Governors
The School Governing Body is made up of community and local authority representatives, parents and school staff.
Once a vacancy arises, governors are elected on to the governing body and perform their role on a voluntary basis.
The focus of the governing body is as follows:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- To hold the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
- To oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.
Who Are We?
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Peter Woodhouse (Chairman of Governing Board, until 2020) Peter has been a Bexton Governor since 2012, and previously was a parent governor Panels: Headteacher Performance Management Panel
I think Bexton School is excellent – as recent results demonstrate. However many changes are occurring in the education system and we need to be alert and prepared to ensure Bexton stays ahead of the game. |
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Peter Kingdom Peter has been a Bexton Governor since 2016
Link Governor: Safeguarding Peter is Head of School (Years 7 - 9) at Knutsford Academy. Peter sits on the Curriculum Committee and is link governor for 'Safeguarding.' |
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Jim Lovett I began as a parent governor and am now a co-opted governor, recently re-appointed for a further four year term of office until 2021. |
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Parent Governor, elected by parent election for Committee: Chair of Curriculum Committee (since October 2018) Working Groups: Academy, Three Year Plan Link Governor for 'Marketing' and 'Independence' (one of the priorities on the 2018-9 School Development Plan). I have two children at Bexton Primary and have been actively involved in different aspects of the school throughout their education. As a Communications Manager I am passionate about further developing an inclusive communications process that involves not only parents, governors and teachers but most importantly the children. We all have a part to play in taking Bexton from good to great, and communication sits at the heart of this. We need to ensure that Bexton is placed at the centre of our strong community to enable it to thrive during an exciting, but also challenging time.
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Catherine Hulme Catherine has served on the governing board for two terms of office, and was re-appointed by the Governing Board as a co-opted governor, for a 4 year term of office until 30 October 2021. Working Groups: Academy, Three year Plan Panel: Headteacher Performance Management (Chair) Link Governor: 'Vision.' |
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Kathryn Woolf Kathryn was first elected by parents as a parent governor in 2013, and has since been re-appointed by the Governing Board as a co-opted governor for a 4 year term of office until 28 October 2021. I am currently vice chair of the Curriculum committee and hold the position of Training liaison governor, as well as link governor for 'Assessment, data and pupil premium' and 'Whole Class Feedback.' |
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John Squires John has the longest service amongst the current governing board, and first began as a Bexton governor in 2005.
Working Group: Academy I am currently link governor for Health and Safety. |
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Parent Governor, elected by parents of pupils at Bexton for a 4 year term of office until 23 May 2020 Committee: Curriculum Link governor: 'PE and Sports Funding,' Challenge in the wider curriculum.' I have two children at Bexton Primary School (Year 5 and Year 3). I am the Managing Director of an independent weed control company having previously worked for a Premier League football club, including establishing and running their 1st team and Academy Sports Science departments. I also assist the junior coaching at Knutsford Rugby Club. I am link governor for 'PE and Sports Funding' as well as being link governor for 'Challenge in the Wider Curriculum', a key focus area on our School Development Plan this year 2018-9.
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Mike Braun Co-Opted Governor, re-appointed by the governing board for a 4 year term of office until 7 March 2022 Committees: Resources (Vice-Chair) I am a co-opted governor, recently re-appointed by the governing board, and vice chair of the Resources Committee. I am a Chartered Accountant with twenty years experience in finance. A few years ago I set up my own accounting business which specializes in helping small businesses. |
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Sandra Bland Working Group: Academy Mrs Bland was first elected by Bexton school staff in 2015, and recently re-elected by school staff in 2019 for a further four year term of office. |
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Emily Armstrong Committees: Resources, Curriculum Working Groups: Academy, Three Year Plan |
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Jill Sach Associate Member of governing board (appointed by Full Governing Board) Committees: Resources and Curriculum Working Groups: Academy, Three Year Plan
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Matt Stephenson Parent Governor (elected by parents for 4 year term of office until 15 March 2021) Committee: Resources Working Group: Academy and Three Year Plan Link Governor: Data Protection Matt has been a governor since 2017. I began my time on the governong board as an associate member in 2016, after which I was nominated for a parent governor vacancy and I was delighted to be elected by parents of the school to be parent governor for a four year term of office from 15.3.17 to 15.3.21.
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Sue Sharratt Co-opted Governor (Elected by Full Governing Board on 4 July 2018, for a four year term of office until 4.7.22) Sue began as a Bexton Governor this year (July 2018.) "I have had a long association with Bexton school. My three children all have happy memories of attending and I spent 20 years teaching at the school mainly in the Rainbow room and as Inclusion Director for the whole school. Committee: Curriculum Working Group: Three Year Plan Link Governor: SEND Lynne Lea Co-opted Governor: Elected by Full Governing Board on 4 July 2018, for a four year term of office until 4.7.22 Lynne began as a Bexton Governor this year in July 2018. I am an employment lawyer with lots of experience of business restructure and TUPE transfer. I worked for a large corporate law firm for over 10 years before becoming a full time Mum to my three children (Nursery, Reception and Year 2.) With my youngest enjoying the nursery, I feel that I have some time to give something back to the school. I have been a school Governor before when I was a Community Governor at King's Heath Boys' School in Birmingham, a role which I really enjoyed. I am keen to get involved with the governance of Bexton and I hope that my skill set will be useful to the Board. Committee: Resources Working Group: Academy |
What do governors do?
Individual governors keep up to date on school policy, new regulations, school development plans and government drives on a local and national level. They attend training and they also visit the school regularly to gain an in depth understanding of the school, which enables them to perform their role more effectively.
Associate members of the governing board are appointed by the Full Governing Board (FGB) and assist in an advisory capacity. Associate members do not have voting rights at FGB.
Governors also attend the following meetings:
Full Governing Body (FGB): All governors attend the full governing body meetings which take place once per term. Minutes of part 1 of these meetings are public documents, please ask if you would like a paper copy of any of our part 1 (non-confidential) minutes. Part 2 of the meetings is reserved for any confidential business, which cannot be shared with the public (e.g. it may contain information about staff pay or other confidential matters.)
The governing board delegates some of its functions to committees, which meet once per term, and feed into, and report back to, the full governing board. The two committees are Resources Committee and Curriculum Committee:
Resources Committee: This committee meets once per term to look at everything financial and to approve spending. The committee reports back to the full governing body. The governors that sit on this committee are as follows: Jim Lovett (chair of Resources Committee), Mike Braun (vice chair of Resources Committee), Peter Woodhouse, Emily Armstrong (Headteacher), Helen Taylor (School Business Manager), Jill Sach (deputy Headteacher), John Squires, Sandra Bland, Lynne Lea, Matt Stephenson, Georgina Blake (clerk).
Curriculum Committee: This committee meets once per term to look at everything to do with teaching and learning, assessment, and pupil progress. The committee reports back to the full governing body. Governors on this committee include the following: Lucy Goldsmith (chair of Curriculum Committee), Kathryn Woolf (vice chair of Curriculum Committee), Catherine Hulme, Sue Sharratt, Jon Webb, Peter Woodhouse, Emily Armstrong (Headteacher), Peter Kingdom, Jill Sach (associate member), Georgina Blake (clerk).
If you would like to see exactly which functions are delegated to committees, then please open the link below entitled 'Terms of reference for committees'. Further information can be found in the 'Scheme of delegation'.
Bexton also has working groups which are time bound and research further into a particular area and are advisory in thie role, providing information to the governing body. We currently have the following working groups:
The 'Academy Working Group' has been researching options for future academisation for the last couple of years. Membership is Matt Stephenson, Lucy Goldsmith, Lynne Lea, Jill Sach, Emily Armstrong, Catherine Hulme, John Squires, Sandra Bland.
The 'Three Year Plan Working Group' was set up in Autumn 2018 to look further into the strategic direction of the school to feed into the development of the three year strategic plan. Membership of this group is as folllows: Emily Armstrong, Sue Sharratt, Matt Stephenson, Peter Woodhouse, Catherine Hulme, Jill Sach.
Panels of governors can also be convened as and when needed to deal with complaints, appeals, pupil discipline, headteacher recruitment and other statutory obligations.
Becoming a Governor
Parent governors are elected by parents of children attending Bexton school at the date of election. Co-opted governors are appointed by the Board of Governors. The staff governor is elected by staff members of the school. The Local Authority governor is nominated by Cheshire East Council and appointed by the full governing board.
Vacancies
We are delighted to welcome two newly appointed co-opted governors, Sue Sharratt and Lynne Lea, elected at our 4 July 2018 Full Governing Board meeting.
There is currently one vacancy on the governing board for co-opted governor, since September 2018.
Please contact governors@bexton.cheshire.sch.uk if you would be interested in becoming a governor and would like further information.
List of Bexton Governors who have resigned in last 5 years
We are required by law to publish information on anyone who has been a Bexton Primary School governor in last 12 months. Barbara Austin, LA governor (nominated by Local Authority and appointed by governing board, term of office 6.6.14- 6.6.18), member of Resources Committee and Bexton's longest serving governor, resigned on 2 November 2015. Doug Angus parent governor (term of office 21.11.12- 21.11.16, appointed by Bexton parents), member of Curriculum Committee and vice chair of governing board resigned on 18 May 2016 due to his relocation to U.A.E. Andrew Middleton, co-opted governor (appointed by governing board term of office 19.3.14- 19.3.18) and member of Curriculum Committee resigned on 23 March 2016 due to relocation. Kathryn Zuger, co-opted governor (appointed by governing board, term of office 19.3.14- 19.3.18) and member of Curriculum Committee resigned on 7 March 2016. Paul Dolan, headteacher governor and member of Resources, Curriculum and Nursery Committee resigned in December 2015. Sarah Draper (appointed by the governing board on 30.10.13 for four year term of office), co-opted governor and member of the Curriculum Committee, resigned as Bexton Governor on 21 June 2017. James Routs (elected by parent vote for four year term of office on 23.01.15), parent governor and member of the Resources Committee, resigned as Bexton Governor on the 21 June 2017. Charlotte Davies (appointed by governing board for four year term of office on 21.11.16 as co-opted governor) and chair of Curriculum Committee resigned on September 11th 2018. Thankyou to all our governors past and present.
Contact the Bexton governors
If you have any ideas or comments for the governors in relation to the strategy or vision of the school, please do get in touch with us at governors@bexton.cheshire.sch.uk
Remember the school governor has a strategic role and does not deal with day to day running of the school. Any questions of this nature should always be directed to school staff in the first instance.
Further Information
For the most recent information, please look at the subpages off the governor main page (from the menu at the top choose 'about us'> governors > drop down menu of governor subpages: This will take you to the governor subpages, where you can find the 2018 annual statement together with a precis of the most recent governing body meeting, information on governor attendance at meetings, governor declarations of pecuniary interest, information on governor membership and other useful information. Please see below for some additional downloadable files which may be of interest.