A Welcome from the Chair of Governors

On behalf of the Board of Governors I would like to welcome you to Elmbridge Primary School. I may be slightly biased, but I think that you would struggle to find another primary school locally that offers such a wide range of opportunities for its pupils to thrive.

To give you an overview of who we are and what we do, as school governors we are passionate about supporting the development of the school, working together with the head teacher in setting its future direction. We decide on how the school's budget should be most effectively spent to contribute to the children’s education and make decisions on areas such as the school development plan, educational performance and the wide range of school policies.

The governing body is made up of 15 governors of varying types. We include the Head Teacher alongside parent, co-opted, authority and staff governors. The full governing body meets six times a year but there are also a number of committees that meet at different times during each term and report back to the main governing body. The committees cover all aspects of school including finance and buildings, curriculum, policies and personnel.

Each governor is a member of a Curriculum Group, alongside their committee responsibilities, and throughout the year meet with staff members to discuss the schools approach to the subject, performance against plan, and any upcoming activities planned. This gives governors an opportunity to gain an insight into the day-to-day planning and teaching of these subject areas to identify how they align with the overall school curriculum approach.

The governing body is made up of a wide range of primarily non-education professionals. Our core role is to act as a 'critical friend' for the school, supporting but also asking questions and raising any concerns we may identify. 

Our most important role is to help ensure that the school is set up to deliver the best possible experience for your children, spanning both education and enrichment. 

To help you get a better feel for who we are, we have listed the members of our Governing Body below and provided you with a copy of our Governor Profile document which includes a picture of each Governor, their responsibilities on the Governing Body and a brief history of their background.

Ashleigh Ovens

Chair of Governors

Elmbridge Primary School Governors 2023 – 2024

Mr Dean Allen, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Parents

Term of Office 27.3.23 – 26.3.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Meeting attendance record

Mr Steven Beard, Parent Governor appointed by the Parents

Term of Office 30.9.22 – 29.9.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Personnel, Pay & Performance Committees

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Rebecca Booth, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body

Term of Office 21.1.23-20.1.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Personnel, Pay & Performance and Policy Review Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mr Adrian Cole, Parent Governor elected by the Parents

Term of Office 20.9.22- 19.9.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Policy Review Committee and Personnel, Pay & Performance Committee

Meeting attendance record

Ms Debbie Hamilton, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body 

Term of Office 7.2.22- 6.2.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member & Chair of the Finance & Buildings Committee & Personnel, Pay & Performance & Curriculum Committees

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Manda Holliday, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body

Term of office 14.10.23 - 13.10.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Curriculum Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Rebecca Howell, Parent Governor elected by the parents

Term of Office 30.9.22-29.9.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Meeting attendance record

Rev Dr John McNeill Co-opted Governor appointed by Governors

Term of Office 17.10.22-16.10.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Curriculum Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Ashleigh Ovens, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body

Term of Office 21.1.23-20.1.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Chair of Governors and Member of the Finance & Buildings and Personnel, Pay & Performance Committees

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Alison Petticrew, Co-opted Governor

Term of Office 11.09.23 – 10.09.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Curriculum Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Gemma Radford, Staff Governor elected by the staff

Term of Office 11.09.23 – 10.09.27

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Curriculum Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mr Phill Riddle, *Associate Governor to the Finance & Buildings Committee appointed by the Governing Body

Term of Office 11.9.23 – 10.9.24

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Finance & Buildings Committee with voting rights

Meeting attendance record

Mrs Kelsa Rowland-Evans, Governor appointed by the Local Authority

Term of Office 17.10.22-16.10.26

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of Curriculum Committee

Meeting attendance record

Glen Tharia, Head Teacher employed by the Governing Body

Term of Office:  Continuous

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Member of the Buildings & Finance Committee

Meeting attendance record

Mr John Vallender, Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body

Term of Office 20.10.21 – 19.10.25

Not a member of another Governing Body and no relevant business or pecuniary interests recorded

Vice Chair and Member of the Finance & Buildings and Pay, Personnel & Performance Committees

Meeting attendance record

ELMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2023/2024