Laleham Gap School
Governors
Welcome to our Governors’ section.
Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
The role of the school governor is demanding, but very rewarding and is a good way to give back to your local community. School governing bodies are responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education.Together with the headteacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school’s aims and policies. The operational structure of our school governors is a full Governing Body with two committees reporting to it; namely the Strategy & Resources Team and the Learning & Development Team.
| Name | Category of Governor | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Chantler | Co-opted - Appointed by Full Governing Body | Chair of Governors, Member of Finance Committee, Training & Development Governor, Member of Headteacher's Performance Management Panel, Safeguarding Governor |
| Les Milton | Headteacher | |
| Jodie Tomlinson | Staff | Recovery & Targeted Funding |
| Victoria Acors | Co-opted - Appointed by Full Governing Body | Vice Chair, Health & Safety |
| Lesley Collins | Parent Governor - Appointed by Parent Election | |
| Vicky Solly | Parent Governor - Appointed by Parent Election | |
| Emma Woodward | Co-opted Governor | |
| Ross Underwood | Local Authority Governor | |
| Val Woodin | Clerk to the Governors | |
|
Vacancies 2 x Co-opted Governor Vacancy
|
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Governors have three main roles:
- To provide strategic direction for the school
- To act as a critical friend to the headteacher
- To ensure accountability
They also carry out a number of other important duties:
- Determining how the school’s budget is spent
- The appointing and dismissing of staff
- Hearing appeals and grievances
- Forming policy on the school’s curriculum and collective worship
- Setting standards for pupils’ behaviour and discipline
- Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
- Setting and monitoring the school’s aims and policies
Who can be a School Governor?
You don’t have to have children at the school to be a governor, however you do have to be over 18, and pass a formal check for your suitability to be within the school. No specific qualifications are required but there are certain expectations – what’s really important is that you have energy, enthusiasm, time and a real desire to help provide children with the best possible education. Governors come from all sections of the community, and all walks of life. They can be parents, staff at the school, residents in the locality or representatives of local churches or businesses. It is important that you can work as part of a team, and can give commitment to the school.
There are usually between 9 – 20 people who make up the governing body but this varies depending on the size of the school. Advice, support and training for the role is given by Kent County Council. Some governors are elected by parents, some are appointed by the governing body itself, the local authority or local churches, ensuring that governing bodies reflect the communities they serve.
Term of Office and Meetings
The term of office for a school governor is normally four years. Most schools have a full governing body meeting once a term (for approximately 2 hours). All governors join a committee which usually meets once a term to discuss various strategic aspects of school operation. Most governors find they usually attend meetings or visit a school three or four times each term. Equally governors are often invited to special occasions such as assemblies, sports days, plays and presentations.