Who's Who: Governors

Welcome to the St Paul’s Governing body webpage. 

Here you will be able to find out more about the current governors and the vital role they play in the life of our school.

The governing body has 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 the effective and efficient performance management of staff

·Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

At St Paul’s Primary School, all Governors put the needs of the children at the heart of the decisions they make.

What do the Governors do ?

At St Paul’s we have up to ten governors, these are drawn from staff, elected parents, the local authority and co-opted governors recruited for their skills. Governors are all unpaid volunteers who are passionate about ensuring St Paul’s continues to thrive. They do this by ensuring they have a full understanding of the functioning of the school, by monitoring performance and by providing support and challenge. Their role is entirely strategic and they do not get involved in the day to day running of the school, that is delegated to the headteacher.

Governors discuss and have input on:

• Overall strategy of the school
• School policies, such as safeguarding, bullying, behaviour, admissions and health & safety
• School Development Plan
• How the school budget is spent
• Appointment and dismissal of staff including the Head Teacher
• Complaints from staff and parents
• Repair and maintenance of school buildings
• Ensuring the school fulfils its legal duties

Governors are appointed for four year terms and annually elect the chair, who cannot be a member of staff. They sign of code of conduct to show their commitment to the role.

At St Paul’s the Full Governing body meets at least six times a year. There is a Combined Committees meeting which also meets at least six times a year to provide close focus on school performance and staffing.

The responsibilities are outlined in the St Paul’s scheme of delegation.

In addition to attending school meetings governors have link roles to help them more closely monitor the school. Some links are determined by the governing body. Others are required by the government such as safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities.

If you are interested in learning more about the work of the governing body or would like to see if there is a vacancy to join us please contact the clerk Rosie Charnock at rcharnock@st-pauls.wilts.sch.uk or contact the school office.

I'm Melanie Collins and I work as a civil servant in the Department for Education. I've been a Governor at St Paul's since November 2016, and have been Chair of Governors since autumn 2017. I have two young boys who are both at St Paul's, and my husband is a secondary school teacher.

When I first looked around St Paul's, I was really struck by the value that the school placed on the children's emotional wellbeing. I really wanted to be able to do something to ensure those values were maintained and clearly echoed through everything that the school did, and I love how being a Governor enables me to bring my skills and experience from the non-teaching world to help the school to ensure its strategy echoes its values. I've also gained a deeper understanding of how the education system works and have found that the skills I have picked up as a Governor and Chair of Governors have had a positive impact on my career development.

My name is Lisa Wilkins, I am a teacher at the school and the staff representative for the governing body. I have been a governor for over 10 years. Being the voice of the whole staff  is a real privilege and I enjoy representing the strong team that we have here in school. Being a governor also gives me an insight into the strategic side of school management and I enjoy learning  about how things operate beyond the classroom. 

My name is Sarah Weld. I joined the Governing Body as a co-opted governor in 2020. I have two children at the school and in June 2022 became a Parent Governor.

A key role I have is Pupil Premium Governor. This means it is my role to work with the school and other governors to ensure that the Pupil Premium the school receives is spent in the best possible way to support children who are eligible for it and improve outcomes for all disadvantaged pupils.

As well as being a parent and Governor I work as a Consultant in Public Health for a Local Authority Public Health team and am passionate about children’s education, health and wellbeing and finding ways of working together to ensure that all children have the best start in life. As a parent at the school it is clear to me that the whole school shares this passion and I am really proud to be a governor at St Paul’s Primary School.

I’m Anneliese Hillyer-Thake, I have worked in the NHS since 1995. I joined St Paul’s Governors in 2019. I specialise in Safeguarding the most vulnerable and have worked in this area of work since 2004. 

I have been a governor in a number of schools over some years, helping and supporting with safeguarding. 

I really enjoy being a Governor at St Paul’s, the atmosphere within the school is warm and friendly. The staff are dedicated to supporting every child in being the best they can be. I love the forest school approach and the outside learning opportunities, this really appeals to me. 

I’m Kirsty Martin. I joined the governing board just before Christmas 2021 without knowing very much about St Paul’s. I’ve been so impressed by the love and care shown to the children whenever I have visited and can see how much effort goes in to supporting their learning through lessons and play. I’m the Special Educational Needs governor and I hope to help improve the chances of children with a higher level of need. I’m also chair of governors at Hardenhuish School and chair of the Wiltshire Governors’ Association.

My name is Janet Serevena and I joined the Governing Body in 2022 as a Parent Governor, having one child at St Pauls and another due to start next year. I previously worked in children’s publishing for nearly a decade.

When I first visited St Pauls, the thing that impressed me most was the friendly, comfortable and caring atmosphere throughout the school, setting a positive environment for learning and helping each child to be their best. Joining the Governing Body, I am proud to help the school maintain and strengthen these values to ensure all children are supported to reach their individual potential. 

I’m Madeleine Clark and I joined the governing board in the Summer 2022 having moved to Chippenham with my husband and dog the year before. I work as a civil servant for the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council, where I manage and analyse research funding on animal health. St Paul’s is a wonderful school, each time I visit I see motivated, happy children thriving and it is an honour to sit on the governing board. As part of the governing board I am the governor for data for the school, providing analysis and understanding of school outcomes. My career skills in data analysis and sitting on strategic advisory boards for research grants are useful to this role, ensuring the school’s ethos and strategy remain in focus. The governor role is a fantastic opportunity to be part of, and support, the success of the local community and I am really grateful for the opportunity.