The governors, commonly referred to as the governing body, provide non-executive leadership. Our role is to operate as a board – similar to that of a charity, or the board of directors of a company.

In all matters, the ‘board of governors’ operate at a strategic level, leaving the Executive Head and senior school leaders responsible and accountable for the operational day-to-day running of the school.

Our core functions are

·         Setting the vision and strategic direction of school;

·         holding the Executive Headteacher to account for the school’s educational performance;

·         and ensuring our financial resources are well spent.

Although governors are volunteers, we have a vital and demanding role that requires skill and professionalism. It is only right that we are accountable to Ofsted for our effectiveness. In all school inspections, Ofsted judges the effectiveness of a school’s governance based on criteria that directly reflect the board’s three core functions.

Under the new constitution which we agreed in 2014, we opted to operate as a governing body of ten. Our number comprises the Executive Head, the Head of School, a ‘staff’ governor, two ‘parent’ governors, a governor appointed by the Local Authority and two co-opted governors. As a Church of England School, we are specifically required to have two ‘Foundation governors elected by St Mary’s Parish Church Council as representatives of the church.

GOVERNING BODY

Below are governor profiles. Feel free to take a look.

Mrs Helen Banks – Foundation Governor

Mrs Helen Banks is an experienced governor who currently chairs our Governing Body. Helen is a regular worshipper at St Mary’s, Pinchbeck and serves the school in the capacity of Foundation Governor. Foundation governors are nominated by church authorities and have a special responsibility to care for, and work with senior management to sustain, the school’s Christian character. As well as managing the work of the Governing Body, she is responsible for monitoring the provision for and progress made by our pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and those eligible for Pupil Premium.

Helen’s career was spent in education. Following ten years in class teaching in the south of England, she specialised in Special Education and was employed as a specialist teacher at Pinchbeck East in 1990, becoming Special Needs Co-ordinator in 1994 when this specific role was introduced.  Upon retirement from Pinchbeck in 2006, Helen joined County’s Specialist Teaching Service where she was deployed in primary and secondary schools across the county until 2014.

Helen is proud that she continues to be involved in the leadership and management at Pinchbeck East, working with staff, children and parents to uphold the very high standards we set ourselves.

Mr Richard Boole – Parent Governor

Richard Boole has recently been reappointed for a second 4 year term as a Parent Governor.  He is currently Vice Chairman and also sits on the Resources Committee where the focus is on school budgets, staffing resources and the school premises.  A Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner by profession, Richard currently works as Environmental Protection Manager for South Holland District Council and Breckland Council in Norfolk.  This involves the management of two teams of professional officers including all staffing issues, associated budgets and resources, plus project management, investigations and auditing; skills that are relevant to supporting the school as a Governor.

Rev David Sweeting – Foundation Governor

As the Vicar of the Glen Group of Parishes, to which St Mary’s Pinchbeck belongs, Rev David Sweeting serves as ex officio governor. His wife is a Teaching Assistant and their daughter a pupil at the school. David advises on and regularly leads Collective Worship. He sits on the Resources Committee.

Mr Michael Hanson – Co-opted Governor

Michael will be known to many of you through his voluntary community work elsewhere. He served as Chairman to the Friends of the Grammar School for several years and, more recently, was a popular Chairman of Spalding Macmillan Committee. As well as interpersonal skills, Michael brings experience of the business and financial world and will be an asset to our Resources Sub-committee. Michael has a grandson at Pinchbeck East.

Mr David Shaw – Parent Governor:

David has both a professional and a personal interest in education and especially as it impacts on Pinchbeck East Church of England Primary School. He brings experience from two complementary careers in journalism and public diplomacy. He began on local newspapers before almost 20 years in London as an Education Correspondent and latterly Political Correspondent.

He then joined Her Majesty’s diplomatic service working in the UK and overseas. At the Foreign Office he spent six years as an FCO spokesman, and was involved in strategic planning, media training as well as liaison with Downing Street and other government departments. Then followed eight years in the British Embassies in China and Russia as Director of Communications, responsible for promoting Britain’s image and reputation, including the education sector which is held in high esteem abroad. He also helped plan and manage visits by VIPs including the Prime Minister, other Ministers and the Royal Family.
On returning to his home county of Lincolnshire he took a close interest in this school, primarily as a parent but also as a voluntary helper with children’s reading, before being elected to the Governing body, intent on working closely with staff, parents and others to ensure the education received by our sons and daughters remains truly ‘outstanding’.

RESIGNATIONS:

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