Governors

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.

LPPS Instrument of Government 

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.

Governor Meeting Minutes 

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.