Governance

Meet the School’s Governors

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in the school. The Board of Governors appoint the Headteacher and hold the main responsibility for the school’s finance. The governors work with the Headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources and are a source of challenge and support to the Headteacher. The governing body sets the aims and objectives for the school and monitors and evaluates the progress the school is making towards achievement of these.

Karen Bilner

Karen Bilner

Headteacher

Matthew Carney

Matthew Carney

Chair of Governors

Karen Bland

Karen Bland

Vice-chair of Governors

Rachelle Jones

Rachelle Jones

Staff Governor

Paula Baker

Paula Baker

Co-opted Governor

Ben Surtees

Ben Surtees

Co-opted Governor

Allie Manley

Allie Manley

Co-opted Governor

Marc Sadler

Marc Sadler

Parent Governor

Rebecca Welch

Rebecca Welch

Parent Governor

Rob Holmes

Rob Holmes

Co-opted Governor

Mariette Bodenstein

Mariette Bodenstein

Parent Governor

Governor Responsibilities

Our governing body is constituted of three Parent Governors, one Local Authority governor, one Staff Governor, one Headteacher and six Co-opted Governors. The full governing body and each of the committees meet at least once per term. In addition each governor has responsibility for monitoring and reporting on an individual subject or school area.

Governor Role Committees
Matthew Carney Chair of Governors
Co-opted Governor
Finance
Personnel
Learning & Achievement
Safeguarding Governor
HT Performance Review Group
Appeals Committee
Karen Bilner Headteacher Learning & Achievement
Finance
Personnel Committee
Communications & Community
Rachelle Jones Staff Governor Premises, Health & Safety
Communications & Community
Karen Bland Vice-chair of Governors
Co-opted Governor
Local Authority Governor
Communications & Community
Personnel
Learning & Achievement
HT Performance Review Group
Appeals Committee (Chair)
Rebecca Welch Parent Governor Communications & Community
Learning & Achievement
HT Performance Review Group
Link Governor
Rob Holmes Co-opted Governor Communications & Community (Chair)
Finance
Learning and Achievement
Mariette Bodenstein Parent Governor Finance
Premises, Health & Safety
Paula Baker Co-opted Governor Learning & Achievement (Chair)
SEND Governor
Personnel Committee
Ben Surtees Co-opted Governor Premises, Health & Safety (chair)
Finance Committee (Chair)
Communications & Community
GDPR Governor
Allie Manley Co-opted Governor Premises, Health & Safety
Learning & Achievement
Marc Sadler Parent Governor Premises, Health & Safety 
Kelly Martin Associate Member (non-voting) Finance Committee
Lisa Allum Associate Member (non-voting) Premises, Health & Safety 

 

Governor Appointments

The table below shows appointment details of all governors that have served at any point over the past 12 months.

Governor Appointed Appointed by Term of Office
Rachelle Jones Nov 2018/ Nov 2022 Staff 4 years
Adam Clark Resigned Nov 2022 The Governing Body 4 years
Karen Bilner Sept 2015  (Headteacher)  n/a
Matthew Carney Nov 2015/Jun 2019 The Governing Body 4 years
Kathryn Jones Resigned Nov 2022 The Governing Body 4 years
Paula Baker Mar 2020 The Governing Body 4 years
Mariette Bodenstein Nov 2022 Parents 4 years
Karen Bland Mar 2017/Mar 2021 Local Authority Governor 4 years
Ben Surtees Sept 2017/Sept 2021 The Governing Body 4 years
Rebecca Welch  Mar 2022 Parents 4 years
Rob Holmes Nov 2022 The Governing Body 4 years
Allie Manley Mar 2019/Mar 2023 The Governing Body 4 years
Marc Sadler Sept 2021 Parents 4 years

Governor Attendance

The table below shows the attendance of governors at full governing body meetings over the last academic year.

Governor Summer 2023 Spring 2023 Autumn 2022
Rachelle Jones present absent present
Adam Clark N/A N/A absent
Karen Bilner present present present
Matthew Carney present present present
Mariette Bodenstein present absent N/A
Kathryn Jones N/A N/A present
Paula Baker present present present
Marc Sadler absent present present
Ben Surtees absent present present
Karen Bland present present present
Rebecca Welch absent absent present
Rob Holmes present present present
Allie Manley present present present

 

Pecuniary Interests

Governors hold an important public office, so in the interests of transparency, the governing body publishes details of pecuniary interests including any governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff (including spouses, partners and close relatives).

Governor Name Nature of interest Address of business Nature of business
Ben Surtees Surtees Studios Ltd Director and shareholder 2 Burgess Cottages
Pound Hill
Little Dunmow
Dunmow
Essex
CM6 3HW
Software Development
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