Governors

Overview

Garden Fields has a committed team of governors who play an important role in the strategic leadership of our school. We are unpaid volunteers (save for our Headteacher who is also a governor) and are either appointed or elected to serve a four-year term of office.

We are a Local Governing Body who reports to the AET Trust Board through a schedule of delegation.

a. 7 co-opted governors
b. 2 parent governors
c. Our Headteacher
d. 1 staff governor

* co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body, on the basis of our regular skills audits, because they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

We have 2 Associate Governors.

What we do

Our task is to govern the school, providing strategic leadership and focussing on the following core functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Once appointed or elected as governors, we must operate in the best interest of pupils, not as representatives to lobby on behalf of any particular constituency, whether parents, staff or other. We all have equal rights to participate in the work of the governing body and to state our own views, but we work as a team and are bound by the collective decisions of the team.

How we work

We work in partnership with our Headteacher who, in addition to his role as governor, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school with the support of his senior management team. We are supported in our work by the clerk to the governing body.

How often we meet

We meet as a full governing body at least twice a term. We have at least one governors’ day per year when governors attend classes, experience other aspects of a typical school day and meet to discuss strategy and/or other current issues. Governors regularly spend further time in school and participate in small ‘working party’ meetings in order better to understand the issues the school is facing and to inform decisions on policy and strategy.

How to contact us

If you would like to contact the governors you can do so by either emailing gbclerk@gardenfields.aetrust.uk or addressing any correspondence in a sealed envelope for the attention of the Chair of Governors, Garden Fields JMI School c/o the School Office.

If you have any concerns about any aspect of school life, please raise them in the first instance with the appropriate member of school staff or with a member of the school’s senior management team.

Interested in becoming a School Governor?

Please come and speak with us.

Our Governors

James Latham

Position Held: Chair of Governors & Parent Governor

Previous Positions:
Co Chair of Governors & Parent Governor 1 January 2024 – 19 May 2024
Parent Governor 4 December 2023 – 31 December 2023
Governor Category: Parent Governor
Governing Body Dates: 4 December 2023 – 3 December 2027
Attendance 2024/25: 6 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 5 out of 5
Register of Interest: Parent of a child at Garden Fields.

James has spent over 20 years working in advertising agencies, recently at board level with a focus on client management and growth. He currently has one son at Garden Fields.

In his spare time he coaches youth football and loves helping children improve their confidence through sport.

Clare Cotton

Position Held: Child Protection & CLA Governor

Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Board
Dates: 20 May 2024 – 19 May 2028

Attendance 2024/25: 5 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 2 out of 2
Register of Interest: None.

Claudine Dicks

Position Held: Clerk to Governors

Dominic Jones

Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor

Previous Positions: Parent Governor 15 January 20 – 27 June 2023
Governing Body Dates: 15 January 20 – 17 July 2026

Attendance 2024/25: 4 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 4 out of 6
Attendance 2022/23: 1 out of 7
Attendance 2021/22: 6 out of 7
Attendance 2020/21: 8 out of 9
Attendance 2019/20: 9 out of 9
Register of Interest: Employed by Axis Communications. Parent of two children at Garden Fields.

Dominic has two children at Gardenfields school. Dominic studied for a degree in Communications Audio Visual Production and has subsequently worked in various marketing positions primarily within the technology industry. Outside of work he is an enthusiastic but slow runner!

Ruth Palmer

Position Held: Deputy Headteacher

Governor Category: Associate Governor
Previous positions – Ex Officio – 01 September 2007 – 3 December 2023
Appointing Body: Governing Body
Dates: 4 December 2023 – 3 December 2027
Attendance 2024/25: 5 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 6 out of 6
Register of Interest: Deputy Headteacher of GFS school.

Paul Sutton

Position Held: Headteacher

Governor Category: Headteacher
Appointing Body: N/A
Dates: Ex Officio

Henry Webb

Position Held: Curriculum Governor

Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Trustee Board
Dates: 7 November 2024 – 6 November 2028

Attendance: 2024/25: 5 out of 5
Register of Interest: None.

Henry has practised as a barrister for 18 years, specialising in business and property law disputes. He has lived in the area for over 10 years, and has two children at local schools. He is enthusiastic about assisting in the local community and supporting the school in his governorship role.

Sally Welton

Position Held:

Governor Category: Staff Governor
Appointing Body: Staff
Dates: 8 June 2022 to 7 June 2026

Attendance 2024/25: 6 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 6 out of 6
Attendance 2022/23: 7 out of 7
Attendance 2021/22: 2 out of 2
Register of Interest: Employed by GFS

Robert Walter

Position Held: Vice-Chair, Health & Safety Governor

Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Governing Body Dates: 01 February 2023 – 31 January 2027

Attendance 2024/25: 2 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 5 out of 6
Attendance 2022/23: 3 out of 4
Register of Interest: None

Vicki Wolfe

Position Held: SEN Governor

Governor Category: Parent Governor
Governing Body Dates: 23 March 2022 – 22 March 2026

Attendance 2024/25: 6 out of 6
Attendance 2023/24: 6 out of 6
Attendance 2022/23: 7 out of 7
Attendance 2021/22: 3 out of 3
Register of Interest: Parent of three children at Garden Fields

Vicki is a Child & Educational Psychologist, and Mum to 3 boys at the school 2 of which are now at Secondary School. Vicki worked as a Secondary School Teacher before completing her Psychology Doctorate in 2011, and currently works part-time across the local authority, private and charity sectors. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming and jogging – and ferrying her children to various events!

Governors (no longer in appointment) who have served in the last 12 months

Victoria Kearvell

Governor Category: Associate Governor
Appointing Body: Local Governing Body

Governing Body Dates: 4 December 2023 – 13 March 2025
Attendance 2023/24: 5 out of 5
Attendance 2024/25: 3 out of 3
Register of Interest: Finance Manager at Garden Fields JMI School. Parent of one child at Garden Fields.

Abi Ayorinde