Johnson
Nominated Governor for Curriculum - All Governors
Colbatch & Hooper Representative – Colin Wilson
The Governing Body is charged with making sure that it has the relevant skills to carry out its duties. Governors attend termly briefings, workshops and targeted training courses on subjects relevant to our set objectives as part of the continued development of the Governing Body.
The Full Governing Body (FGB) meets five times a year. It receives reports from the Headteachers and the committees, and monitoring reports from governors who have visited the school. Governors discuss and approve policies that are reserved for the FGB such as Child Protection and Pay Policy, and take time to discuss issues that affect the school's progress and how these issues will be managed.
The majority of the Governors' work is done in committees. Members of each committee are listed above in the section 'Who are Petersfield Governors?'. At Petersfield there are four committees:
- Standards Committee: This committee monitors the taught curriculum and the performance of the school against different educational goals and standards. The committee is also concerned with health and safety, parent-school relations, and communications.
- Resources Committee: This committee is responsible for financial oversight, and issues relating to the school's buildings and grounds. It is also concerned with key management issues, such as human resources and legal compliance.
- Staff Pay Award and Committee
- Head Teacher Performance Management Committee
Membership of the committees is decided upon at the start of each school year. The committees meet at least once per term. Governors usually serve on one committee, but may attend all committee meetings. The Headteachers are on both the Standards and Resources Committees. In some situations (including complaints, grievances, pupil exclusion and appeals/dismissals), three Governors will serve subject to availability and requirements for impartiality.
Governors attend most school events and can be identified by their orange lanyards. To help you to recognise us easily, photographs of all the current school Governors are displayed outside the school office. For further information about the work of the Governors or becoming a Governor yourself, please feel free to approach any one of us.
You can also e-mail us:
- via the school office at: office@petersfield.cambs.sch.uk.
- via the clerk at: clerk@petersfield.cambs.sch.uk.
Financial reports
Financial Report 2017-18Since September 2015, Governors have been reporting to parents following every committee and Full Governing Body meeting. These reports, detailing the actions of the Governors and the impact of these actions on raising standards at Petersfield, can be found in the school Newsletter.
Governors' Declaration of Interests
Governors' Attendance
Full Governing Body Minutes
Committees
Extra Ordinary Meeting Minutes
Updates from the Chair of Governors
The views of all stakeholders, especially parents, pupils and staff, are essential in shaping our key priorities. Please find below the published response to the questionnaires. The questionnaires are usually issued at the same time as the Spring Parent-Teacher consultations so that these views are gathered and inform budget setting in May and planning for the new academic year in September.
Response to Governor Questionnaires
We actively encourage feedback at all other times of the year. When you have comments to make, please do speak to a member of staff or a governor, use our ‘Ticked pink’ and ‘Green for Growth’ slips available in the school entrance, send your message via the red post-box opposite the school office entrance. Alternatively, you can email school using the clerk to Governors or school email address available on the contact information page of the website.
Latest News
18th Oct - School is now closed for the Half Term holiday, followed by the INSET training day for staff. School will reopen to pupils, parents and visitors on Tuesday 29th October. Happy Holidays!
18th Oct - The music from the Rock Steady pupils was truely inspirational! It was a fantastic way to end the half term.
18th Oct - We had an amazing Black History Celebration with Hollands' Cup and concert today. The pupils told us about the lives of Stevie Wonder, how Two Tone music started, we heard African drumming, a biography of Sheku Kanneh-Mason and music by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
17th Oct - Thank you to the parents who had their Parents' Evening appointments tonight. We value this dialogue as we plan for next half term and beyond.
17th Oct - A group of year 5 pupils went to Steeple Morden School today to participate in a workshop 'Creating characters for stage and page'. They said: 'It was good to think of our own characters and see how we could use these in our stories'.
17th Oct - As part of their local environment topic, Pine Class went to Wimpole today. 'We looked around the farm and we stroked the horses and ponies. After lunch we went on the adventure playground.'
16th Oct - Some year 6 pupils represented us at the County English Challenge. They won the certificate for knowing the most about David Walliams and Miss Way was proud of how they collaborated. 'They gave us questions about books and punctuation. It was fun because we got to work to together'.
15th Oct - Thanks to all the parents who attended Parents' Evening tonight. It was great to hear about the many successes shared and to continue to work together to support our pupils' next steps in learning.
15th Oct - Well done to the pupils who took part in the football competition today. They said 'The football tournament was great fun. We came 6th out of 12. In one game we won 6-0!'
14th Oct - As part of 'When Cambridgeshire Sings', Pine Class worked with an award winning folk band called the Young 'Uns to create, write and produce a song based on our local area. This will be published here once the editing process is complete!
11th Oct - Yew class held their cake sale today, raising funds for FOPS. Many delicious cakes were made, bought and eaten!
11th Oct - In assembly we discussed mental health, what it means and how we can keep ourselves mentally healthy as well as physically healthy.
11th Oct - Governors met the School Council today and talked to them about safeguarding, their views on the curriculum and what it is like to be a child at our school.
9th Oct - Our Running Track is finished and the children are so keen to run and to have the field back in use again tomorrow!
7th Oct - Thank you to the family members who joined our new EYFS pupils for the second of our family lunch sessions.
7th Oct - The teaching profession needs new recruits so we are delighted to be working with the Faculty of Education, Cambridge again this year. Welcome to our PGCE students!
Latest Publications
Notices
SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCEDURE: As per County guidance, Petersfield will only close in exceptional circumstances. The decision will be made as soon as possible and displayed first on our school website in the 'Latest News'.
Please see our vacancies page for an opportunity for a Playworker.
