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Governors

The Governors at Bents Green School are committed to ensuring that children and young people in our school are able to achieve to the best of their ability.

The Governing Body of Bents Green School do this by;

  • Setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school.
  • Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the school, making sure that money is spent well.

The Governing Body is made up of people with varying backgrounds and areas of expertise who have either been elected ( i.e. parents or staff) or who have been co-opted because of the knowledge they can bring to the Governing Body.

If you wish to contact the Governors you can email them on governors@bentsgreen.sheffield.sch.uk

For more information you can read the National Governance Association (NGA) Good Governance guidance

The Department for Education describes the purpose of a governing body as follows. The governing body should:

  • help the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement
  • keep the pressure up on school improvement
  • be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
  • help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
  • make the school accountable to the public for what it does
  • work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
  • exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the head teacher and staff
  • not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action

Structure, Membership and Instrument of Government of Bents Green School Governing Body

Structure and Membership of Government

A governing body is made up of Local Authority, Parent, Staff and Co-opted governors from which a Chair and Vice Chair are elected. 2012 regulations require schools to have at least 7 governors including 2 parents, 1 ex-officio head, 1 elected staff, 1 Local Authority, with the remaining places filled with co-opted governors. Bents Green School governing body re-constituted on 12 July 2022. It was decided to form a governing body of 16 members which comprises:

(Co-opted governors can be parents, staff or community governors but the proportion of staff on a governing body, including the Head, cannot exceed one third of the total.)

A Chair of Governors and a Vice Chair are elected from the Parent, Local Authority and Co-opted governors (staff and the ex-officio head cannot take on these roles). Governors also choose, or are appointed, to serve on various committees and, additionally, to take on the responsibility for overseeing different priorities of the School Development Plan. Governors are encouraged to visit school on a regular basis. There is also a governor responsible for professional development. Committee meetings are chaired and clerked by appointed members of that committee.

Instrument of Government

  • The name of the school is Bents Green School.
  • The school is a maintained school.
  • The name of the governing body is “The governing body of Bents Green School”.
  • The governing body shall consist of:-
    • Three parent governors.
    • One Local Authority governor.
    • One Staff governor.
    • One Headteacher.
    • Ten Co-opted governors.
  • Total number of governors: Sixteen
  • The term of office of all Governors is four years.
  • This instrument of government comes in to effect on 12 July 2022.
  • This instrument was made by order of Sheffield Local Authority on 12 July 2022.
  • A copy of the instrument must be supplied to every member of the governor body (and the headteacher if not a governor), any trustees and to the appropriate religious body.

Types of Governor

Co-opted Governors

Is appointed by the governing body and who, in the opinion of the governing body, has the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Local Education Authority (LA) Governors

These governors are nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body. It is for the governing body to decide whether their nominee has the skills to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school and meets any other eligibility criteria they have set. The authority advertises for LA governors and seeks members of the community who are interested in education and committed to being fully participating school governors.

Parent Governors

Every governing body will include parent governors, in community schools all of these will be elected by parents in the school (unless there are fewer interested parents than there are places), in Voluntary Aided schools a proportion of these parents will be appointed by other governors from amongst parents in the school.

School Staff Governors

These will be elected by the staff at the school. All Governing Bodies have positions for teachers and most have a position for support staff.

Associate members

Are volunteer members of the governing body but they are not governors and have no voting rights at full governing body meetings.  The governing body will decide if it wants associate members and how many. They may be removed from office by the governing body at any time. There is no limit of associate members

Governors Terms and Interests

Co-opted Governors

Laura Gillespie

  • Start of term of office: 13/10/2016
  • End of term of office: re-elected 11/07/23 to serve until 10/07/2027
  • Positions: Chair 
  • Link Governor for: Performance Management, Policies, SEN
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

John Plant

  • Start of term of office: 01/03/2016
  • End of term of office: 28/02/20 re-elected 01/03/20 to serve until 29/02/2024
  • Positions
  • Link Governor for: Resources
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors : None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Natalie Brownell

  • Start of term of office: 13/03/2017
  • End of term of office: 12/03/20 re-elected 03/20 to serve until 03/23, re-elected as Co-opted Governor 31/01/23 to serve until 30/01/27
  • End of term of office:  
  • Positions: Vice Chair, Chair Safeguarding & Inclusion
  • Link Governor for: Policies, Safeguarding, Child Protection including LAC, Training Co-ordinator, Attendance, Performance Management
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Cathy Malone

  • Start of term of office: 10/10/23
  • End of term of office: 09/10/27
  • Positions: None
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Mark Rayner

  • Start of term of office: 26/03/2019
  • End of term of office: 26/03/2023 re-elected 26/03/23 to serve until 25/03/27 
  • Positions: None
  • Link Governor for: Pupil Premium, Post 16 and Careers, Performance Management
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Nicola Worth

  • Start of term of office: 19/07/2023
  • End of term of office: 18/07/2027
  • Positions
  • Link Governor for: 
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Vacancy

  • Start of term of office
  • End of term of office
  • Positions: None
  • Link Governor for:
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Ian Pagdin

  • Start of term of office: 15/11/2022
  • End of term of office: 14/11/2026
  • Positions: None
  • Link Governor for:
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Local Authority

Vacancy

  • Start of term of office
  • End of term of office
  • Positions:  
  • Link Governor for: 
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors
  • Declared interests
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions

Parent Governors

Kerry-Anne Allen

  • Start of term of office: 25/04/23
  • End of term of office: 24/04/27
  • Positions
  • Link Governor for: 
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Victor Greene  

  • Start of term of office: 23/05/23
  • End of term of office: 22/05/27
  • Positions
  • Link Governor for: 
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors
  • Declared interests
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions

Shannon O'Donnell-Provatas

  • Start of term of office: 12/07/22
  • End of term of office: 11/07/26 
  • Positions
  • Link Governor for: 
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors
  • Declared interests
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions

Head Teacher Ex-officio

Aileen Hosty

  • Start of term of office: N/A
  • End of term of office: N/A
  • Positions: Co-Headteacher
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Laura Rzepinski

  • Start of term of office: N/A
  • End of term of office: N/A
  • Positions: Co-Headteacher
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

Staff

Liam Fitzpatrick-Hartley

  • Start of term of office: 19/07/2023
  • End of term of office: 18/07/2027
  • Positions
  • Relationship to members of staff or governors: None
  • Declared interests: None
  • Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

 

 

Special Responsibilities

A Chair of Governors and a Vice Chair are elected from the Parent, Local Authority and Co-opted Governors (staff and the ex-officio head cannot take on these roles). Governors also choose, or are appointed, to serve on various committees and, additionally, to take on the responsibility for overseeing different priorities of the School Development Plan.

Committees, meeting dates and attendance

Much of the work of the Governing Body is carried out in full governing meetings.  At Bents Green School our meetings are

Resources   |   Teaching and Learning   |   Safeguarding and Inclusion

Meetings take place monthly. 

Resources Meeting, Quorum: 6

  • John Plant (Chair)
  • All Governors
  • Clerk: Jane Smith from Governor Support

Teaching and Learning Meeting Quorum: 6

  • Laura Gillespie (Chair)
  • All Governors
  • Plus subject leaders as appropriate
  • Clerk: Jane Smith from Governor Support

Safeguarding and Inclusion Meeting, Quorum: 6

  • Natalie Brownell (Chair)
  • All Governors
  • Plus subject leaders as appropriate
  • Clerk: Jane Smith from Governor Support

Strategy Meeting, Quorum: 6

  • Laura Gillespie (Chair)
  • All Governors
  • Plus subject leaders as appropriate
  • Clerk: Jane Smith from Governor Support

Full Governors’ Meetings

Clerk to Full Governors:  Jane Smith from Governor Support

The Quorum for the full Governing body is half of the members, not including associate members. Bents Green School governing body meets monthly for meetings. These are chaired by the chair of governors and clerked by a Learn Sheffield clerk. The head teacher presents a report which outlines the progress of teaching and learning in the school based on the results of lesson observations and data from assessments, along with progress on the School Improvement Plan, staffing, concerns, absences, exclusions and budget.

  • A typical meeting includes:
  • Declaration of interests
  • Ratifying minutes of previous meetings
  • Reviewing and approving policies
  • Matters arising from previous meetings
  • Reports from governors with special responsibilities
  • Correspondence sent to the Chair
  • Part A of the head teacher’s report
  • Part B of head teacher’s report (confidential)
  • Any other urgent business

Other Information

Our Chair of Governors has completed the NCTL Leadership Development Programme. Please click below to view the certificate

The most up to date NGA model code of conduct can be obtained from their website.