Governing Body

Welcome to Chalfont St Giles Village School Governing Body

Our purpose:

We are all volunteers who come from the parent body, staff and village community.  Our responsibility is to be “critical friends” to the school, by working with the Head Teacher and Senior Leadership team to:

• Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Hold the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent 
• Support the school in recruitment of senior staff and appoint the Head Teacher

Our structure:

In order to carry out these roles we are divided into a number of committees who each have a responsibility to look at different aspects of school life.  A number of us also take on a curriculum role and meet with subject leaders to discuss how these subjects are being taught and to monitor pupil progress. 

Chair of Governors:  Donna Westall

Vice-Chair of Governors:  Melvyn Bleakley

Curriculum & Standards Committee

Melvyn Bleakley (Chair)

Patricia English

Sue Salmon

Elaine Hoare

Gill Brown

Rose Smith

Dave Cronen

Finance Committee

Nigel Hobbs (Chair)

Ann Alderson

Patricia English

Katherine Mannion

Eleanor O'Connor

Elen Peal

Donna Westall

Personnel Committee

Eleanor O’Connor (Chair)

Melvyn Bleakley

Nicola Brown

Nigel Hobbs

Elen Peal

Donna Westall

Communications Committee

Bob Albery (Chair)

Sonya Agar

Katherine Mannion

Becky Murray

Victoria Neil

Donna Westall

Infrastructure Committee

Ann Alderson (Chair)

Patricia English

Katherine Mannion

Eleanor O’Connor

Jeremy Ryman

Bob Albery

Our members:

Our Governing Body contains up to 18 full members.  These include two parent governors elected by parents, one governor appointed by the Local Authority, one member of staff elected by the staff across both sites and the Head Teacher.  All other members are appointed by the Governing Body according to their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for the role.  We come from lots of different backgrounds but we have in common a passion for education and a shared drive to help make this school the best it can be for all its pupils. 

The term of office for all governors is four years, except for the Head and Deputies who are governors by virtue of their position in the school.  The four year terms of existing appointed governors restarted upon reconstitution on 16/7/15.  The Governing Body may choose to renew or extend the term of non-elected governors.  The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected by the Governing Body on an annual basis.

The Governing Body also appoints associate governors from time to time who offer specific skills and perspectives but who do not vote at meetings.

The table below shows the appointment and leaving dates of all current members and those who have been members in the past 12 months, in line with government regulations.