Governors
The Governing Body of Thorpe Lea Primary School and Nursery is comprised of a group of volunteers, both from within the school community (staff and parents) and the wider community, with a desire to provide an exceptional education for the children of Thorpe Lea.
The governing body’s work focuses on three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the Headteacher 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.
Governors work together and with the Senior Leadership Team, to ensure the best possible education for all the children in our school, enabling them to realise and achieve their potential at each and every stage of their journey through a broad and balanced curriculum with extra-curricular opportunities and in accordance with the values of the school:
"high expectations, respect, teamwork, diversity, nurturing care, communication and creativity."
We also uphold British values such as democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance which are taught to our children.
The full governing body meets termly, with an additional business meeting at the start of each academic year. There are also two main governor committees - Resources and Children & Learning which also meet termly. Members of the public (including school staff and parents) can request to attend a full governing body meeting as observers by following the “Open Meeting Protocol”. This protocol constitutes the code of conduct required by the governing body in return for granting access to their meetings.
At governor meetings we receive reports from the Headteacher and members of the senior leadership team, presentations from members of staff on specific topics, consider the latest attendance and performance data for the children, ensure that all policies and procedures are in place, confirm that the school’s finances are being used effectively and appropriately and that relevant audits are taking place, check that the school has the resources required to do its job effectively and that the premises are suitable and safe and, very importantly, ensure that the safeguarding of the children is robust and appropriate.
In addition, Governors take on other areas of responsibility e.g. Special Educational Needs or Safeguarding and every Governor has a link to a subject area of the curriculum e.g. science, history or PE.
Governors visit the schools regularly, undertaking monitoring visits which involve talking to staff and reporting back to the governing body on what they have seen. Governors must also attend regular training sessions to keep them appraised of national and local developments in education and to keep their general governance knowledge up to date. Governors are also interviewed by Inspectors during an Ofsted inspection of the school.
The Governing Body can be contacted in writing through the school office or the Chair of Governors can be contacted at Chair@Thorpe-Lea.surrey.sch.uk
Thorpe Lea Governors
Caroline Wright
Local Authority Governor, Chair of Governors
Responsibilities / Committees: Children & Learning, Headteacher Appraisal (Chair),
Link Governor for MFL and Science
Term of Office: 12/05/20 - 11/05/2020 and 12/05/24 - 11/05/2028
Governance roles in other educational institutions: Member of Local Governing Committee at Walsh CoE Schools, Ash, Surrey; Surrey Local Leader of Governance
Adam Collin
Ex-Officio, Headteacher
Responsibilities / Committees: Resources, Children & Learning
Term of Office: 22/03/2024 - ongoing
Governance roles in other educational institutions: None declared
Alan Gardner
Co-opted Governor, Vice-Chair of Governors
Responsibilities / Committees: Pay Committee (Chair), Resources, Link Governor for Finance
Term of Office: 08/07/2022 - 07/07/2026
Governance roles in other educational institutions: Surrey Local Leader of Governance.
Karla Hanna
Co-opted Governor
Responsibilities / Committees: Resources (Chair), Headteacher Appraisal, Link Governor for SEND, Pupil Premium, The Arts
Term of Office: 09/06/2022 - 08/06/2026
Governance roles in other educational institutions: Parent Governor at The Magna Carta School
Fiona Shepherd
Co-opted Governor, Chair of Children & Learning
Responsibilities / Committees: Children and Learning, Link Governor for PSHE and Wellbeing
Term of Office: 01/12/2023 - 30/11/2027
Governance roles in other educational institutions: None declared
Vacancy
Parent Governor
Responsibilities / Committees:
Term of Office:
Governance roles in other educational institutions:
Rhys Hayward
Parent Governor
Responsibilities / Committees: Children & Learning, Headteacher Appraisal, Link Governor for Computing, Governor skills and training
Term of Office: 11/11/22 - 10/11/26
Governance roles in other educational institutions: None Declared
Natalie Jefford
Staff Governor
Responsibilities / Committees:
Term of Office: 19/09/2024 - 18/09/2028
Governance roles in other educational institutions:
Sam Harvey-Brewin
Co-opted Governor
Responsibilities / Committees: Resources, Link Governor for PE/Sport, Sports Premium Funding
Term of Office: 05/07/2024 - 04/07/2028
Governance roles in other educational institutions:
Vacancy
Co-opted Governor
Responsibilities / Committees:
Term of Office:
Governance roles in other educational institutions:
Resignations / End of Term
| Ian Downer (Parent Governor) | 21/10/20 - 20/10/24 |
| Charlotte Ellis (Staff Governor) | 15/09/22 - 31/08/24 |
| Adam Collin (Associate Member) | 01/09/23 – 21/03/24 |
| Martin Belfrage (Interim Headteacher, Ex Officio) | 01/09/23 – 21/03/24 |
| Pete Bailey (Headteacher, Ex Officio) | 01/09/17 – 31/08/23 |
| Graeme Smith (Co-opted Governor) | 13/01/23 - 16/08/23 |
| Claire Bolton (Co-opted Governor) | 04/03/23 - 21/03/23 |
| Janet Franck (Co-opted Governor) | 01/11/20 - 31/12/22 |
| Rob Hall (Co-opted Governor) | 19/01/21 - 04/11/22 |
| Adam Swift (Parent Governor) | 21/01/21 - 03/10/22 |