Governors

Laurel Fields, Potters Bar, Herts , EN6 2BA

01707 652714

admin@cranborne.herts.sch.uk

Chair of Governors	Peter Goldfinch
Vice Chair of Governors	Joanna Jenkins
Headteacher	Claire Keilty
Deputy Headteacher	Rachael Wood
Safeguarding Governor	Joanna Jenkins
Chair of Resources Committee	Suzanne Horsley
Business & Finance Governor	Brahman Narendran
Staff Governor	Rachel Harrison
Chair of School Improvement Committee	Ann Harrison
[Role to be confirmed]	Joseph Grant
[Role to be confirmed]	Alisha Ramdenee
[Role to be confirmed]	Helena Bransom

Cranborne's Governing Board

The purpose of the Governing Board at Cranborne is to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for the educational and financial performance of the school. The Governing Board meets regularly, usually at least once every half-term. Its three core functions are:-

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding school leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
Overseeing the financial performance of the school, and making sure its funding is well spent.

Our smaller size allows us to make decisions and act speedily when required. We are constantly analysing our strengths and weakness, to ensure that we have the expertise to carry out our roles as governors.

The work of the Full Governing Body is supported by two Committees which also meet on a half-termly basis:-

The School Improvement Committee
The Resources Committee

Regular training sessions are attended both internal and external to ensure that we have the knowledge to do the best that we can for Cranborne.

Governors are in school on a regular basis; we hold our meetings at various times of the day and evening, when in school we talk to as many pupils that we can, which allows them to talk to us about their experiences in school and the how they have been learning.

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 daughters and my young son , 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!

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.

Brahman Narendran I am an experienced ACA-qualified Chartered Accountant and CFO/COO to multiple high-growth businesses and tech start-ups. I work with the Board of directors, leadership teams and department heads to create high functioning businesses. As a parent of a child attending Cranborne, it is an honour to bring a wide set of experiences to support the governing board and school to ensure Cranborne continues to develop well-rounded children and make a positive impact in our community.

Helena Bransom I have a long history with Cranborne Primary School having attended as a pupil in the 1980s at the old school site in Cranborne Crescent. More recently, my son and daughter attended Cranborne and I worked there as an Early Years Practitioner and a Teaching Assistant from 2015-20023 so, I am really pleased to be able to continue supporting the school in another way. With the knowledge I have gained from my roloes at the school, and with my personal knowledge and experience as a parent of neurodivergent children, my aim is to support the team to ensure that every child with SEND reaches their full potential.

Alisha Ramdenee I am a CIMA chartered accountant with over 14 years of experience working predominantly in the advertising industry. In my current role as a Financial Controller at a large network of advertising agencies, I work closely with CEOs and MDs of agencies to support business financial strategy and execution. I live locally to Cranorne with my husband and my two children. It's a privilege to serve on the governing board and I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective whilst using my varied skills to help support the school and its students continually develop.

Joseph Grant I possess a wealth of experience in the Advertising and Media sector, representing some of the nation's most loved brands including; BBC Good Food, The Radio Times and The Daily Telegraph. My responsibilities include securing incremental revenue for brands by creating bespoke campaigns to deliver value and generate revenue and engagement for brand partners. I also trained in the Finance industry and gained full regulatory status in Financial Advising, enabling me to create plans to support people to acheive their financial goals and objectives. Having moved to Potters Bar in 2020, I am proud to be part of the community and, as a school governor, I feel I am in a position where I can give something back. As a father of 2, I am keen to play a positive role in the next generation.

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, so if this is something that interests you, please let us know.

Governor Name	Position	Date of Appointment	Term of Office	Appointed By	Committee Membership	Pecuniary Interests	Governance in Other Educational Institutions	Relationships Between Governance of Staff	Date Stepped Down	Attendance 2022/23
Peter Goldfinch	Chair	01/09/2008	01/09/2021 – 31/08/2025	COP	School Improvement Resources Pay and Personnel	None declared	None	None		4/4 FGB meetings
Claire Keilty	Headteacher	02/04/2015	-	HT	School Improvement Resources Pay and Personnel	None declared	None	None		4/4 meetings
Brahman Narendran	Vice Chair Pupil Premium	09/06/2023	09/06/2023- 09/06/2027	Parent	Resources	None declared	None	None		N/A
Ann Harrison	Chair of School Improvement Maths	01/09/2017	01/09/2021 – 31/08/2025	COP	School Improvement - Chair	None declared	Governor at Hertswood Academy	None		4/4 meetings
Joanna Jenkins	Vice Chair English and Safeguarding	01/11/2018	31/10/2022 - 30/10/2026	Parent	School Improvement	None declared	None	None		4/4 meetings
Suzanne Horsley	Health and Safety	22/11/2019	01/01/2024 - 31/12/2027	Parent	Resources	None declared	None	None		4/4 meetings
Rachel Harrison	Staff Governor	21/09/2022	21/09/2022- 20/09/2026	Staff	School Improvement	None declared	None	None		3/4 meetings
Rachel Wood	Associate Governor	01/09/2018	01/03/2022 - 01/03/2026	Associate	School Improvement Pay and Personnel Resources	None Declared	None	None		4/4 meetings
Tara Caldwell	Associate Governor	01/09/2021	01/09/2021 - 01/09/2025	Associate	School Improvement	None Declared	None	None		4/4 meetings
Joseph Grant	Co-opted Governor	23/05/2024	23/05/2024-22/05/2028	COP	Resources	None Declared	None	None		N/A
Alisha Ramdenee	Partnership Governor	23/05/2024	23/05/2024-22/05/2028	Partnership	Resources	None Declared	None	None		N/A
Helena Bransom	Local Authority Governor	10/09/2024	10/09/2024 - 09/09/2028	LA	School Improvement	None Declared	None	None		N/A
Andrew Jones	Associate Governor	11/07/2023	11/07/2023-10/07/2027	Associate	School Improvement	None Declared	None	None	stepped down as full governor 11/07/2023	0 meetings attended

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.

Cranborne Primary School

GOVERNORS

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