Governors
As Chair of the Governing Body, I’m delighted to welcome you to Ellingham Primary School. The staff at the school are committed to supporting your children at the start of their school life to become successful learners and confident individuals, who enjoy learning, make progress and are able to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
The Governing Body works as a team and have a general responsibility for supporting and challenging the leadership team to ensure that the school is run effectively. The strength of the Governing Body lies in the collective knowledge, experience and expertise of its members.
Wayne Finnie
Chair of Governors
Wayne joined Ellingham Primary School as a Governor in January 2021. He has lived in the area for over 20 years and both his sons attended schools locally.
Wayne’s professional career is in financial management, he currently works for the Local Authority and previously had spent a number of years working in business manager and finance manager roles within schools - he therefore has a sound knowledge of school funding.
Outside of work he has a keen interest in sports and has been actively involved in scouting.
Clerk to Governors - Vacancy
The governors of Ellingham Primary School wish to appoint a highly organised and self-motivated clerk to join this school. The clerk is accountable to the governing board, working effectively with the chair of governors, and with the headteacher and other governors. This is a part time role.
The clerk to the governors will ensure the smooth running of the governing board; preparing agendas and meeting papers, taking accurate and well-constructed minutes, giving administrative support, keeping records and up-to-date information on policies and date of reviews, and providing procedural and legislative advice to the governing board. They must have excellent organisational, communication and ICT skills.
For further information and an application form please click here
Could you be one of our Governors?
Ellingham Primary School is looking for new governors to join our friendly school in Chessington. We are seeking enthusiastic individuals with an interest in children’s education, who would like to contribute to their local community. We are ambitious for our school and would like someone who is keen to help our school and its pupils become the best they can be. You do not need experience in governance, although it is helpful if you are looking to Chair a committee, however we would welcome applications where you can offer the skills and experience below to strengthen our existing governing body:
education
finance
HR
risk management
marketing and communications skills
leadership and management skills
chairing or non-executive experience
experience of being in education in the past 10 years.
We are looking for volunteers who: can ask effective questions, think strategically, have excellent communication skills, can understand data, are adept at problem solving and can be a critical friend. As well as making a significant difference to the school, the role offers personal and professional satisfaction as well as opportunities to expand your skill set.
Please contact the Governance Professional clerk@elp.rbksch.org for further information or to express an interest in this role.
Role of the Governing Body
The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:
Set the vision and strategic direction for Ellingham Primary School
Hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of pupils
Ensure financial resources are spent well
We are constituted of 10 individuals from different groups with an interest in the school:
2 parents
2 staff members
1 Local Authority nominated member
5 co-opted members
Co-opted members are recruited based on the skills that they offer to help the Governing Body carry out its functions e.g. Financial, Legal , HR, Education Management
The Full Governing Body meets 5 times per year.
The Governing Body also works in committees, where smaller groups focus on specific areas:
The Children & Achievement Committee monitors the academic attainment and progress of all pupils, and considers their personal development, behaviour and welfare.
The Resources & Finance Committee oversees the setting and management of the school budget, supports the school's HR strategy, and ensures health and safety and accessibility responsibilities are met.
