Section menuGovernors
The school governors work together with the Head and other teachers to ensure that Long Wittenham School provides the best possible education for all our children. In particular, governors are responsible for:
- The overall direction of the school – including the steps it needs to take to continue to develop and improve.
- The teaching and learning – making sure that the curriculum is broad and balanced and that all pupils are given the opportunities to achieve their potential.
- Monitoring the progress and achievement that children make.
- The school’s finances – making sure that the budget is monitored and the money well spent.
- Appointing staff, overseeing safeguarding, health and safety and ensuring that the school is inclusive for all pupils and staff.
The role of governors is largely a thinking and questioning role, not a doing role. It is their role to set the school’s strategic framework and to ensure all statutory duties are met. They work to support and strengthen the leadership of the headteacher, and hold them to account for the day-to-day running of the school, including the performance management of teachers. Governors must maintain a strategic view, and not get involved in the day-to-day management and operational responsibilities within school. The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing board.
The Governing Body
Chair: Catherine Harrison
Vice Chair: Fay Read
There are six Full Governing Body meetings each year, one every half term. The Full Governing Body is chaired by Catherine Harrison
Finance & HR Committee
Chair: Malcolm Banfield
Finance & HR responsible for looking at:
- Setting the school budget and monitoring spend against the agreed budget
- Staff recruitment, discipline and appraisal
This committee meets three times a year.
The governing body is made up of representatives of the parents, community, church, staff and local authority. A list of current governors can be found below.
Governors can be contacted through the school office or via their email governor.3233@long-wittenham.oxon.sch.uk.
Current Governors, and their attendance
| Name | Appointed | Type of Governor | Term | Appointed by | Business or financial interests | Governor role in another educational institution | Material interests | FGB Attendance (2021/22, 2022/23) | Committee Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Banfield | 07/03/23 | Co-opted | 4 years | Local Authority | None | None | None | 0/0, 1/1 | 0/0 |
| David Lowe | 05/01/23 | Parent | 4 years | Parents | None | None | Parent | 0/0, 1/1 | 0/0 |
| Fay Read | 01/11/22 | Parent | 4 years | Parents | None | None | Parent | 0/0, 2/2 | 0/0 |
| Amy Clark | 06/06/22 | Associate | 4 years | Governing Body Members | None | None | Staff | 2/2, 3/3 | 1/1 |
| Clare Winterbourne | 06/06/22 | Staff | 4 years | School | None | None | Staff | 2/2, 3/3 | 1/1 |
| Gillian Fraser | 01/01/22 | Staff | Permanent | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher | Staff | None | Staff | 4/4, 3/3 | 4/4 |
| Lyndi Feather | 10/11/21 | Parent | 4 years | Parents | None | None | Parent | 5/5, 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Christina Warren | 09/11/21 | Co-opted | 4 years | Governing Body Members | None | None | Family | 5/5, 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Mark Warren | 13/07/21 | Co-opted | 4 years | Governing Body Members | None | None | Parent | 6/7, 3/3 | 2/3 |
| Catherine Harrison | 08/03/21 | Parent | 4 years | Parents | None | None | Parent | 7/7, 3/3 | 2/3 |
| Judith Baldwin | 15/05/19 | Foundation | 4 years, reappointed for 4 years (13/4/21), then swapped role | Diocese | None | None | None | 7/7, 2/3 | 3/3 |
Governors with associate positions will not have voting rights in governing body meetings or count towards a quorum.
Previous governors
| Name | Appointed | Type of Governor | Term | Appointed by | Business or financial interests | Governor role in another educational institution | Material interests | FGB Attendance | Committee Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Wignall | 18/03/21 | Ex-Officio Foundation | 31/05/23 | Diocese | None | None | None | 3/7, 0/3 | 0/3 |
| Alistair Higginbottom | 06/10/20 | Parent | 16/01/23 | School | None | None | Parent | 5/6 | 2/3 |
| Emilio Lastra-Gill | 01/09/19 | Co-opted | 4 years | LA | None | None | None | 5/6 | 2/3 |
| Tom Richardson | 20/11/18 | Parent | 20/11/22 | School | None | None | Parent | 6/6 | 3/3 |
| Elizabeth Atherton (term ended) | 10/10/15 | Co-opted | 19/07/22 | School | None | None | Parent | 4/4 | 2/2 |
| Catherine McLachlan (resigned) | 09/02/21 | Staff | 08/04/22 | School | Staff | None | Staff | 4/6 | 2/2 |
| Andrew Bayly (resigned) | 06/10/20 | Parent | 08/04/22 | School | None | None | Parent | 5/6 | 3/3 |
| Gillian Seymour (resigned) | 01/09/21 | Staff | 01/01/22 | LA | Staff | None | Staff | 3/3 | 2/2 |
| Ross Parnell (resigned) | 09/03/21 | Parent | 30/07/21 | School | None | None | Parent | 2/3 | 0/1 |
| Richard Bellingham (resigned) | 01/12/20 | Associate (no voting rights) | 10/06/21 | School | None | None | Spouse of Head | 2/3 | 2/2 |
| Julia Preston (resigned) | 30/10/18 | Co-opted | 01/01/22 | School | None | None | Parent | 5/6 | |
| Peter Jones (resigned) | 26/09/17 | Co-opted | 13/07/21 | LA | None | None | None | 3/5 | 2/3 |
| Philippa Purvis (resigned) | 08/11/16 | Staff | 08/02/21 | School | Staff | None | Staff | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Alison Bellingham (resigned) | 01/09/16 | Staff | 31/08/21 | LA | Staff | None | Staff | 4/6 | 3/4, 2/3 |
Minutes of Governors meetings
Minutes of the governors meetings are published on this page.