Leaders at all levels are effective.

The local governing body members are well-informed and trained. They carefully ensure that they meet their statutory duties, and champion the school's improvement.

Ofsted 2024

The governors of Ashford Park Primary School have a wide range of skills and experience. One is the Director of Education in another authority and another has been governor of two schools since 1988 when local management of school (LMS) was introduced to give schools more power but also responsibility to manage their own budgets. Yet another has well over 20 years experience as a governor at the school including many years as the chair.

Central government, quite rightly, has high expectations of all governing bodies and expects them to work to a competency framework.  Governors are the strategic leaders of schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education and funds are wisely spent. This is underpinned by law.

There are three core functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and performance management of staff; and overseeing the financial performance of the school, making sure its money is well spent.

To ensure governors carry out these functions successfully, there is a framework of 16 competencies under six headings: strategic leadership, accountability, people, structures, compliance and evaluation.

From time to time all members of the governing body (GB) are expected to take part in a skills audit and there may be external reviews of governance commissioned. This allows us to constitute the GB in line with the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations and in line with the needs of this school.  Governors have access at any time to professional training to ensure their skills are kept up to date and they are expected to take advantage of training courses open to them. 

The full governing body comprises 12 governors:  two elected parent governors, an elected staff governor, a local authority governor, the headteacher and seven co-opted governors appointed by the governing body. 

Where vacancies arise from time to time, new governors are identified and appointed (in the case of co-opted and local authority governors) or elected (in the case of parent and staff governors).  Nominations are actively sought to find candidates and an elections are held in line with protocols.

The governing body has two committees, children & learning (now named curriculum and learning) and resources, and governors regularly liaise with staff outside for all meetings.  They may come into school in the day to spend time in classrooms to meet with and hear from staff and children. Meetings are followed through with written or verbal reports to a governing body meeting. Governors spend time in school on various tasks and projects, liaising with staff, fact-finding, and feeding back to the other governors through the minutes. 

Resources committee deals with finance, spending, budget, property, and health and safety matters.  It meets three times a year with the school business manager, with regular financial monitoring reports. 

Governors with the appropriate training sit on appeals and discipline panels as and when necessary. 

There is a pay and staffing committee and a headteacher appraisal panel, with trained governors.  Governors also like to visit in school more informally whenever they can to attend events and get to know parents, staff and pupils.

Details for our governors are as follows with attendance figures for the academic year September 2023 - July 2024, and any declared interests.  There are normally four FGB meetings in an academic year and three for each of the two committees. Where governors are not able to attend, they must send apologies, which are minuted, and give reasons for their absence for approval at the meeting. 

Paul Goulden, co-opted governor, chair of governing body, term of office 5 Oct 2022 to 4 Oct 2026; attended nine meetings.  Governor responsible for safeguarding, health and safety and looked after children; declared an interest as a governor at the Marjory Kinnon School, Bedfont, Middx.

Mrs Zanariah Webster, parent governor, vice chair of governors, term of office 28 Apr 2023 to 27 Apr 2027; attends both committees; attended eight meetings.  No interests declared.

Liz Down, co-opted governor; term of office 5 Oct 2022 to 4 Oct 2026; attended six meetings. Chair of Curriculum and Learning Committee; governor responsible for liaison with the LA in the event of a child protection allegation against the headteacher.

Lisa Smith, co-opted governor, 26 Apr 2023 to 25 Apr 2027, attended six meetings;  governor responsible for inclusion, diversity and special education needs.  No interests declared.

Mel Wootton, assistant headteacher, co-opted governor, attended six meetings; term of office 14 Dec 2022 to 13 Dec 2026;  no interests declared.

Katy Barella, new parent governor; attends both committees. term of office 1^st September 2024 to July 2028. No declared conflict of interests.

Johnny Kyriacou, co-opted governor, term of office 22 Jul 2021 to 21 Jul 2025; attended six meetings.  Attends Curriculum and Learning Committee. Declared an interest relating to his professional role in education for another local authority and as a governor at Thamesmead School.

Dominika Zahorska, new staff governor, term of office 1^st September 2024 to July 2028. No declared conflict of interests.

Amit Rattan, co-opted governor, chair of Resources Committee. Term of office October 2022 to 2026. No declared conflict of interests. Attended 7 meetings.

Should you wish to contact the governors, you may write to them c/o the school or use the email address: governors@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk