School Governors

Jo has been a governor for twelve years, including 4 years as Chair at a large primary school in Richmond and 2 years as Chair of Trustees at a secondary school multi-academy trust. She has successfully completed the National College, “Chair of Governors National Leadership Development Programme”.

Jo was brought up in the local area and both her children have attended community schools. In her professional career, Jo has led teams to harmonise policy & operational practice across Europe for a multi-national corporation.

Jo is also a trustee at Citizens Advice Richmond.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:

• Set the vision and strategic direction for Ellingham Primary School

• Hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of pupils

• Ensure financial resources are spent well

We are constituted of 10 individuals from different groups with an interest in the school:

2 parents

2 staff members

1 Local Authority nominated member

5 co-opted members

Co-opted members are recruited based on the skills that they offer to help the Governing Body carry out its functions e.g. Financial, Legal , HR, Education Management

The Full Governing Body meets 5 times per year.

The Governing Body also works in committees, where smaller groups focus on specific areas:

i. The Children & Achievement Committee monitors the academic attainment and progress of all pupils, and considers their personal development, behaviour and welfare.

ii. The Resources & Finance Committee oversees the setting and management of the school budget, supports the school's HR strategy, and ensures health and safety and accessibility responsibilities are met.​