Governors

Welcome!

The Local Governing Body of Hartest School aims to ensure that Hartest Church of England School maintains a broad and balanced curriculum, promoting progress and achievement for all pupils within a distinctly Christian School.

All governors on the Local Governing Body are enthusiastic volunteers and their main focus is to try to ensure that Hartest C of E Primary School is the best school it can be for every pupil who attends.
Hartest School is very fortunate to have governors who bring a wide range of skills to the governing body that are very useful in the strategic leadership and management of the school.
Governors work closely with Mr Coombs and all the staff. They monitor data which they analyse to see how the school is performing. They also analyse the finances and try to ensure that monies spent are used as efficiently as possible.
Through being on the governing body all governors gain an in depth knowledge of the school.
Governors have to work within a budget which is set by the Diocesan Multi Academy Trust.
A Governor is not the same as a volunteer helper who may come into the school and help on a regular basis, although obviously they can do this too.
Governors take different roles within the committee, based on their expertise and interest, for which they also receive training.
Some governors have specific roles to cover such as SEND, Safeguarding and Link Governor.
The Whole Governing Body meets twice a term. Items on the agenda can be working on the School Development and Improvement Plan, budget monitoring, discussing pupil scores, papers on national issues and the approval of Educational visits. They also discuss the Headteacher’s report which gives them day to day information on the running of the school.
Governors have a vital role to play in the effective running of the school.

The Local Governing Body is overseen by the MAT Trustees. More information can be found at St Edmundsbury and Ipswich MAT Governance

If you are interested in becoming a governor, please either contact the school or look on the Suffolk County Council website (www.suffolk.gov.uk), where you will find further information.

Here you can find out more about your school governors and the work of the school’s Local Governing Body.

Governor Details and Register of Interests 2017-18 *January 2018

Name	Governor Type	Position	Committees	Responsibilities
David Ackroyd	Co-opted	Vice Chair
Mary Burr	Co-opted
Susan Brown	Staff
Pat Cawston	Associate			Gifted and Talented
Matthew Coombs	Ex Officio	Headteacher
Katie Jackson	Co-opted			English
Vacancy	Parent
Anna Laflin	Parent			SEND. Looked After Children,
Kate Long	Foundation	Vice Chair
Patrick Prigg	Foundation – Ex Officio	Chair		RE
Sue Prickett	Associate	SLT
Stephen Welfare	Co-opted
Jackie Crisp	Associate

Governors Serving Over the Past 12 months

Name	Governor Type	Appointing Body	Date of Appointment	Term of Office Or Date Stepped Down	Business or Pecuniary Interests	Attendance Record 2016-2017	Attendance Record 2017-2018
David Ackroyd	Co- opted	LGB	27-03-17	01-10-19	Nil	2/2	6/6
Susan Brown	Staff		01-09-15	29-09-21	Nil	5/6	2/6 operation
Mary Burr	Co-opted	LGB	01-10-07	01-10-19	Nil	6/6	6/6
Pat Cawston	Associate	LA/LGB	01-09-77	01-10-19	Nil	6/6	6/6
Matthew Coombs	Ex Officio	Diocese	23-01-17		Rosa Simon music fund – trustee	4/4	6/6
Hazel Fisher	Associate	LGB	14-05-14	29-01-18	Nil	5/6	2/2
Neil Gooding	Co-opted	LGB	23-01-17	11-12-17	Wife volunteers at the school	6/6	1/1
Ruth Hardy	Parent	LA	01-10-13	15-05-17	Nil	3/5	–
Karen Harman	Ex Officio	LA/Diocese	01-09-16	30-03-17	Governor of St Mary’s Hadleigh	¾	–
Katie Jackson	Co-opted	LGB	15-05-17	01-10-19	Nil	2/2	6/6
Ian Kearns	Ex Officio	LA/Diocese	01-09-16	31-12-16	Nil	2/2	–
Hollie Kidby	Parent	Diocese	01-10-09	08-10-18	Husband local builder	4/6	5/6
Anna Laflin	Parent	Diocese	05-10-16	29-09-21	Nil	6/6	6/6
Graham Lee	Co-opted	LGB	01-10-15	15-05-17	Nil	2/5	–
Kate Long	Foundation	Diocese	01-03-15	29-09-21	Teacher at Horringer Court Middle School	5/6	6/6
Sue Prickett	Associate	LGB	14-05-14	01-10-19	Nil	4/6	5/6
Patrick Prigg	Foundation Ex Officio	Diocese	01-09-9		Previously a governor at Glemsford Primary Academy	0/6 Severe illness	5/6

Scheme of Delegation June 2017

Committee Structure Terms of Reference October 2018

Meeting dates for year 2017-2018

Individual Governor Responsibilities March 2018

We like to hear from you if you have either praise or concerns.

Please contact your governors by:

Ringing the school and ask that a governor returns your call, 01284 830343.
Writing a letter ‘For the attention of the Governors’, and send it via the school office.
Email the Chair of Governors – Chair.gov@hartest.suffolk.sch.uk

Your views are really important and help us to run the school effectively.

Our Governors

Our Instrument of Governance provides for 11 governors and the Governing body is made up as follows:

Headteacher

Mr Matthew Coombs

2 x Parent Governors

Parent Governors are elected from the parent body.

Anna Laflin

Parent Governor until 31-08-2021

Responsible for monitoring SEND and Pupil Premium.

I am a working mum of 3 children, all of whom are pupils of Hartest School. I am married and live and work on a small local arable farm which my husband and I run together. We also run a small horse livery business.

I have lived in the local community for the whole of my life. I am a former pupil of Hartest School and am incredibly passionate about its success. From leaving school I went on to study my NNEB (nursery nursing qualification) as well as doing an HNC in youth and childhood studies. During my 12 year career in Early Years I worked at a local Private School nursery both as a nursery nurse and their SENCO. I have also worked as a private Nanny. All these experiences will help me as a governor of Hartest where I hope to see the school continue to grow successfully.

Vacancy for parent governor due to resignation on 08-10-18

2 x Diocesan Governors

Diocesan governors are those who are responsible for the Church link, as Hartest is a Church of England Primary School. The Diocese is responsible for electing these governors.

Reverend Patrick Prigg

(Ex Officio – remains as a governor unless he should leave his post as a Reverend)

Link Governor. Responsible for monitoring Christian Values and Spirituality and Finance.

I have been the parish priest of the Glem Valley United Benefice since 1996. The Benefice covers Hartest, Boxted, Stanstead, Somerton, Glemsford and Fenstead End. As Rector I am automatically a Trustee of many local charities and an ex-officio Foundation Governor at Hartest School. In addition to supporting the school in its administration I lead a weekly assembly and I am available to staff, pupils and parents should they ever appreciate a confidential listening ear.
Born a Fen Tiger, I grew up in Cambridge. I studied there and at Kings College London and in Salisbury. Following a very varied career (DJ, Company Accountant, Restaurant Manager, etc. etc.) I was ordained into the Church of England and served 4 years in Liverpool before coming to Suffolk.
The school’s vision to engender a ‘lifelong love of learning’ is, I believe, the most important gift we can give our children as they begin their voyage of discovery.

Kate Long

Foundation governor until 31-08-2021.

Vice Chair of Governors. Responsible for monitoring Christian Values and Spirituality and Standards and Attainment

I have lived in Hartest for nearly 30 years and all my 4 children attended Hartest School before embarking on their educational path. I am employed as a part time teacher and my husband James works in the wine trade, based in Newmarket. I decided to take up the role of Foundation governor to further the links between the Church and the school.

1 x Staff Governor

Sue Brown – Part time teacher in Hedgehogs Class. Trained as an Early Years Specialist. Staff Governor until 31st August 2021.

4 x Co-Opted Governors

Co-Opted governors are people from the community who wish to help the school. They are voted as members by the Governing Body.

Mary Burr

Co-Opted governor until 01-10-2019.

I have lived in Hartest for the last 29 years and all my 3 daughters attended Hartest School. I have been a governor at the school for 11 years. I resigned as Chair of governors this October after serving 7 years in this role.

I studied Sociology at London University and on graduation moved to Suffolk from Surrey. After working in a children’s home I took the position as the first manager of Mothercare in Bury St Edmunds. I then moved into the publishing world whilst I had young children, proof reading books. Through having the girls I became involved in playgroups and trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher, running my own nursery. I then decided to train as a Primary School teacher and spent a year studying at Cambridge before taking up work in Bury St Edmunds. I have since taught in both the maintained and independent sectors. I progressed to a management role and also trained as a specialist teacher in Specific Learning Difficulties. Although I am now retired from teaching, I still maintain an interest in business matters through involvement in my husband’s Estate Agency.

David Ackroyd

Co-opted Governor until 01-10-19

Responsible for monitoring Health and Safety

I have lived in Hartest since 1988 and brought up both of my children here. They both attended Hartest Primary School. I trained as a science teacher and started teaching in 1973. I taught in a variety of schools including a secondment in Germany with the forces. Although my main subject was science I also taught some other subjects as well. My last teaching job was at Samuel Ward Upper School Haverhill where I was Head Of Physics and co-ordinated the work experience program. I took early retirement and started my own company which is an educational engineering project ‘Formula Gravity”. This takes me around to schools around the UK. And also provides some fun with the media. I also trained and qualified as a Health and Safety Assessor with Suffolk County Council for the Educational Services and worked with them for 15 years.

I hope that I can contribute to the school with my career in education.

Katie Jackson

Co-opted Governor until 01-10-19

Responsible for monitoring Standards and Attainment

I moved to Suffolk in 2012 and Hartest in 2014 after nearly 20 years living in West Sussex . I graduated with a Degree in Music and Singing from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and sang with the RTE Chamber Choir in Dublin for a few years before moving to London and working in music publishing. After having children I studied for a PGCE in Secondary Music and taught this and singing at a girls’ school in West Sussex for about 15 years. I now continue to teach singing at a Suffolk school and am also an assistant parish administrator for a local church. I have three children, two of whom are now grown up but still have one child in the 6^th Form of a local secondary school. I am hoping as a Governor that I will be able to contribute to the life of the school and village and am looking forward to my grandson starting school at Hartest in September 2018.

Dr Stephen Welfare

Co-opted Governor until 01-10-19

Associate members

Associate members advise the committee due to the skills they bring to the role, but do not hold voting rights.

Sue Prickett

Associate Governor until 01-10-19

School Finance officer and member of the Senior Leadership Team. Advises Governors on Financial matters.

I joined the school as Finance Officer in January 2015. I have three children and have lived locally to Hartest for 12 years now. Prior to my role at Hartest, I was the Office Manager at Cygnets pre-school in Great Whelnetham and have always been very involved in the schools my children have attended. Several years ago my family had the wonderful opportunity of living in Singapore where we all enjoyed experiencing different cultures, food and festivities. Following our return home I was delighted to become part of the local community once again and very much enjoy being part of the happy and enthusiastic team at Hartest School.

Pat Cawston

Associate Governor until 01-10-19

Responsible for monitoring gifted and talented provision and also assists in monitoring Christian Values and Spirituality.

My family have lived and farmed in Rede and Hawkedon for generations and my links with Hartest Primary School have spanned over 40 years as my daughter first joined the school in 1974. I joined the governing body soon after that and my 3 children were all pupils at the school (daughter and two sons). I have continued as a Local Authority governor ever since. In my time as a governor I have held a variety of positions, including being Chair for 23 years. I have been involved in building programmes and in the employment of many members of staff. I have worked alongside several head teachers and seen the school develop into a 4-11 school, with the introduction of years 5 and 6. I have played the piano at countless assemblies and many Christmas productions. I have also listened to many, many children read.

Through my role as a governor at the school, I have received training in a wide range of areas and met many interesting people, enriching my life. My grandchildren are now pupils at the school and so our family links continue.

Jackie Crisp

Associate Governor until 01-10-19