Every aspect of life and conduct of our school is overseen by the Governors.
Our purpose
The main aim of Little Paxton Primary School (like all schools) is to raise the educational achievements of all children, ensuring all pupils make good progress from their starting points. The Governing Body is committed to providing a good education for local children at the village primary school. Legally the Governing Body is required to support and challenge the school by:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the Head Teacher 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.
In addition, governors are responsible for ensuring that the school fulfils its statutory duties.
Annual Governance Statement 23-24
How do we organise our work?
Full Governing Body meetings are minuted by the Clerk to the Governing Body. The minutes of each meeting are reviewed and agreed at the following meeting. Agreed minutes will be posted on the school website as soon as is practicable.
The agenda for each meeting is drawn up in advance and circulated at least one week prior to the meeting. Agendas for meetings are set by the Chair in consultation with the Clerk and the Head teacher. They follow an annual cycle of agreeing, then monitoring and evaluating the plans for school improvement. Agendas also include items that reflect local and national priorities and initiatives.
As well as attending formal meetings, the Governors spend time in school, meeting and working with staff and children. Governors make regular visits to school to enable them to get to know more about how it operates and also to monitor aspects of the improvement plans that have been agreed.
Governors are always pleased and ready to talk to parents. Governors can be contacted either through the school office or by contacting the Clerk, clerk@littlepaxton.cambs.sch.uk
Our meetings
Much of our work is done through meetings of the Full Governing Body with particular responsibilities as set out in its Terms of Reference.
The Chair of Governors is elected each year.
The FGB is responsible for monitoring school performance.
The FGB receives regular reports from the Head Teacher and discusses monitoring carried out by link governors.
All meetings start at 6:30pm
Full Governing Body Meetings
Monday 16th September 2024
Monday 9th December 2024
Monday 3rd March 2025
Monday 28th April 2025
Thursday 10th July 2025
Statutory Committees
There are also some statutory committees (Salary, Performance Management, Appeals, Discipline, etc.) which meet as necessary.
Curriculum and Standards Committee Meetings
Tuesday 5th November 2024
Monday 27th January 2025
Monday 16th June 2025
Resources and Finance Committee Meetings
Monday 18th November 2024
Monday 17th March 2025
Monday 22nd April 2025
Composition of Committees 2023-24
current membership of the governing body
Governors’ terms of office indicated in brackets.
The term of office of all Governors (other than the Head Teacher) is four years.
Local Authority Governor:
Mrs Caroline Entwistle (07.23 – 07.27)
Parent Governors:
Ms Joanne Spurrell (10.23-10.27)
Head Teacher:
Ms R Owen (01.01.24 – present)
Staff Governor:
Dom Saxby (10.23 – 10.27) (Deputy Head Teacher 01.24)
Co-opted Governors:
Ms Claire Cannon (03.23 – 06.27) Chair
Mr Richard Fairbairn (12.24-12.28)
Mrs Louise Jenkins (04.24-04.28)
Mrs Sarah O’Callaghan (05.23-05.27)
Ms Helen Morrell (07.23-0.7.27)
Associate Members:
Mrs Alison Gatward
Miss Rosie Peate
Clerk to the Governors: Cam Clerks
Information about Governors 2023-2024
governors with specific responsibility
Chair of Governors – Claire Cannon
Finance – Helen Morrell
Safeguarding – Claire Cannon
Pupil Premium –
SEND/Gifted and Talented – Claire Cannon
Curriculum/Quality of Education –
Facilities, Health & Safety –
Training – Dom Saxby
Website Compliance –
Also, Governors attend other meetings with, for example, the School Improvement Adviser or Local Authority Education Officers, or serve on working groups for specific tasks as the need arises.
further information about the governing body and its work
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