Governor Information & Documents

Scheme of Delegation &

Governor and Associate Member Information (inc. attendance)

Correct as of:26/03/24

The three core strategic roles of Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School’s (HPNS) Governing Board are:

• ensuring that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined

• ensuring that the head teacher performs his or her responsibilities for the educational performance of the school, and

• ensuring the sound, proper and effective use of the school’s financial resources.

1. SCHEME OF DELEGATION

The Governing Board, chaired by Caroline Daniel, has 14 members and meets nine times a year. The Governing Board retains all statutory and strategic functions unless a delegation has been made to a committee or individual Governor using a Terms of Reference. The Finance Committee and Pay & Performance Committee meet at least termly with all other committees/panels meeting as required.

Below is a list of the Terms of References currently in place and a brief overview of the committee/individual’s main roles. All Terms of Reference are reviewed annually and as the board membership changes throughout the school year:

2. GOVERNOR AND ASSOCIATE MEMBER INFORMATION

Parent Governors

Parent governors are elected for a 4 year term by the parents and carers of registered pupils at the school.

* Appointed by the Governing Board following a process of inviting nominations for this role from the parent/carer community, however no nominations were received.

Local Authority Governor

The Local Authority Governor is nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Board for a term of 4 years.

Partnership Governors

Partnership Governors are appointed by the Governing Board for a term of 4 years.

Staff Governor

The Staff Governor is elected by the staff of Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School for a 4 year term.

Co-opted Governors

Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Board for a term of 4 years.

Head Teacher

Head Teachers are automatically appointed to the Governing Board for the term of their employment.

Associate Member

Associate Members are appointed by the Governing Body. They have no voting rights at Full Governing Board meetings, only on the Committees for which they are a member.

Previous Governors/Associates

Details of those that have left during the last 12 months.

ATTENDANCE at 2022/23 meetings 

Get to know your governors

• Emiko Adjene

I have 3 daughters: two currently at Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School with the third having now moved on to secondary school. 

I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer in the Marine Defence sector.  I often work with young undergraduate and graduate engineers and provide mentoring and guidance.  

I believe leadership should be inclusive, with diversity of experience and opinion and featuring a range of voices to hopefully inform and influence the next generations in the most positive manner. 

• Tom Cooper

Currently, I am a Year 4 Teacher in a local primary school.  For the previous three years I have been a Year 6 teacher, both in the local area and in Reading.  I have also completed my Masters (MSc in education) online with the University of Southampton across the past two years, focusing specifically on primary modern foreign languages in my dissertation.  I currently hold subject leadership roles in science and languages, which are two subjects I am very passionate about.  As a teacher, I am passionate about establishing a classroom culture that prioritises all children’s wellbeing and encourages all children to have a go and not be afraid to make mistakes.  I also believe strongly in teaching the full extent of the curriculum to ensure we are exploring as much of a variety of topics and skills as possible.   

I am excited to be a governor at this wonderfully inclusive and welcoming school that I myself enjoyed volunteering at, and being part of the community, whilst in secondary school and during my university years.  

• Caroline Daniel

As a mother of Three children all with Dyslexia and two with Autism, it's been a long process, but I’ve learnt a lot about the struggles children, parents and teachers face.  I’ve attended SEND conferences, meetings and online training over the years, to help understand and better support my children, I’m very passionate about making sure all our children can access all aspects of learning and the extracurricular activities our school offer. I would like to use my experience to help others facing the same battles and make sure that all voices are heard.   

I run a business and am used to dealing with members of the public, Health and Safety, Risk Assessments and Basic First Aid. All of which I enjoy. I feel this has helped me better understand the school, how it runs and the potential risks that could occur.  

For the last year I have carried out my duties as Chair of Governors. Working together with our board to help support the HT, staff, parents and pupils. Making sure that their welfare is always first in all decisions made by the board. This will be my final year and I look forward to helping the Governors and staff as they continue to shape the lives of all who journey through our wonderful school. 

• Hannah Downing

I have worked at HPNS for thirteen years now, ten of which have been in the role of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo). I am passionate about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and enjoy advocating for the needs of those children in our school with SEND. My interests lie in Autism and Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs.  

From September 2022, I have also held the role of Deputy Headteacher of HPNS, working full time and balancing the strategic leadership of SEND with my whole school responsibilities. I am looking forward to the increased responsibility and challenge my new role will bring. 

I am a member of the school's governing body as I am interested in the wider, strategic running of the school and enjoy working in partnership with those who support it. 

• Christine James

Having spent 15 years employed within Finance and Information Departments in local NHS organisations I finished work before the birth of our second child, who left Horrabridge School in July 2022. My eldest son left the school the summer before my youngest started, so I have optimised our time here! Since leaving work I have devoted a lot of time to volunteering, including some roles within Horrabridge School: Chairing the PTA (7 years), Parent Governor (10 years) and running the weekly Baby and Toddler Group (8 years). I am now in my third term as Parent Governor and have held the position of Vice Chair of the Governing Board for the last 7 years, until stepping down in September 2022. During my time as a Governor, I have been part of the project team that amalgamated and set-up our in-house nursery provision, served as Governor for SEND (2015 - 2019) and currently have the Governor responsibility for Safeguarding and Children in Care. 

I am passionate about the provision of sustainable high-quality education, opportunities and facilities for all children and families within our community. The development and growth of our village school during the time my children have been in attendance has been a really positive experience. My aim is to help the school continue to thrive and improve for future generations, with the children making good progress within a fun, safe and caring environment with a good balance of additional opportunities provided to them, to help them grow as individuals. We have a wonderful staff body who make this an achievable goal. 

• Pam Law

Although, my teaching career was in Further Education, when our 4 children were young (they're now in their 40's...) I was a governor at their primary school for several years.

Now I am delighted to be a governor at my grand daughters' school.  The demands on the governing board are far greater now,  and I think it will be a steep learning curve.  I am prepared to do my best!

• Tracey Lear

We have been involved with Horrabridge school as a family since our eldest child started in the nursery.  Whilst he has now finished his Primary education tenure, our youngest child is still a pupil in the school. 

During my career I held a clinic role in an academic higher education institution teaching clinical skills as well as delivering lectures and held a post as an examiner for the professional qualification in the sphere I worked in. I have also worked in the Further Education sector in a Learning -Support role and in the NHS in physical reablement. I now run a business with my partner.

I am an ongoing volunteer with the school's PTFA and feel the governorship role is a natural progression in continuing to provide support as a parent of the school.

• Caroline Morgan

I have been a secondary school Geography teacher for the last 20 years and have held a variety of positions of responsibility including Head of Faculty (Humanities). I have experience of teaching in varied educational settings in both the state and private sector. As a qualified Mountain Leader, I have seen the considerable benefits of outdoor education for young people through Ten Tors and DofE training and expeditions. I am currently studying for a MSc in Psychology with my research project examining an intervention to support students experiencing high levels of anxiety. I have a particular interest in maintaining and enhancing staff and student well-being at HPNS.   

• Alison Smith

I have been a teaching assistant at Horrabridge primary and nursery school for 14 years.  I've spent 13 of them in early years.  Early years is my passion, and my strengths lie in knowing the EYFS very well.  I love how much the children learn and develop in such a short time with us.  I enjoy seeing how shy and nervous little ones bloom and become confident Learners that are ready to take on year one.  I like to think I can help and support any worries or anxieties any of our parents may have, as sending your little one on their first day at ‘big school’ is a huge milestone for any family.  

I decided to be part of the governing board to give myself a better understanding of the overall operation of the school.  

• Sam Sykes

I grew up in the Southwest and live in Horrabridge with my family. Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mum, I worked in the Youth Service and Education sector across the UK in a variety of differing secondary schools. 

I have taught across multiple subjects, but my main areas of experience have been as a Head of Year, Deputy Safeguarding Lead, PSHE lead, Assistant Head Teacher and SENDCO. I am delighted to become a Parent Governor at Horrabridge School. 

• Carol Waterman-Smith

I live in Tavistock and have three grandchildren at Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School.  Now retired, I have been involved in education for many years, both in the maintained and independent sectors.  I have also worked overseas and ran a small importing business for several years.  Throughout my working life, I have always been aware of the value of education and particularly the importance of the primary years, in providing a firm foundation for later life. 

I consider it a privilege to be a Governor and I look forward to working with the team to build on the school’s success in providing a safe and caring learning environment where all children may flourish. 

Meeting Dates 2023/2024

The Board's diversity data

The board believe it is important that we reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Diverse boards promote inclusive school environments and provide diverse role models for staff and young people. We collect data on the diversity of the board, including age, ethnicity and gender and use this data to inform our recruitment and training needs and ensure there is always a diverse range of perspectives around the table to support robust decision making. We do not publish diversity data online as individual governors could be identified and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.”