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, Nik Cunniffe and Gerry Burnell
Standards – Sarah Metherell (Chair), Laura Penrose, Karen Gwynn, Linda Meredith, Jane Johnson, Felicity
Couch, Imogen Loxam, Rachel Peachey and Ian Dugdale
Staff Pay Award Committee – the Resources Committee excluding Linda Meredith, Karen Gwynn and Laura Penrose.
Head Teacher Performance Management Committee – Sara Metherell, Katie Reid, Colin Wilson and Imogen Lomax
Exclusions Committee – Colin Wilson, Jane Johnson and Imogen Loxam
Nominated Governors:
Nominate Governor for Health and Safety – Katie Reid
Website and Social Media Working Party – Laura Penrose, Sara Metherell and Howard Carter
Nominated Governor for Training – Linda Meredith
Nominated Governor for Safeguarding – Felicity Couch
Nominated Governor for E-Safety – Gerry Burnell and Katie Reid
Nominated Governor for Inclusion including SEND & Gifted and Talented - Colin Wilson
Nominated Governor for Looked After Children (LAC) and Post LAC – Felicity Couch
Nominated Governor for Pupil Premium – Linda Meredith
Nominated Governors for EYFS – Jane Johnson
Nominated Governor for allegations against the Headteacher - Colin Wilson
Nominated Governor for Curriculum - Sara Metherell
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.
FGB meetings have been arranged for 20th September 2018, 29th November 2018, 7th February 2019, 2nd May 2019 and 18th July 2019.
For further information about the work of the Governors or becoming a Governor yourself, please feel free to approach any one of us. To help you to recognise us easily, photographs of all the current school Governors are displayed outside the school office.
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.
Prior to 2015-16, Governors produced an annual report to parents:
Annual Report 2014Since 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
15th Feb - School is now closed for half term. We look forward to welcoming pupils, parents and visitors back to school on Monday 25th February
15th Feb - Congratulations to our Holland's Cup winner for demonstrating her musical skills this term.
12th Feb - Well done year 6! Your enthusiasm, questioning skills and enjoyment of the text were a credit to you during the first early morning booster session today.
8th Feb - Today we were joined by our Health and Safety Governor for a meeting with our representatives, followed by a Health and Safety walk around the school site. Together, we worked to identify any Health and Safety issues.
7th Feb - As part of their topic work, Pine class visited Flag Fen today. This was a fantastic opportunity and will support their further learning back in the classroom.
7th Feb - In their class assembly, we were delighted to see all the learning the pupils in Rowan class have achieved this term. The Mayan headdresses and painted faces were very effective!
5th Feb - E-Safety Day - 'We have learnt that there are many websites and organisations which might ask us to give them permission to use our personal data and what we should do to keep our date safe'.
1st Feb - We were delighted to welcome our EDRA into school today. She visited each class, celebrating the work on show and commented on how she could see the positive impact of our oracy work.
31st Jan - Our KS1 children joined in our E-Safety workshops, learning interactively how to stay safe online. They learnt that we do not always know who we are messaging and we must not share our details online.
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 opportunities for a Playworker and Caretaker.
