Local School Committee (Governors)
Welcome to our Governors’ section.
Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
Local School Committee
​Chair of Local School Committee: Mrs Laura De Kock
Overview
Chaulden Junior School is fortunate to have a committed team of governors who, together, make up the Local School Committee (LSC) of the school. We play an important role in the leadership and life of the school. As governors we are unpaid volunteers and are either elected or appointed to serve a four year term of office. The LSC constitution allows for the following membership:
- 2 staff governors (including the Headteacher)
- 2 Co-opted parent governors
- 2 elected parent governors
- 3 co-opted community governors
All governors have equal rights to participate in the work of the governing body and are encouraged to state their individual opinions. However we work as a team and are bound by the collective decisions of the group.
The LSC is a committee of the Spiral Partnership Trust, the charity that is legally responsible for overseeing the operations of both the Trust’s schools. The Trust itself is governed by a Board of Directors, a group of individuals akin to school governors. The LSC is represented on the Trust by the Chair of Governors. Our decisions are monitored by, and may be influenced by, the Board of Directors who are ultimately responsible for all the actions of the Trust’s schools.
More information about school governors in Hertfordshire can be found on the Herts Direct website: www.hertsdirect.org/governors.
Requirements of a School Governor
As individuals we each have different motivation for becoming a school governor. We come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a range of expertise and experience to the LSC. It is not necessary to be an expert on educational matters, but it is vital to seek to understand the role and its responsibilities fully, and to be prepared to put in the time and effort required to carry out the job effectively. Enthusiasm, commitment, the ability to collaborate effectively and to reflect on data and decisions are key qualities required.
All governors have access to support and formal training opportunities which they are expected to take advantage of in order to learn about their role and to become effective governors.
A Governor’s Role
We work in partnership with the School’s Leadership Team to ensure the best possible all-round education is being provided for all pupils in a high quality learning environment, making the most of the resources available to the school and ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and procedures. Whilst the day to day management and operation of the school are the responsibility of the Headteacher, supported by the Leadership Team, governors have a strategic role and are required to hold the school to account for standards of learning and teaching and to provide constructive challenge and support.
The Work of A Governor
The role of a school governor involves a significant commitment, but the work is planned in a structured way in order to accommodate personal commitments, including, for the majority of governors, full or part-time paid work and family commitments.
The LSC has 6 formal meetings per year, one per half term. It has no committees of its own, but it does have representation on the joint Resources Committee of the Trust which looks primarily at the statutory financial, legal and HR matters of both schools, encompassing risk management, statutory compliance and effective allocation of the Trust’s and schools’ resources.
In addition to attending meetings, governors perform their work by visiting the school to observe and gather evidence, and will contribute too, to working parties in order to progress specific actions when required.
Examples of ways in which we have contributed to the school in the past year include:
Strategic actions: - addressing the leadership structure of the school, ensuring that the Trust’s decision making took into account the needs of our school and its pupils;
Holding to account: - requiring the School’s Leadership Team to provide information, and providing challenge, about:
- Key school development objectives
- Pupil progress and attainment across year groups
- How the Pupil Premium Grant and Sports Premium are spent, and the impact of these decision on learning
Communication
Governors communicate with parents via an annual (and occasionally, other) newsletter, providing a round-up of our work and the school’s achievements during the year, and through an annual parent survey. You will also see us informally, at school and PTA events throughout the year.
Contact
If you wish to contact the LSC on a specific issue, or would simply like to find out more about how we work, please do so via the school office on the usual phone number or by email at lscclerk@spiral.herts.sch.uk
It should be noted that governors do not get involved in individual pupil issues or specific complaints. Parents should speak, in the first instance, with their child’s teacher for any matter arising, and then to the Headteacher. If a matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties then governors may become involved via the school’s formal Complaints Procedure, but this would always be as a last resort.
Laura De Kock - Chair of Local School Committee
I have three children in Chaulden Junior School. Having relocated from South Africa in 2015 we found that the school played an integral part of how well the children settled into a new country and a new routine and as such feel it is important to be active within the school community as a whole. I have been chair of the PTA at the Infants school for a number of years and find my most rewarding experiences are always those where what I do impacts the daily lives of the students. I have come from a business, arts and education background having previously co-owned an art gallery and pottery studio prior to moving into the supplementary education field as the Franchise Recruitment Manager for Kumon Education. Upon our relocation to the UK I took on an Area Manager role for a popular local website (and worked in the Infants school as an MSA). The website was then sold and I was offered a role as Sales and Marketing Manager for a local company who are the UK representatives for the Madrid trade fair centre, a role which I am still in today. Being a life-long learner I am looking forward to the opportunities learn and make a difference while in the role of Governor at the school.
Rosie Denlegh-Maxwell - Co-Opted Governor
I have spent six and a half years working in behaviour change and strategic consultancy. This has seen me working for a range of organisations, from big corporates through to small charities and government departments on a wide range of behavioural challenges, which with research and behavioural science understanding I aim to resolve. Before that I worked at Comic Relief in the Operations Dept. where I had oversight of the running of a very successful charity.
Having a year’s maternity leave gave me a fresh perspective on wanting to use my skillset in other ways that would benefit the community and becoming a governor felt like an appropriate way to do this. I feel privileged to be part of the board of governors at Chaulden Junior school and am really looking forward to getting stuck in and hopefully having a positive impact on school life.
Alison Shardlow - Governor I was brought up and went to school in Dacorum and have lived in the local area for much of my life. Having spent the majority of my career working in human resource management for large companies, in 2007 I founded my own company with a business partner working on recruitment projects to source candidates for universities and government departments. This helped to further strengthen my interest and strong belief in the importance of education, including at early years’ stage, opening children’s eyes to the world and giving them the confidence and desire to make the most of their skills and grasp every opportunity that is offered to them or is within their reach. To encourage them to aim high. I believe that this is something for which the seeds are sown very early on from junior school stage, as well as through family life. All my impressions of Chaulden Junior School are that it provides a vibrant environment which encourages each pupil to reach his or her full potential in a caring and supportive way. I welcome and feel privileged to have the opportunity to make a contribution to this.
Hinesh Shah - Governor My wife and I moved to Dacorum in 2019 and love the community spirit that exists within the local area. I have been qualified as a chartered accountant for ten years and have spent most of my working life in the professional services sector. My work involves understanding the strategies and business models of organisations and providing recommendations on how to strengthen their governance frameworks.
We have two young children of our own and I’ve been privileged to spend so much time with them both over the last few years. It is apparent, even at an early stage, how important education and development is in the formative years of children’s’ lives. I’m really excited to join the governing board of Chaulden Junior School and look forward to working with my fellow governors to make sure the children have as positive an environment as possible that will enable them to reach their full potential.
Suzanne Stiles - Governor. I have lived in Dacorum all my life: attending both primary and secondary schools in the area. On leaving school I worked in Administration and then spent a year in Saudi Arabia before coming back to the UK to study for a degree in English at the University of Hertfordshire. Having worked in Education, as an English teacher, for over 20 years I understand the demands placed on our students and what is expected from them when they reach secondary school. During this time I have worked in a number of secondary schools, across Herfordshire, have been Head of Year, taking responsibility for the pastoral aspects of students’ time in school, and have taught all ages from Year 7 to Year 13. As a grandparent of four grandchildren, all attending the Chaulden Infant and Junior School I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be part of the Local School Committee and want to help support the trust to make it the outstanding school I know it can be.
Alex Lindley - Executive Head & Interim Headteacher
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Governors Minutes
Signed Minutes and Agenda of future Governors' Meetings are available at the school office free of charge. Confidential minutes (Part 2's) will not be made available.
Meeting Dates 2022 - 2023
3 October 2022
21 November 2022
23 January 2023
13 March 2023
8 May 2023
26 June 2023
Meeting Dates 2023 - 2024
2 October 2023
27 November 2023
29 January 2024
18 March 2024
29 April 2024
24 June 2024