Cranborne Primary School

Governors

Meet Our Governors: 

Our Governing Board at Cranborne Primary School is made up of a group of people who are dedicated and committed to do the best they can for the children who attend Cranborne School. We work alongside and support the Headteacher and staff in all that they do. 

Peter Goldfinch I attended Cranborne Primary School many years ago when it was situated on its previous site in Potters Bar. I have three daughters all of whom went to the school, they are now  through university and in full time employment. I have a soft spot for the school, and it has been wonderful to see how things have grown at school with the excellent results that have been achieved in recent years.  I have been a governor at the school for the last 20 years, being chair of governors for last ten years. I look to bring the experiences of the private sector in banking to the life of the school, working with the other members of the governing body and the head and members of staff. I am a member of all the committees that we have.  We all work together to make every day count for the children allowing them to be the best they can be.  Anything that I can do to make that happen I am more than happy to do.  Our school is a very happy place to be, everyone is enthusiastic , approachable and determined to achieve the success the school deserve.

Ann Harrison I am a retired engineering manager and have served on the Cranborne School governing body for many years. I know how important a good primary education is to a child’s life chances and want to use my experience and skills to help the school in any way I can. 

Claire Keilty I am honoured to be the Headteacher of Cranborne School. I am able to bring my knowledge and experience of 20 years in the education sector. Inclusion and personalised teaching is my passion and I am a true believer that children only get one chance. I am dedicated to improving the life chances of every child that walks through our door and am committed to breaking down barriers to learning. I am happy to challenge perceptions and am fiercely loyal to the children I serve. Hobbies include cooking at home and going out to nice restaurants. I live with my husband, two secondary school aged girls and a new baby, so I understand the dynamics of family life and am here to support families with all aspects of school, home and work. My door is always open!

Andrew Jones  I am an Assistant Headteacher at The Reach Free School in Rickmansworth. Before moving to The Reach Free School, I was lead practitioner at Goffs School in Cheshunt where I was also head of religious studies and sociology. In addition to my professional roles at The Reach Free School, I am a specialist leader in education with the West Herts Teaching Schools Partnership as well as an advisor to the Guardian Teacher Network. Prior to teaching in the UK, I was a TEFL teacher in Thailand. I attended Cranborne Primary School as a student in the 1980s.

Joanna Jenkins  I have been a Senior Lecturer at a University since 2008, with a varied role including setting and maintaining educational standards in a variety of ways.  I have 3 children, 2 of whom are at Cranborne and I am keen to help the school and wider community give children the opportunities they deserve.  I am proud to be a governor at Cranborne and I am passionate about taking Cranborne from strength to strength. 

Suzanne Horsley As Director of Building Safety for a large Housing Association, managing annual budgets of over £90 million, it is a privilege to utilise my experience in property maintenance & investment, health & safety,  housing management, business and finance to benefit Cranborne school. I live with my husband and two young children; my eldest child attends Cranborne school. As a parent, I am motivated to support the governing body and teachers to continue to keep a happy, safe school, which maximises the life opportunities and aspirations of every child at Cranborne.

Rishi Patel I am an experienced commercial lead with a wealth of business experience working within senior leadership teams for several high-growth start-ups in the UK, such as Zoopla, uSwitch & Cazoo. I'm delighted to be a governor where I can use some of this knowledge to help the school achieve its long-term vision and strategic goals.
I have children who attend Cranborne School and are in the early stages of their learning journey and as a parent, I'm happy to be contributing where I can have a positive impact on the children at the school.

Faye Lyness I am a social worker for an inner London Borough. I am able to bring my knowledge of child protection, safeguarding and disability to the governing body and staff team at Cranborne. Having previously been a member of staff at Cranborne, I was keen to stay involved in the school community, supporting the wonderful children and adults who are a part of it, and so I am delighted to be a part of the governing body now.

We have a strong passion within our role as school governors. If there are things that you would like to raise with us then please do so, either by contacting the school office or Headteacher and one of us will be in touch.

We do have vacancies from time to time so if this is something that interests you then please let us know. 

 How Do You Become a School Governor?

Being a governor at Cranborne School is both an enriching and rewarding experience. Not only do you get to use your knowledge and skills in a different environment to your place of work, but you also get to support and guide your local school. Moreover, at the heart of school governorship at Cranborne is a commitment to ensuring students are safe, happy and actively involved in the life of the school as well as achieving academically. 

Expectations and responsibilities

All governors at Cranborne are expected attend a ‘full governing board (FGB) meeting’ once a term. Importantly, the main functions of the school’s governing board include:

• setting the strategic aims and objectives for the school, including its values and ethos;
• scrutinising and ensuring policies for achieving the school’s strategic aims are in place;
• and challenging and supporting the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team.

In addition to FGB meetings, governors also attend committee meetings once a term, such as the School Improvement Committee and the Resources Committee. Therefore, governors will take on various individual responsibilities at committee level in order to support the school - from evaluating attainment data to checking the school’s budget.

Governors are also expected to visit the school during working hours throughout the year so that they can meet pupils, staff and parents. This could include the school day as well as parent evenings and school events, such as end of term shows and school fairs.

Who can become a governor?

Anyone over 18 years of age can apply to become a governor at Cranborne. Although there are no essential academic or vocational qualifications needed, interested applicants would need to demonstrate that they have knowledge and skills that would benefit the school. For instance, over the past few years, Cranborne has had governors from all walks of life with an abundance of different experiences, which have included:

• Teaching
• Accountancy
• Banking
• Insurance broking
• Engineering
• Running small businesses
• Law

What brings us together is a commitment and passion to see Cranborne succeed.

Types of governor at Cranborne

Cranborne has different categories of governor and anyone interested in becoming a governor may wish to consider which type would best fit their situation. Types of governor include:

• Community governors: governors from the local community who have something to offer the school;
• Parent governors: who are elected to the governing board by other parents;
• Staff governors: governors who are employed by the school and are often elected by other members of staff;
• Local authority governors: governors who are nominated by the local authority;
• Co-opted governors: governors who have been invited to join the governing board as they have a specific skill needed to help run the school;
• Associate governors: governors that are not part of the full governing board, but are asked to help the board or sub-committees from time-to-time.

How do you apply to become a governor at Cranborne?

Potential parent and staff governors can only apply when a vacancy arises, all interested parties will be informed by the school. However, you can also contact the school if you feel you have particular skills or knowledge that would be useful to the governing board more generally. In this case, it is possible that parents, as well as interested individuals from the local  community and local businesses, can contact the Chair of Governors to discuss any vacancies in relation to their specific expertise. If the governing body is in need of your skills, you can apply to become a community governor, co-opted governor or even an associate governor. Nonetheless, governor roles cannot always be facilitated as the governing body may already have governors with the skills applicants may be offering. Furthermore, places on the governing board will obviously be limited at any given time, so the Chair may take your details in the event that a place becomes available in future.

If you are interested in becoming a governor at Cranborne, please contact our Chair of Governors, Peter Goldfinch, or the Headteacher to discuss any possibilities further.