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Our Governors

Highfield Hall Governors 2023-2024

Name

Governor role

Date appointed

Term of office ends

Committee membership

Link Governor Role

Governance roles in other educational institutions

Business and financial interests

Attendance record  FGB meetings and committee meetings From Sept 2024

Stuart Yeowart

Community Governor, Chair

11.10.2022

10.10.2026

Head Teachers Performance

SEN and Pupil Premium, Maths

None

None

3/3

2/2

Nicola Salt

Parent Governor Vice-Chair

01.03.2022

28.02.2026

Behaviour, Staff and Pay Progression

Safeguarding

None

None

2/3

0/0

Lindsay Sanderson

Parent Governor

07.02.2023

06.02.2026

Policy and Performance, Staff and Pay Progression

English, History, Geography and Science

None

None

3/3

0/0

Mike Bywaters 

Head Teacher

09.01.2019        None  None
3/3
0/0
 
Louise Wilson LA Governor 01.07.2019 30.06.2023 Finance, Head Teachers Performance PE, Music and DT None None
3/3
1/1

Emma Evans 

Staff Governor  28.03.2023  27.03.2027 Behaviour, Health and Safety  Health and Safety  None  None
 3/3
0/0
 
Laura Webster Community Governor 07.02.2023 06.02.2027  Finance, Health and Safety   None None
3/3
1/1
Charlene Crook Community Governor 05.12.2023 04.12.2027

 

 Maths     1/1 
Emily Hopkinson Community Governor  05.12.2023  04.12.2027    Art, EYFS     1/1 
Vacancy Community Governor              
Vacancy Community Governor              
Vacancy Community Governor            

 

Vacancy Community Governor              
Vacancy Community Governor              
The work of the Governing Body 2024-2025
The Governors believe that Highfield Hall is an inclusive school. We seek to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to achieve and succeed. We are focused on supporting the Head Teacher and his team to remove barriers to learning and enable our children to develop their interests and skills, expand their horizons, and become good citizens.

The main functions of the Governing Body are to:
agree the aims and objectives of the school
agree the policies to help achieve those aims and objectives
monitor and evaluate progress
support and challenge the Head Teacher and the other school leaders in relation to the progress and attainment
manage the school’s use of resources
ensure that the school is a safe place to work and learn


The school's Governing Body consists of eleven members appointed in the following categories:​

· 2 parent governors
· 1 Head Teacher governor
· 1 Local Authority governor
· 9 Community governors
· 1 staff governor

Committees

The Full Governing Body appoints each year a number of committees which carry out detailed work and bring recommendations back to the Full Governing Body. The main committees for 2024-25 are:

Pay and Performance
Finance 
HTPM
All members of the Governing Body sit on one or more committees. In addition, certain governors are appointed to act as a link with those teachers who have certain responsibilities in the school, such as special educational needs. A governor is also appointed to take special responsibility for safeguarding provision for the children.

The Finance Committee
This committee consider financial issues and ensures that the financial resources provided to the school are well spent. It also focuses on the best application of specific grants. In its work of managing the school’s financial resources the committee uses benchmarks to compare us to similar schools to ensure that we are broadly conforming to common standards. It also checks the school’s financial procedures against county-wide schools financial value standards to ensure compliance with those standards. This ensures that the school is applying best practice in these areas and acts as a safeguard against misappropriation or misuse of funds.

The committee is also responsible for maintaining the school’s IT equipment within the scope of the available financial resources. In the course of the year new interactive whiteboards were purchased for five classrooms. The new whiteboards provide better visibility within the classroom, better graphics, and can be used in a wide variety of ways in conjunction with other IT equipment making it faster and easier for the class teacher to access information, so that the classroom learning experience is improved.

​​This committee is also responsible for Health and Safety and ensures that the school fully complies with all Local Authority Guidelines. In addition to this, they carry out an annual check on different aspects of Health and Safety.

In the coming year this committee will review the way pupil premium and sports premium money is used in the school, ensuring the most effective outcomes for our children.

Head Teacher’s Performance Management
The Head Teacher is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of the school. An essential part of the Governors' work is to assess how the Head Teacher is performing these functions, and by this means to monitor the standard of teaching and practice in the school. A special committee of the Governing Body has responsibility for assessing the Head Teacher's performance against targets set the previous year, they are supported by an advisor from the local authority.

The governors look closely at the performance of the Head Teacher, have discussions about areas of strength and development and set new targets against which the Head Teacher’s performance will be evaluated. The impact of this is that the governors understand, through their assessment of the leadership and performance of the Head Teacher, the areas of strength and development needs within the school as a whole, including children's progress, curriculum coverage, and the learning environment. In addition, the data presented enables them to develop an accurate picture of the school. The governors are by these means better informed so as to enable them to challenge and support the Head Teacher.

Reviewing policies
Every year the committees review the school’s policies on matters falling within their remit. Some policies are revisited annually and others fall into a three year cycle of monitoring and review. In some cases changes are made to these policies by the governors to reflect best current practice and experience within the school.

External Review
The governors and the Head Teacher sometimes have the benefit of an external review of the school’s performance. Our last OfSTED inspection was in 2019, when we were judged ‘good’. 

The School Development Plan (S.D.P.):
The governors work co-operatively with the Head Teacher to identify priorities for school improvement and in preparing, and then monitoring, the School Development Plan (S.D.P.). The S.D.P. sets aims for the forthcoming year, it is monitored and reviewed termly at each meeting of the Full Governing Body.

​Over the course of the year individual governors have taken the opportunity to visit the school informally to listen to children read; attend events such as plays and sports days; join in class activities and help on school trips. We also have an annual Governor’s Day when most of the governors come in to visit the classrooms; join the children for lunch; meet with the School Council and talk to the children about their school.


Mr Stuart Yeowart

Chair of Governors and Community Governor

Stuart Yeowart is a co-opted Governor, appointed by the Governing Body.

He has been a Governor since October 11th 2022 and his term of office runs out in 2026.

He is currently the Chair of Governors.

Attendance over the last year: Governing Body meetings 2/2, committee meetings 0/0.

Nicola Salt

Vice-Chair and Parent Governor

Nicola Salt was appointed as a Governor on the March 1st 2022 and her term of office will end in 2026. She is a parent of a child in Year 4 and a former pupil of Highfield Hall. As of 5th December 2023 Nicola was elected to the role of Vice-Chair.

Nicola applied to be a governor to be part of the progression as we move back to being a community again following on from the pandemic.

Her current role is as a Family Support Worker based in a local Primary School, where she works closely with school staff and parents. Her responsibilities include Safeguarding and this academic year she was made one of the School’s Designated Safeguarding Leads, as part of this she represents school at conferences and meetings.

Nicola's role also includes being part of a Well-being Team, working to support the children’s mental health and well-being. Training and experience has enabled her to carry out work directly with the children and alongside colleagues she looks at the best support for individuals as well as groups.

A large proportion of her employment has been working with children with complex medical needs and disability which gives her a good insight into how a school needs to be adaptable for every situation that may arise. Working with families to overcome barriers to education and ensuring all children are given the opportunity to enjoy and achieve.

Charlene Crook

I am a local resident of highfield hall. I have 2 children who are currently in year 2 and year 4 here.
I have 18 years experience working with children in many settings ranging from 0-18 years old.
I have an NVQ level 3 in EYFS and have knowledge of the curriculum of 0-5 in learning and development and how to implement supporting strategies and to ensure their needs are met.
I recently worked in a residential children’s care home for 2 years as a support worker. I have knowledge on safeguarding policies and procedures and the importance of supporting a child in need.

I am currently in Highfield Hall Primary school aiming towards a Teaching assistant role and I work alongside year 2, supporting teachers and other TAs, assisting the children with their education and well being.

Emma Evans

Staff Governor

Staff Governor,
I have been at Highfield Hall now for nearly four years, and I am excited to be working with the Staff and Governors to make Highfield Hall the best it can be. My previous governor experience came from being a parent governor at my children's primary school before being vice chair for some months.

I originally trained as a teaching assistant, becoming a SEN TA throughout many years of supply and enjoyed working for Tailor Made Programmes for some years, this gave me the knowledge and strategies' to work with children with SEN but also with those who struggle to be in the classroom, or have been previously excluded. I am also a qualified emergency care assistant, using my skills as the schools medical lead.

I hope to be a voice for staff, but also for parents and our children as they are who make our school.

Emily Hopkinson

Community Governor

I am a former pupil of the school and I have one son who is currently in year one and a younger son who is due to start nursery in 2024 at Highfield Hall.

I work in further education as a Graphic Designer within the marketing team and I run my own freelance business building websites and doing photography. I also work part-time for my husband’s business doing the accounts and payroll.

My roles above have given me various opportunities and experience working with different market sectors and I hope to share my knowledge and help the school as a parent governor.

Lindsay Sanderson

Parent Governor

LINDSAY SANDERSON was appointed as a community Governor on 7th February 2023.

I am a local resident with 3 children, my eldest attends Outwood academy Newbold and I have 2 children which attend Highfield Hall.

I have worked at chesterfield royal hospital as a midwife since 2007. For the last 4 years I have predominantly worked within the community setting working closely with families on their journey into parenthood. As a health professional my role involves raising the awareness of the importance of 0-5 years focusing on the unborn/newborn.

My role also entails working closely with the Derbyshire safeguarding policy. I'm enthusiastic and passionate about being part of the governing body at Highfield Hall.

Laura Webster

Teacher/Community Governor

I am a co-opted governor but also an established member of the school team.

I have worked at Highfield Hall Primary School since 2017, where I joined as the Lower Key Stage 2 Lead. I have several different roles including being the school's maths lead, mental health lead and DSL.

I work passionately to support Highfield Hall Primary School to be the best it can be and enjoy being part of the governing team to ensure our children receive a high quality education.

As a parent myself, I understand the role of a successful partnership between home and school and know that effective communication is very important.

Being on the governing body for the school is a good opportunity to share the voice of parents and staff with other governors to continue to drive a cycle of reflection and improvement.

Louise Wilson

Local Authority Governor

Louise Wilson was appointed as Governor in July 2019, she is a parent of two children at Highfield Hall Primary School.

Louise works for Derbyshire County Council and has done since 2010, where she managers the Careers Team for the county within the Employment and Skills Department.

Most of Louise’s employment with Derbyshire County Council has been within careers, employment, skills and education. These are the areas Louise’s feels passionate about for our children.