Welcome

 

Welcome

Hertford St Andrew C of E Primary School has an active and committed team of Governors who play an important role in school life.

Core functions of the governing board is ensuring:

• The vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined
• The headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the school
• The sound, proper and effective use of the school’s financial resources

The Governing Body does this by:

• ensuring we select people with the skills that are needed on the governing body and through training for governors.
• using three committees to look into the detail of the different aspects of work. The three committees are the ‘Curriculum and Standards Committee’, the ‘Values and Well-Being Committee’ and the ‘Resources Committee’.
• giving governors specific links to aspects of the school and meeting with the head and specific members of staff to focus on particular areas, such as teaching and learning in different subjects, spending of pupil premium funding, the school’s pay policy, safeguarding, buildings and health and safety.
• sending summaries of reports and discussions out to all governors prior to the full governing body meeting

The Full Governing Body

The governing body meets five times a year where we discuss and question reports on different aspects of the school. We employ a professional clerk for the meetings to help them run efficiently. Decisions are recorded and actions identified for individual governors to follow up.

Governors visit the school regularly in order to gain a better understanding of activities, successes, developments and issues relating to the specific areas they have been assigned to. For example: Early Years; SEN; IT; as well as curriculum matters such as the marking policy and phonics teaching; pupil attainment and progress.

All governors, (with the exception of the Headteacher), serve for a four year period, following which they may be re-appointed/re-elected.

All Governors make a declaration regarding pecuniary interests and if any are declared, they are detailed in the individual governor profiles.

Correspondence for the governing body can be sent directly to the school for forwarding to the Chair of the Governing Body.

Committees

All governors are members of at least one of the two committees. These committees meet at least once a term and report back to the Full Governing Body meetings.

School Improvement Committee

This committee is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the School’s vision, mission and aims are both met and fully understood by all members of the school community.
• Advising the governing body on standards and achievement, including statutory requirements and monitor their progress and impact.
• Contributing to the School Development Plan, the OFSTED Self-Evaluation Form, and the Diocesan Self-Evaluation Form. To monitor and review academic arrangements.
• Ensuring the school provides the best education possible and delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in keeping with the requirements of the National Curriculum, the Early Years Framework the agreed framework for Religious Education and PHSE.
• Ensuring effective provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and disabilities.
• Ensuring effective provision and challenge for all pupils.
• Ensuring there are effective curriculum policies on Reading, Writing and Maths
• Considering School Improvement and curriculum issues that have implications for budget and personnel decisions and to refer them to the Resources committee accordingly.
• Evaluating and reviewing the provision of extra-curricular enrichment activities.
• Ensuring that the School’s vision, mission and aims are both met and fully understood by all members of the school community
• Ensuring that the school actively promotes its Christian character and gives priority to the spiritual development of pupils
• Monitoring the extent to which pupils understand the place of Christianity within a multi-faith society
• Reviewing, adopting and monitoring the policy for Collective Worship and to ensure Collective Worship is formally evaluated at all levels
• Ensuring there are effective and enforceable policies on Behaviour, Attendance,
• Child Protection, Anti-Bullying, Relationships and Sex Education, Children Looked After and all Equality issues as well as other areas that have direct impact on pupils’ behaviour and well-being. Also, to ensure that pupils, staff and parents have confidence that these issues can be dealt with in an appropriate manner.
• Monitoring and reviewing pastoral arrangements including procedures that promote the well-being and positive attitudes of all pupils
• Contribute to the School Development Plan, the OFSTED Self-Evaluation Form, and the Diocesan Self-Evaluation Form.

Resources Committee

This committee is responsible for:

• Financial Matters
• preparing and reviewing financial policy statements.
• providing guidance and assistance to the Headteacher and Governing Body on financial matters.
• preparing longer-term financial plans.
• consulting with the Headteacher to consider the school’s income and to draft the first formal budget in the financial year for the governing body to consider.
• monitoring spending against budget and to ensure that expenditure remains within the prescribed limits.
• monitoring expenditure of all voluntary funds held by the school.
• authorising the signing of monitoring reports to the LA.
• advising the Governing Body on such matters as: o the budget needed to run the school in accordance with statutory requirements and the school improvement plan
• ensuring that the Governing Body’s financial policy and actions are in accordance with legislation, other statutory requirements and the LA’s Financial Regulations
• prioritising on major items of expenditure; purchasing of goods and services in the context of Best Value; generating additional income.
• providing support and guidance for the Headteacher on all matters relating to the school premises and grounds, security and health and safety.
• Inspecting the premises and grounds termly and preparing a report on any issues identified.
• approving the costs and arrangements for repairs, maintenance and redecoration within the budget allocation and overseeing the preparation and implementation of contracts
• undertaking an annual safety and security audit of the premises and reporting on the same to the Governing Body; ensuring that the school complies with health and safety regulations.
• drafting and reviewing the school’s Pay Policy, including criteria relating to the use of discretionary elements for pay provisions, and to make recommendations.
• determining salary levels for individual posts in accordance with the Pay Policy.
• reviewing the performance management policy and monitoring its implementation.
• liaising closely with the Herts for Learning Personnel team

Meet the Governors

Resigned in the last 12 months:

 

Meet the Governors:

Biographies

 

Reverend Alan Stewart

I originally studied at art college so have a particular interest in arts and music. I really enjoy walking the dog, practising Mindfulness and painting. 

I lead Collective Worship in the school on a two weekly basis. I sit on the Values and Wellbeing committee with a special interest in Special Educational Needs. I am also the Safeguarding link Governor.

 

Stuart Sapsford

I have lived in Hertford for 15 years with my wife and two children, one of which attends St Andrew.

I work for an organisation that provides key services and support for community and am driven by supporting organisations and individuals that help to positively change people's lives.

The early years of a child’s life are so important and the part that a primary school plays is crucial. To be able to support the school to give children the best start, is my motivation for joining as a governor. Schools are also a significant part of local community and through my work experience, I want to support Hertford St Andrew to be a key part of our local community.

Having joined in July 2022 I am looking forward to learning more about the school and supporting the governors and staff.

Kath Kennedy

I have lived in Hertford for the last 25 years, I’m married to Dorian who works for the Department of Health based in London and we have two grown-up sons, who both went to school in Hertford but are now living and working away from here.   I already have a little knowledge of St Andrews Primary School - a few years ago I volunteered to help at the after school ‘Story Club’. I always found the school a welcoming and positive place to be.

For the last four years I have been a teacher, teaching biology, chemistry and physics up to GCSE and A-level biology.  I am personally interested making the teaching of science relevant and interesting to the learners – whenever possible bringing practical tasks into the classroom.  I am interested in how science is taught and how primary science is linked to the curriculum in secondary school.   At Barclay, I taught several children with SEND – I adopted strategies to specifically help these children; accessibility to education is something I am interested to work on.  

Before training to be a teacher, I spent over 20 years working as a Research Nutritionist at the Institute of Child Health / Great Ormond St Hospital, London.  Childhood diet and health remains an interest of mine and how we can try to improve the health of children especially as levels of childhood obesity continue to rise.

I welcome the opportunity to work with the governors at Hertford St Andrews Primary to School – I know the area well and have a real interest in the education and health of all our children.

Debbie Hassall

I have lived in Hertford since 2009, moving here from London. I am very local to the school and love living in the area, particularly Panshanger Park.

I have worked for the London Ambulance Service for 23 years and a Clinical Team Manager for 15 years. I have responsibilities with patients and staff, ensuring clinical excellence and maintenance, and development of professional standards, as well as a level 3 safeguarding knowledge and training in health and safety.

I was keen to join the Governing Body as both my children have attended the school. My eldest finished year 6 with a flourish in July 2023, and Owen is currently at the school. I am keen to be part of the team that is at the heart of standards and improvement for the school, ensuring that our children feel supported, encouraged and nurtured during their academic journey.