School Telephone
01702 331356
The Role of the Governing Body
Our Governing Body:
• Sets the broad strategy for the school's development.
• Is accountable to those who fund the school, the parents and the wider community.
• Must act in accordance with the requirements laid down in Acts of Parliament, statutory regulations and the school's Instrument of Government.
• Must at all times act fairly and without prejudice.
Meet the Governors
Name of Governor | Governor Attendance | Register of Interest | Information |
Mrs Julia Jones (Headteacher since April 2013) Member of the Governing Body by virtue of position in school | Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3
| Nature of Business: Southend United Community and Educational Trust Trustee | Having being educated in Southend as a child and then spending my teaching career in the local area I became Headteacher at Barons Court in April 2013 and since then we have worked together to continue to move the school forwards. It is a privilege to be the Headteacher at Barons Court where we have a dedicated team who work hard to ensure an exciting learning curriculum. Our children are fantastic and are at the heart of everything we do. |
Mrs Rosheena Ali (Deputy Headteacher since January 2022) Member of the Governing Body by virtue of position in school | Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 2/3 | None | I was born, raised and educated in Central Southend and have a BSc in Psychology. I have served as a Staff Governor on two separate Governing Bodies and have had the pleasure of teaching and leading for several years in local schools. My driving force is the education and well-being of every single child under our care and to ensure that our pupils get the very best start in life. |
Mrs Debbie Docherty Local Authority Governor Appointment Date: 02.07.15 Term Ends 13.07.27
| Chair of Governors | None
| I enjoy my role as a Local Authority Governor. I have retired from my post as Head of Faculty of Business and Enterprise at South Essex College, a large Further and Higher Education College. I have many years experience in education, albeit in a different sector, and I am dedicated to maintaining high standards for all our pupils. I have always been active in the local community being, in the past, treasurer of a local playgroup and chairperson of the National Childbirth Trust. |
Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | |||
Mr Alex Thornton Staff Governor Appointment Date: 17.07.18 Term Ends 15.09.26
| Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | None | Having been a parent at Barons Court, worked in a number of industries outside of education, and now a teacher I feel that I bring a unique perspective to the role of Staff Governor. I have had previous experience sitting on the Governing Body of another local primary school for three years, a role I enjoyed enormously. As a Staff Governor I represent the broad views and opinions of the staff and act as we all do; to ensure high standards of achievement for all children in the school. |
Mrs Jan Grover Co-Opted Governor Appointment Date: 28.03.18 Term Ends 27.03.26 | Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | None | I have been a teacher for over 40 years; working in both mainstream and specialist schools, mainly in secondary education. I began as a teacher of English and gained my MBA and a diploma in management studies. I moved into Special Educational Needs, working in a specialist school and gaining a Diploma in Special Educational Needs and Psychology. |
Mr James Hargreaves Parent Governor Appointment Date: 02.05.18 Term Ends 02.05.26 | Vice Chair of Governors
| None | I am a parent of two children who have attended the school and have enjoyed being part of the Barons Court community. I am a university professor where I teach university students and design and analyse data from research studies. I conduct research on the health of young people and have written articles, worked with governments, charities and the World Health Organisation within this area. I also enjoy music and singing in bands. |
Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | |||
Mrs Esther Elegbede Co-Opted Governor Appointment Date: 02.05.18 Term Ends 23.09.25 |
Trustee Governor | Nature of Business: Barons Court Primary School Trustee. | I have previously worked in project management, a profession which I thoroughly enjoyed. As a parent with two children who have now left the school I feel extremely fortunate to be able to work in further partnership with the school. I am a committed member of the Barons Court Fundraiser Group which enables me to work in close partnership with the school. |
Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | |||
Mrs Samantha Delaney Parent Governor Appointment Date: 21.04.22 Term Ends 20.04.26 | Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | None | I had worked in London for approximately 21 years for a Shipping company and now am a committed volunteer at Barons Court where I enjoy all aspects of volunteering and helping the school. I have experience of supporting children's needs and I really enjoy being a proactive Governor and a valuable part of the team which supports the wider school community. |
Mr Nick O'Connor Parent Governor Appointment Date: 21.04.22 Term Ends 20.04.26 | Governor Attendance at Full Governing Body Meetings 2022-2023 3/3 | None | I am proud to be part of the Barons Court community and my current job in Further Education helps support the school with data analysis of outcomes and helping to implement strategic developments. As a Governor I am committed to supporting the school and all of its dedicated staff who work so hard to ensure the school continues to grow within the community. |
Ms Emma Harding Clerk to the Governing Body | I have worked as a Clerk to Governors since 2014 across both the primary and secondary sectors in community and academy schools. Working in a busy school environment, as part of a team with the aim of ensuring quality outcomes for pupils is both inspiring and engaging. I have a National Governors Association Clerking Accreditation and recently undertook a volunteer life coaching role to support young people to achieve their goals. | ||
The Structure of our Governing Body
The Full Governing Body of Barons Court Primary School and Nursery meets at least once a term. Much of the work takes place in evaluation activities of smaller groups of governors, which concentrate on managing specific areas of the school linked to school improvement.
Each of our Governors have a defined role to support school improvement. Governors are all volunteers, and the numbers and types of governors are set out in the Instrument of Government for the school. The composition of the Governing Body reflects a wide range of groups in the community. The Governing Body has a business of interest register which is reviewed and updated termly.
Timetable of Meetings 2023-2024
Full Governing Body meetings
Autumn 2023 | Spring 2024 | Summer 2024 |
Wednesday 20th September - 9.00 am Wednesday 22nd November - 9.00am | Wednesday 13th March - 9.00am | Wednesday 3rd July – 9.00am |
Governors Information Board
Feedback from the Summer Term Meeting of the Full Governing Body – Friday 14th July 2023
All Governors were present for this, the last meeting of the Full Governing Body for the academic year. A busy agenda, with the main focus being on Mrs Jones’ presentation of her end of year report and school development plan, with planning for 2023-24. The Governors were delighted to note that, following the outcome of the Ofsted Inspection in March, when the school was re-confirmed as being Outstanding, another excellent set of outcomes have been reported for this year. It was also pleasing to see so much detailed review and evaluation taking place across the school, demonstrating a commitment to continual improvement. The Governors wish to express their thanks and sincere gratitude to everyone at Barons Court for the efforts they have made throughout the year to ensure that all pupils are given the best opportunities to succeed.
The Governors have also been considering a proposal to convert the school to academy status and join the Learning in Harmony Trust. In March 2023, they resolved to consult all stakeholders on this proposal and the results of the consultation process and, in particular, the results of the Academy Consultation Survey were presented to the Governors for review. Following these discussions, the Academy Consultation Report explaining the process and outlining the results and next steps will be issued at the beginning of the new academic year.
The Governors would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents and carers for their support for the school and, again, to thank all our staff for their hard work and dedication tin providing excellent learning opportunities for all the children at Barons Court. Have a lovely summer.
Debbie Docherty - Chair of Governors
Feedback from the Resources Committee - Wednesday 21st June 2023
The Resources Committee of the Governing Body met on the 21st June with a remit to scrutinise the school's finance, health and safety, premises and personnel structures across the school. An analysis of the schools current financial standing was undertaken with it being noted that the school is on track to achieve end of year projections. As part of the meeting the Site Manager delivered a presentation outlining current and future maintenance of the school and presented the school's robust monitoring schedule to ensure a safe site for staff, children and visitors to enjoy. The committee investigated new, enhanced internet filtering and monitoring as required by an update from the DfE and it was found that the school's current arrangements meet the guidance. A discussion was also held around proposed arrangements for club provision for the next academic year which was approved by the committee and which, we are sure the school will share with you before the end of this current term. The committee also welcomed a new governor, Paul Shadbolt, to the Governing body who has extensive finance experience - we are sure you will join us all in welcoming him to Barons Court.
Alex Thornton - Chair of the Finance Committee
Feedback from the Spring Term Meeting of the Curriculum and Outcomes Committee - Friday 17th March 2023
This group meets every term and its role is to ensure that all pupils have the best possible education at Barons Court. The Governors like to visit classes, see what is happening in the learning spaces and spend time talking to pupils and staff about the curriculum and other important matters. This meeting focused on wellbeing and the impact of the new Relational Policy on all stakeholders across the school community. The Governors are keen to ensure that the changing needs of our community are met through the new relational approach implemented within the school this academic year. The Governors spoke to different groups to evaluate how the school is helping to create an ethos of emotional wellbeing, with positive relationships and a feeling of safety for all. Pupils, parents, teachers and support staff were interviewed, and feedback was provided to the meeting. The stakeholders’ valuable feedback will be used to shape future policy.
The Headteacher talked through the results of the annual staff survey on wellbeing, CPD, safeguarding and behaviour. A wellbeing working party has been established with staff from across the school and will include a Governor.
The meeting concluded with the Governors hearing how funding for Covid Catch-up, Pupil Premium, PE and Sport Premium has been spent over the last year and the positive impact these initiatives are having for pupils at Barons Court.
The Governors thank everyone for their hard work and for going the extra mile to provide an inspiring environment for our children. We are proud to be part of such a great learning community.
Debbie Docherty – Chair of Governors
Feedback from the Spring Term Meeting of the Performance and Pay Committee Meeting - 23rd February 2023
The Performance and Pay Committee met to receive an update and approve all pay recommendations for our support staff at Barons Court as well as discussing the current and proposed staffing structure for the academic year 2023/24 with a focus on personnel and finance perspectives. The committee also evaluated the school’s Volunteer Policy, which was approved. It was noted that the school really appreciate all of the time which our volunteers give so freely to support the work and the experiences we provide the children at Barons Court - this really makes such a difference to the whole of our school community.
Jan Grover - Chair of the Committee
Feedback from the Full Governors Meeting - Friday 27th January 2023
At this first meeting of 2023, the morning was dedicated to Governor monitoring of the maths provision in the school. The maths subject lead, Mrs Williams, provided an update on the implementation of the White Rose Maths teaching scheme and an overview of the resources used to support the delivery of the curriculum and the implementation of the new calculation policy through the Autumn Term. A learning walk took place throughout the school focusing on the delivery of White Rose maths within Phases 2, 3 and 4, also the Maths Mastery programme within the Nursery. Children were confident in explaining their learning and they demonstrated clear evidence of progression particularly within number. A ‘book view’ was undertaken and it could be seen that children have the opportunity to write formal calculation methods. Children were then welcomed to join the meeting and provided a demonstration of Numbots and Times Tables Rock Stars, along with the new Times Tables Challenges that have been introduced within the school. This enabled the Governors to check the children’s learning experience and, indeed, the morning provided a strong, clear overview of the school’s ongoing work to enhance the outcomes within maths at the end of the current academic year.
In the afternoon, the agenda focused on the Governors’ review of progress made on the school’s Self Evaluation and Development Plan, with reference to the Headteacher’s Report for the Autumn Term. The Governors, who had submitted detailed questions on these documents prior to the meeting, were able to talk through with the Headteacher her responses and discuss any additional matters arising from the discussions. In particular, we discussed the importance of strong attendance as this is a key priority of the school . We have revised the attendance strategy, along with an updating of the Attendance Policy to bring it in line with the new attendance Code of Conduct. All parents are asked to be aware of the changes and to support the school in the drive to maintain high levels of attendance.
The Governors would like to thank all staff for their continued inspiration and dedication to ensure that the curriculum is being delivered in a broad and engaging way across the school. We wish you all a lovely half term break.
Mrs Debbie Docherty - Chair of Governors
Feedback from the Autumn Term Meeting of the Curriculum and Outcomes Committee -
Friday 7th December 2022
This Committee meets every term and has a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best education at Barons Court. Our priorities this term have included the curriculum provision for all children, their outcomes and the well-being of all stakeholders. The Headteacher provided an overview and training on the significance of the schools 2021-22 assessment data and how the information can be used to help scrutinise current data when it is presented at the Full Governing Body meeting in January 2023. The committee also received a report on their recent Governor Monitoring of Wellbeing and CPD. The feedback was extremely positive across all staff and it was shared that staff are engaging in professional reading and the sharing of insights from research at meetings to encourage best practice and innovation. Another highlight of the day included hearing an update from the Deputy Head Teacher on the enquiry based curriculum. Governors reviewed the process of assessment and how this feeds into the current data provided to them at the Full Governing Body meetings. The new floorbooks were presented to the Governors and it was explained how they provide a snapshot of learning against each enquiry question. This was followed by a Learning Walk to see maths teaching and experience the enquiry curriculum within a real life context. The Governors received a presentation from pupils where they confidently talked about their maths experiences. They explained their learning and the use of calculations in problem solving contexts. They all enjoyed their maths lessons and said that their teachers provided them with opportunities for challenge. This is the last meeting before the Christmas holidays and the Governors would like to send everyone Seasons Greetings and to thank them for their hard work and commitment to ensuring that pupils get the best possible education at Barons Court.
Debbie Docherty – Chair of Governors
Feedback from the Autumn Term Meeting of the Performance and Pay Committee Meeting 20th October 2022
The Performance and Pay Committee met to receive an update on the school’s Pay Policy 2022-2023 and to review and approve the implementation of the annual review for pay and progression for teaching staff where the Headteacher provided the context. The Governors have been informed of the decision making process and this has been factored into the school budget.
There is a robust appraisal process for 2022-2023 where all staff are assessed against their objectives for the year, the teaching standards and overall performance. Following discussion, the Governors approved the annual pay review for teaching staff.
Debbie Docherty, Chair of Governors
Feedback from the Resources Committee – Wednesday 12th October 2022
The main purpose of the meeting on the 12th October was to review the school’s financial position and a presentation was given by the school’s Finance Officer. This included a comparison between the budget for the current financial year and the actual figures.
The budget was found to be largely on track however it was noted that, there are upward pressures, particularly on the cost of food and energy. The school’s energy costs are being closely monitored and the school is committed to finding value for money wherever possible. It was noted that the new minibus was enabling considerable savings to be made on school trips and swimming which all of the children are enjoying.
Various other matters were also discussed at the meeting including a new Health and Safety assessment system, personnel matters and asset management within the school.
Andrew Scales – Chair of the Resources Committee
Feedback from the Full Governing Body Meeting – Friday 23rd September 2022
I would like to wish a warm welcome from the Governors to all the new families starting at Barons Court this term, and a welcome back to those who are returning.
This academic years first meeting of the Full Governing Body is an important meeting to review the outcomes for the past year and to set the agenda for the coming year. The business of electing Chair and Vice Chair confirmed myself as Chair and James Hargreaves as Vice Chair for the forthcoming year. We are lucky to be supported by a full governing body who agreed their committee memberships and areas of responsibility in order to make best use of their expertise for the school this year.
The governors were thrilled to be presented with the summary of outcomes for last year which were strong in all areas of the curriculum. This is a fantastic achievement considering the obstacles that had to be overcome following the return to school after the pandemic. We wish to say a big thank you to all involved; staff, parents and carers and pupils for all your support and hard work. Following this, we discussed the School Development Plan for the coming year and took a tour around the school to witness how the new approach to Hygge is producing a calm, reflective learning environment, where children can enjoy their learning.
So again, a big thank you to our parents and carers for all your support for the school and I look forward to seeing people at events over the coming year.
Debbie Docherty, Chair of Governors