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. Our Governing Body reconstituted on 15th December 2020 under the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 and comprises:
a. 2 parent governors
b. 6 co-opted governors*
c. Our Headteacher
d. 1 staff governor
e. 1 local authority 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.
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 once each term. There are two committees, dealing with curriculum and resource issues, which meet regularly and report to the full governing body. 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.
If you would like to contact the governors you can do so by either emailing governors@gardenfields.herts.sch.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? Visit the Herts Direct website, www.hertsdirect.org to read more.
OUR GOVERNORS
Nicola Dale
Positions Held: Chair of Governors, Child Protection & CLA Governor
Previous positions: Governor 27 Sept 16 – 25 March 20
Governor Category: LA Governor
Appointing Body: LA
Dates: 27 Sept 16 – 22 Sept 24
Committee: Curriculum, Resources & Pay
Attendance 2019/20: 12 out of 13
Attendance 2018/19: 8 out of 10
Attendance 2017/18: 9 out of 10
Attendance 2016/17: 8 out of 10
Register of Interest
more
Tolu Airede
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Board
Dates: 18 September 2019
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 11 out of 12
Attendance 2018/2019: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Kate Cohen
Position Held: Chair of Resources
Governor Category: Parent Governor
Appointing Body: Parent Election
Dates: 15 March 2018 – 14 March 2022
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 11 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: 9 out of 10
Attendance 2017/18: 3 out of 3
Register of Interest
more
Alex Craig
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Board
Governing Body Dates: 24 March 2021 – 23 March 2025
Committee:
Attendance 2019/20: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Claudine Dicks
Position Held: Clerk to Governors
Register of Interest
more
Andrew Farrugia
Position Held: Headteacher
Governor Category: Staff Governor
Appointing Body: N/A
Dates: Ex Officio
Committee: Resources & Curriculum
Attendance 2019/20: 16 out of 16
Attendance 2018/19: 14 out of 14
Attendance 2017/18: 14 out of 14
Attendance 2016/17: 8 out of 8
Register of Interest: Headteacher of GFS school.
Register of Interest
Paul Greatorex
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Body
Dates: 18 September 2019 – 17 September 2023
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 12 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Sunny Grewal
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Body
Dates: 22 Nov 2016 – 22 Sept 2024
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 11 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: 8 out of 10
Attendance 2017/18: 10 out of 11
Attendance 2016/17: 3 out of 7
Register of Interest
more
Dominic Jones
Position Held:
Governor Category: Parent Governor
Governing Body Dates: 15 January 20 – 14 January 24
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 9 out of 9
Register of Interest
more

Su Kemp-Robertson
Position Held:
Governor Category: Staff Governor
Appointing Body: Parent Election
Dates: 27 June 19 to 26 June 2023
Committee: Curriculum
Attendance 2019/20: 12 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Joanna Lockwood
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointing Body: Governing Board
Dates: 24 March 2021 – 23 March 2025
Committee:
Attendance 2019/20: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Sean Moran
Position Held:
Governor Category: Co-opted Governor
Governing Body Dates: 27 January 21 – 26 January 25
Committee: Curriculum
Attendance 2019/20: N/A
Register of Interest
more
Outside of school he is a keen golfer, however, this is very much a work in progress.
Governors (no longer in appointment) who have served in the last 12 months
Rebecca Veitch
Position Held: Chair of Curriculum
Governor Category: Parent Governor
Appointing Body: Parent Election
Dates: 16 Nov 2016 – 15 Nov 2020
Committee: Curriculum
Attendance 2020/21: 1 out of 2
Attendance 2019/20: 12 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: 9 out of 10
Attendance 2017/18: 8 out of 10
Attendance 2016/17: 7 out of 8
Register of Interest
more
Gary Kellett
Chair of Governors 18 Sept 19 to 25 March 20
Chair of Resources Committee, co-Vice Chair of Governors 1 June 16 to 18 Sept 19
Governor Category: Parent Governor
Appointing Body: Parent Election
Dates: 1 June 16 – 31 May 20
Committee: Resources
Attendance 2019/20: 8 out of 12
Attendance 2018/19: 10 out of 10
Attendance 2017/18: 11 out of 11
Attendance 2016/17: 9 out of 10
Attendance 2015/16: 1 out of 1
Register of Interest
more