The Governing Body

The main responsibility of the Governing Body of Highwood Primary School is to determine the aims and conduct of the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement.

The governing body holds the school to account for the quality, standard and effectiveness of the teaching and learning. In practice, the governing body works with the Head Teacher to determine how the school should develop to ensure continued improvement, and with the Head and staff agrees plans, policies, targets and procedures that work towards that development. Our aim is to be supportive, yet challenging, in order to support the school and to promote its improvement effectively.

We welcome the involvement of parents, both as Parent Governors and through feedback. Contact can be made with the Chair of Governors, via the School Office. Individual governors bring their own experience and expertise to the group, and as a governing body we benefit from the skills of all our governors.

The Governors visit the school regularly and attend a Standards Committee Group and a Full Governing Body meeting twice a term. 

Highwood Safeguarding Statement

The Governing Body is committed to:

• safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety, and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, of children and young people;
• promoting equality of opportunity and community cohesion where the diversity of different backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and positively valued;
• the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs and expects all staff, volunteers and other workers to share this commitment

The names and responsibilities of our governors are:

CHAIR
Graeme Crook (Parent) until 31/03/2029

VICE CHAIR

Carly Allan (co-opted) until 31/03/2029

PARENT GOVERNORS
 

CO-OPTED GOVERNORS
Clare Atkins until 14/11/2027
Hannah Mordew until 04/02/2029

STAFF GOVERNOR
Ashley Abbott until 04/02/2029

EXECUTIVE HEAD
Marie Staley

Name of Governor or Associate Member	Category of governor & term of office start & expiry date	Appointing Body e.g. Governing Body; Local Authority; Foundation; Diocese	Membership of Committees	Positions of responsibility	Relevant Business interests that could present a conflict of interest including whether a governor at another school	Personal relationship (if any) with members of school staff e.g. spouse, partner, relative	Attendance record for 2024-25  5 meetings
Mrs Marie Staley	Joined January 2023	Ex-Officio	FGB	Executive Head	None	None	5
Mr Alan Oddy	Co-opted 28/02/2023 Resigned 15/07/2025	Governing Body	FGB	Class Link	None	None	3
Mrs Ashley Abbott	Staff 17/04/2025 04/02/2029	Governing Body	FGB		None	None	5
Mr David Donoghue	Co-opted 31/12/2022 Resigned 20/05/2025	Governing Body	FGB Standards Board	Pupil Premium	None	None	4
Mrs Aedin Lipski	Joined September 2018	Ex-officio	FGB	Head of School	None	None	5
Mrs Clare Atkins	17/04/2025 17/04/2029	o-opted	FGB		None	None	3
Mrs Hannah Mordew	04/02/2025 04/02/2029	Co-opted	FGB		None	None	4
Mrs Carly Allan	01/04/2025 31/03/2029	Co-opted	Vice Chair FGB	Safeguarding	None	None	3
Mr Graeme Crook	01/04/2025 31/03/2029	Parent	Chair FGB		None	None	3
Mrs Rebecca Parker	Parent 11/03/2020 resigned 15/07/2025	Parents	FGB		None	None	1