Governing Body

HAWKEDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Welcome to the governing body webpage. Here you will be able to find out more about the role of the governors and how our governing body contributes to school life.

Remit of the Governing Body

The purpose of having a governing body is to:

• Help the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement
• Keep the pressure up on school improvement
• Be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
• Help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
• Make the school accountable to the public for what it does
• Work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
• Exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the headteacher and staff

The governing body consists of 3 Co-opted governors, 1 Headteacher, 1 Local Authority Governor, 2 Parent Governors, 2 Partnership Governors and 1 Staff Governor.

The table below shows the current members of the governing body and positions of responsibility.

 

 

Governor Name	Category of Governor	Appointing Body	Term of Office	Positions of Responsibility
Mr. Gareth Alden (Chair)	Parent Governor	Elected by parents	11.2.22 to 10.02.26	- Resources Committee - Headteacher’s Appraisal Panel - Admissions Appeals Panel
Miss Thelma Lewis	Co-opted Governor	Governing Body	14.01.21 to 13.01.25	- Children & Learning Committee - Pay Appeals Panel for staff - Pupil Premium - SEND - Child Protection & Safeguarding - Looked After Children
Mr. Paul Marsden	Co-opted Governor	Governing Body	02.12.21 to 01.12.25	- Resources Committee - Health & Safety - Headteachers Appraisal Panel & Pay Appeals Panel for Staff
Mr. Andy Mason	Partnership Governor	Governing Body	23.05.19 to 22.05.23	- Resources Committee - Pay Committee - Health & Safety - Admissions Appeals Panel
Mrs. Louise Wotherspoon	Staff Governor	Elected by Staff	20.03.22 to 20.03.26	- Resources Committee - Children & Learning Committee - Link for training
Mrs. Joanne Davies (Headteacher)	Staff Governor	Automatically a governor as Headteacher	01.01.13	- Resources Committee - Children & Learning Committee
Mrs. Rebecca Upton Vice Chair	Parent Governor	Elected by parents	02.11.22 to 02.11.26	- Children & Learning Committee - Headteacher’s Appraisal Panel
Mrs Wendy Francis-White	Partnership Governor	Governing Body	08/09/23 to 07/09/27	- Children & Learning Committee - Link Governor
Mr Meredith Burdett	LA	Appointed by the Local Authority	16/05/24 to 15/05/2028	- Local Authority Governor - Children and Learning Committee

 

The school has the following Committees:

• Children & Learning Committee
• Resources Committee
• Pay Committee

The Pay Committee has delegated responsibility to follow the Pay Policy with reference to staffing and financial budget plans. If the Committee feels it to be appropriate, any matter may be passed to the full Governing Body for ratification.

The Governing Body of Hawkedale Primary School has agreed that Full Governing Body meetings will be “open.” Open meetings are meetings of the Full Governing Body to which members of the public, including school staff and parents can request, in writing, to attend, as observers. This protocol outlines the conduct expected by the governing body of those requesting attendance.  

Open Meeting Protocol 

• Governing Body meetings are notified on the school website and through parental newsletters. 
• Members of the public can make a request, in writing to the Clerk to the Governing Body (clerk@hawkedale.surrey.sch.uk), to attend the “open” part of any meeting. 
• Requests to attend must be sent to the Clerk to the Governing Body no less than 14 days before the date of the meeting. 
• If there is sufficient capacity/space an invitation to attend the meeting will be issued by the Clerk to the Governing Body, together with an agenda. These will be sent by e-mail seven days before the meeting. 
• Anyone attending will be recorded in the minutes as “In attendance” 
• Persons attending meetings do so at the invitation of the governing body, as observers only, and must agree to: 
• not speak or in any other way interrupt the meeting; 
• at the request of the chair, leave the meeting if any part is deemed, by the governing body, to be confidential; 
• not record any part of the meeting electronically or in writing 

Failure to abide by these expectations may result in an individual being asked to withdraw from the meeting and potentially be refused an invitation to future meetings. 

Meeting dates 2024-25

Autumn Term 2024

Friday 6th September 9.30am, Thursday 28th November 7.30pm, Thursday 12th December 6.30pm.

Spring Term 2025

Thursday 13th February 6.30pm 

Summer Term 2025

Wednesday 9th July 6.30pm