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Who are the Governors and what do they do?
In her foreword to the 2020 Department of Education Governance Handbook, Baroness Berridge, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, states that Governance has never been more critical to the education of our nation’s young people…. The governance duty is, above all, to drive relentless ambition for the young people served by our schools system, whatever the circumstances.’
The Handbook defines effective school governance as:-
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
At Wallace Fields Junior School, the focus of the work of the Governing Body is school improvement and high standards of educational achievement. Governors are not expected to be involved in the detail of the day-to-day management of the school but to maintain strategic oversight of the school and hold school leaders to account for educational standards.
As part of its strategic role for example, the Governing Body agrees with the Headteacher which areas the School should focus on to improve in order to provide the best possible education for our children. Governors have a monitoring role and seek assurance regarding progress in achieving the School’s priorities, including in the educational performance of pupils, and in fulfilling its third core function, governors provide oversight of financial performance to ensure value is derived for the public money spent.
Governance at Wallace Fields Junior School is operated through a ‘no committee system’ and therefore the Governing Body meets as a full Governing Body twice or three times a term and does not delegate any of its functions to sub-committees (apart from statutory panels and committees such as for pay, head teacher appraisal, appeals).
Who are the Governors?
The Governors at Wallace Fields Junior School are all volunteers who give up their time because they care about the School. The Governing Body of Wallace Fields Junior School consists of 5 Parent Governors, 1 Headteacher Governor, 1 Staff Governor, 6 Co-opted Governors and 1 Local Authority Governor. This constitution is defined in the School’s Instrument of Governance.
Governors serve a four-year term of office and, depending on the category of governor, may be either appointed or elected as follows:-
- Parent governors are elected by the school’s parent population. Parents (including carers) of registered pupils at the school are eligible to stand for election as parent governors and can nominate themselves for this role.
- The Staff governor is elected from all the people who work at the school.
- The Head Teacher governor is an ex officio governor by virtue of their role as head teacher.
- The Local Authority governor is nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body.
- Co-opted governors are appointed by the Governing Body and are individuals who have been identified to have skills required to contribute to the effective governance of the school.
In addition, Associate Members may be appointed by the Governing Body to bring specialist knowledge or experience deemed by the Governing Body to be needed generally or in respect of specific projects. Their term of office can vary and they do not have voting rights.
Governors bring a wide range of skills and experience and the Governing Body currently includes members from areas such as the Civil Service, communications, banking and of course education and parenting. At Wallace Fields Junior School, we regularly undertake a governor skills audit to highlight any gaps in experience and skills needed. The results are used to inform recruitment and to recommend training to be undertaken by our governors. The School invests in a range of different training opportunities to help governors keep up to date with changes in the education landscape and support governors’ development and contribution to governance.
Governors at Wallace Fields Junior School sign up to a Code of Conduct which provides the standards expected of governors, including adherence to the Seven Principles of Public Life (The Nolan Principles). They also sign the declaration of eligibility to become a governor and appointment is subject to satisfactory references and clearance through the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service.
Being a school Governor is a very rewarding role and it is a fantastic way to contribute to the local community.
We would be delighted to hear from you if you would like to contribute your experience to supporting your local Junior School. Please contact Tessa Jones, Clerk to the Governing Body by emailing Tjones@wallacefields-jun.surrey.sch.uk if you are interested in joining the Governing Body of Wallace Fields Junior School.
Governor register including attendance
Current Governors
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Governors
Mr A. MolletChair of Governors. LA Governor. Appointed by the Governing Body from 20.05.2020 to 19.05.2024I became a Parent Governor in the 2017-2018 academic year as I was very keen to learn more about the importance of Governance and how I could help the school in a positive and strategic way. After one year, I was elected Chair in December 2018 and have since worked very hard with our fantastic team to ensure we offer Wallace Fields Junior School the correct level of support and focus as is required by a Governing Body. I liaise closely with the Head, Mr. Steve Lee and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure I am fully up to date with the Schools’ development planning and controls. To mirror this, I have developed new Strategic Objectives for the Governing Body. It is essential that all of our work, training and meetings are aligned to the School’s key functions and that as a formal Governing board, we constantly seek assurance and give support to the entire staff. 
Mrs A. M. FarquharParent Governor 28/3/2018 to 27/03/2022. Elected by parents."I feel very fortunate to have had such a fantastic local school for my children to attend. Becoming a school governor has been my way of saying "thank you" to the school as my children have moved on into their secondary education. I work with children with special needs, so I am always interested in what WFJ is doing to best serve those children at WFJ with special needs of any kind."
Mrs E. FergusonParent governor 10/12/2018 to 9/12/2022. Elected by parents."My name is Ellen Ferguson and I began work as a Governor at the start of 2019. I currently have a son, Ben at the school and hopefully his younger brother Huey will follow him there in a few years. I have always been interested in education and used to be a teacher myself- I taught in Japan and at a primary school in Sutton. When I was at school my favourite subjects were Languages, Music, Art and English. In my work, I'm lucky enough to work on lots of projects related to education from Design challenges with the Design Museum and safety projects with the RNLI and the Department for Transport. In my free time I love to read and the occasional visit to a gallery in London but most of my time at the moment is spent chasing my youngest son around! As a Governor, I enjoy hearing about the hard work that the teachers and wider school community put into making school life fun, useful and challenging. I hope that my experience in the world of wider education will support the fantastic activities going on at Wallace Fields Junior School."
Mrs N. HamblinSafeguarding Parent governor 22/05/2019 to 21/05/23. Elected by parents."My name is Ni Hamblin. I currently have one daughter in the school in year 6. I volunteered to become a Governor in September 2019 because I wanted to make a positive difference to the life of all the children in the school. I bring my experience as a class teacher with over 20 years of work at schools in Merton, Kingston and now locally in Ewell to the role. I have a specialism in education for children with additional needs and I love to engage with the enthusiasm and commitment of all the staff at Wallace Fields who strive to ensure the children are happy in the classroom, having fun as they learn. Being a school governor is challenging. The governors work well as a team to help make important decisions about the school. We ensure that the various needs of the children are at the very heart of those choices, and this is the part of the role I enjoy the most, and believe is the most valuable."
Mr S. LeeHead Teacher governor; ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher from 1/09/2013.
Dr M. MuktarCo-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body 05/03/19 to 04/03/23."My name is Maysoon Muktar and I began working as Governor in April 2019. I have two grown up children. Having worked for over 30 years for global companies in senior positions I recently retired. I wanted to give some of my spare time, management and leadership experience to a good cause. Since becoming a Governor at Wallace Field Junior school, I have been impressed with the hard work that the teachers and staff put in daily not only focusing on the curriculum but also on the overall well being of the students My aim is to support the school ‘s leadership to ensure that pupils receive an excellent and enjoyable education experience during the time they are at the school to give them the best start in life. "
Dr A. NormanCo-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body. Previously Chair of Governors. Current term of office 01/09/2019 to 31/8/2023.
Mr B. RoyCo-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body 01/09/2019 to 31/08/23."I was appointed a Governor in April 2019. I live in the community but have no direct connections with the school and am consequently completely independent. I am married with two grown up children. Having recently retired from a long corporate career, I want to give something back to the community and am therefore excited to join Wallace Fields Junior School Governing Body. Getting involved in children’s education is very different from my past experience but I feel that my leadership and communication skills are transferable and agnostic to sectors. I will bring my industry experience to the school system to inspires and influence the youth of today who can make a big difference tomorrow and become a beaming light for all our futures. Outside the academic curriculum, I will explore the possibilities of introducing some business best practices to a non-business environment to bring about streamlined efficiencies and optimum resource utilization. Although retired I remain engaged in the corporate world as a non-executive director, advisor, mentor and investor."
Mr P. SatchellCo-opted Governor appointed by Governing Body. Current term of office 01/09/2019 to 31/8/2023I have two sons who attended the school from the infants, during their time at the school I was on the PTA to help with funding. I was a governor at Wallace Fields Infant School. Then I joined the governing body at Wallace Fields Junior School to continue to support the school. My career background began as a Building Surveyor progressing to developing a Premises and Services department in a restructuring of London Buses constructing new Garages and services. After privatisation of the buses I joined London Underground to manage major projects with million pound budgets. I monitor and inspect the school premises and have been involved with the French Trip for many years.
Mr P. StokesA Co-opted Governor appointed by the Governing Body. Current term of office 01/09/2019 to 31/8/2023"I became a governor of the school in 1992 after my children had left. I was grateful for the excellent grounding the kids received and wanted to give something back. I guess I’m still trying. After a spell as chair when the school was Grant Maintained I was involved in helping shape the development of the school. I am interested in the holistic aspect of education but focus on how modern technology helps learning. I also am involved with the French trip each year."
Mr C KingsleyParent Governor - elected January 2021I have been in secondary school leadership for over 20 years and am currently the Head of a Secondary School in South London. In 2017 I established a Multi-Academy Trust with a local Primary School and now jointly lead a group of 4 schools with a strong focus on inclusion and diversity. As the parent of a Y6 boy, I am proud to be able to support the leadership of the school in partnership with the governing body. 
Mrs E. WareSafeguarding Parent Governor appointed by the governing body from 31/03/20 to 30/03/24"My name is Emma Ware; I became a governor at the school in February 2020. I have twins, Marcus & Millie, in year 5 and Henry in year 3. I gained experience in administration as a corporate team leader and have also served in the British Army. I am currently studying for a law degree and hope to enter politics in the coming years. I am part of the school's safeguarding team and hope I can make valuable contribution to such an important area of school life. I feel privileged to represent such a wonderful school and hope I can give back to Wallace Fields just a fraction of what they have given to my children and my family."
Mrs L. BoddyAssociate member in attendance (link for training)
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