Our Governors & Governance Information

The Governing Board works with the Headteacher and staff to ensure that every child at Claverdon Primary School receives the best possible education and is supported to reach their full potential.

Governors are volunteers who bring a range of skills and experiences from education, business and the local community. They work strategically to support the leadership of the school and to ensure it continues to provide high-quality education for all pupils.

What Do Governors Do?

The Governing Board has three core strategic functions:

1. Setting the vision and direction of the school
Governors work with school leaders to agree the long-term vision, strategic priorities and key policies for the school.

2. Holding the school to account
Governors monitor the educational performance of pupils and the effectiveness of teaching and learning. They support and challenge school leaders to ensure the best outcomes for all children.

3. Overseeing financial performance
Governors ensure that the school’s budget is used effectively and that resources are directed towards improving outcomes for pupils.

Structure of the Governing Board

The Full Governing Board at Claverdon Primary School consists of 12 governors who represent different groups including:

Parents
School staff
Local Authority representatives
Co-opted members from the local community

The Chair of Governors is Mr. Francis Hilton.
Governors can be contacted via the school office.

Governors work closely with staff and are often linked to particular curriculum areas or school priorities to help monitor progress and support school improvement.

Meet the Governors

Governors (ID 2050)

Mr. Francis Hilton

Chair of Governors (Co-opted)

Mr. Francis Hilton
Mrs. Jennifer Smith

Vice-Chair of Governors (Co-opted)

Mrs. Jennifer Smith

Category of governor:
Co-opted Governor
Term of office:
4 years, started in November 2022
Work:
Brand Marketing Manager
Governance experience:
No previous governance experiences
Hobbies and interests:
Travelling, exercising, good food and the theatre
Links to the school/area:
Recently moved to Warwick in December 2020
Why did you become a governor
Passionate about educating the upcoming generations and obtaining board level experience for my career development. I also value the opportunity to give something back to the community and really enjoying the journey so far.
Biography:
Jen became a co-opted governor in November 2022 after moving to Warwick in December 2020. She is a brand marketing manager for a large telecommunications company where she specalises in marketing strategy and campaigns for small-to-medium businesses. Jen is incredibly passionate about investing time in junior members of her team and mentoring outside of work. This passion also comes through her interest in becoming a school governor to improve the learning and opportunities open to upcoming generations and having the opportunity to give something back to the local community. When not focusing on marketing and governor responsibilities, Jen is a keen traveller, enjoys exercising, good food and theatre trips.
Mrs. Rosa Shepherd

Clerk

Mrs. Rosa Shepherd
Mrs. Emma Basden-Smith

Parent Governor

Mrs. Emma Basden-Smith

Category of governor:
Parent Governor
Term of office:
4 years, started in November 2022
Work:
Work for Warwickshire County Council within Education Services.
Governance experience:
First position on a school governing body.
Hobbies and interests:
Running, tennis, the outdoors.
Links to the school/area:
Moved to Claverdon two years ago with a son at the school and another son at a local nursery.
Why did you become a governor
An interest in school governance and education at a much more local level to the one that I work in as well as having the opportunity to support and contribute to the direction and education at the school my children attend.
Mrs. Debbie Bevan

Staff Govenor

Mrs. Debbie Bevan
Mrs. Anna Jewell

Parent Governor

Mrs. Anna Jewell
Mrs. Sally Puar

Co-opted Governor

Mrs. Sally Puar

Having recently retired, I have been keen to use my many years of experience to continue to benefit the wider community. My last role was as part of the senior leadership team of a primary school in Birmingham, specifically as School Business Manager. I am passionate about education and became a governor in the hope that I make a positive contribution to Claverdon. I live locally and my hobbies include cooking and gardening and I am enjoying the freedom of retirement and seeing more of my grandchildren.
Mr. Dan Powell

Ex-Officio

Mr. Dan Powell
Mrs. Nikki Reed

Co-opted Governor

Mrs. Nikki Reed
Mr. Steven Timberlake

Co-opted Governor

Mr. Steven Timberlake
Mrs. Abbie Clark

Co-opted Governor

Mrs. Abbie Clark

How the Governing Board Works

The Governing Board meets twice each term, focusing on two key areas of governance:

Resources

These meetings focus on the effective management of the school’s finances and resources. This includes:

Reviewing and planning the school budget
Monitoring spending to ensure value for money
Ensuring funding supports the school’s improvement priorities

Performance and Standards

These meetings focus on educational outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning. Governors do this by:

Reviewing pupil performance data
Monitoring the progress of different groups of pupils
Visiting the school to see learning in action
Meeting with staff and pupils
Considering reports from school leaders and external professionals

This work helps governors ensure that all pupils are supported to achieve their best.

Working in Partnership

Claverdon Governors aim to foster a strong partnership between:

the school
parents and carers
pupils
the local community

This partnership is built on trust, openness and a shared commitment to providing the best education possible for our children.

Governance Information and Documents

To ensure transparency and meet statutory requirements, the following governance documents are available below:

Becoming a School Governor

How do I become a school governor?

School governors are volunteers who are interested in supporting the school and helping it to provide the best possible education for its pupils.

You do not need to be an education expert to become a governor. Governing boards benefit from people with a wide range of skills and experiences, including those from business, education, finance, community organisations and other professional backgrounds. Training and support are provided to help governors develop in the role.

Governors play an important strategic role by helping to shape the school’s future, supporting the leadership team and ensuring that the school continues to improve.

What is involved?

Governors typically:

attend governing board meetings (usually two per term)
read meeting papers and contribute to discussions
take part in occasional school visits
work with other governors to monitor aspects of the school’s work
complete training to support their role

Most governors serve a four-year term of office and work as part of a team to support and challenge the school leadership.

Who can become a governor?

We welcome interest from parents, carers and members of the local community who are committed to improving outcomes for children and supporting the school.

From time to time vacancies arise for different types of governor, including parent governors and co-opted governors from the local community.

Interested in becoming a governor?

If you would like to find out more about the role of a school governor or express an interest in joining the governing board, please contact the school office who will be happy to provide further information.

Alternatively, you can speak to the Francis Hilton, Chair of Governors via the school office.

Our Governors & Governance Information

What Do Governors Do?

Structure of the Governing Board

Meet the Governors

Mr. Francis Hilton

Mrs. Jennifer Smith

Mrs. Rosa Shepherd

Mrs. Emma Basden-Smith

Mrs. Debbie Bevan

Mrs. Anna Jewell

Mrs. Sally Puar

Mr. Dan Powell

Mrs. Nikki Reed

Mr. Steven Timberlake

Mrs. Abbie Clark