Governors

Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).

Governors Committee Structure

Name	Position	Representing	Committee	Term of Office	Responsibilities	Business / Register of Interests *	Place of Work
Mrs Natalie Maughan	Headteacher	Headteacher	School Committee Finance Premises Grounds	01/09/2021-31/08/2021		Headteacher Silvertree Primary	Silvertree Primary
Mr Mark Den Hollander	Chair of Governors	Co-opted	School Committee Finance, Premises, Grounds First/Pay Review	05/05/2020 - 04/05/2024	Safeguarding Assessment, Monitoring, Evaluation Maths, P.E. & Sports Premium	Child in School None	Durham County Council
Mrs Hilary Currie	Vice Chair	Parent	School Committee Finance Premises Grounds (Chair) Appeals	12/07/2017-11/07/2021		Child in School	Durham County Council
Mr Damian Hassan		Staff	School Committee (Chair) Finance Premises Grounds	08/05/2017-09/05/2021		Deputy Head	Hamsterley Primary School
Canon Trevor Pitt		LA Representative	School Committee First Committee Pay Review Committee Finance, Premises, Grounds	22/05/2019 - 21/05/2023	Looked After Children Assessment, Monitoring, Evaluation English PSHE, PREVENT, British Values, RE, Equal Opportunities and Equal Objectives	None	n/a
Mrs Barbara Scott	Chair of First Committee	Parent	School Committee First/Pay Review Headteachers Performance	24/09/2020-23/09/2024		Child in School	n/a
Mrs Deborah Pinchen		Parent	School Committee Appeals Headteachers Performance	30/09/2020-29/09/2024		Child in School	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
Ms Samantha Ibbotson		Parent	School Committee Appeals	24/02/2020-23/02/2025		Child in School	Durham County Council
Vacancy		Co-opted
Mrs Sarah Kitching	Headteacher	Headteacher	School Committee Finance, Premises, Grounds	30/04/2020-01/04/2021		Headteacher Wolsingham Primary School	Wolsingham Primary School / Hamsterley Primary School
Mrs Bee Nightingale		Parent	School Committee First/Pay Review Headteachers Performance	26/05/2016-25/05/2020	SEND, Creative Arts, Language and International Links	None
Mrs Lynn Cowans - Headteacher		Ex. Officio	School Committee Finance Premises Grounds	01/09/2008 - 30/05/2020		Headteacher

* Relevant business interests of governors and details of any other educational establishments they governor
** Relationships between governors and members of the school staff including spouses, partners and relatives

Recent Resignations

Mr Robert Potts – Co-opted Governor – 22/10/2019 – 21/10/2023 – Resigned
Mrs L Halliday
Miss A J Morgan

The Governors work in partnership with Headteacher, Staff, Parents and Local Education Authority to ensure that all pupils receive an education of the highest standard within a safe, happy and stimulating learning environment. Governing Body business is transacted through a programme of termly meetings, sub committee and, if necessary, special meetings of the full Governing Body. Governors are fully involved in the life of the school.

Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies

Hamsterley Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download the full document below.

The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools (2017)

How To Become A School Governor

If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.

Governor Vacancy Information

We currently have two Coopted Governor Vacancies.

Governor’s News

The Governing Body can be contacted through the school number 01388 488279. Please read our Governors News.

Governor Policies

Governor Allowances Policy
Governors Code of Conduct Policy

Governor Attendance

Schools are now required to display a record of Governor’s attendance at meetings for each school academic year.

KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee

Record of Attendance 2021-2022

Name	Meeting [add date]	Meeting [add date]	Meeting [add date]
Mrs Sarah Kitching - Headteacher
Mr M den Hollander Chair
Mrs H Currie Vice from 1.11.20
Mr D Hassan
Canon Trevor Pitt
Barbara Scott
Deborah Pinchen
Samantha Ibbotson

Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.

Committee Terms of Reference

School Committee

Chair: Mark den Hollander
Terms of Reference

Plan to raise standards of achievement and monitor the school’s performance.
Monitor targets for achievement at FSP, Year 1 phonics, KS1 and KS2 and monitor the school’s performance against these targets.
Contribute to the monitoring of the School Improvement Plan and self evaluation of the school.
Monitor, in general terms, the systems for teaching and learning and the progress of pupils.
Termly reports will be provided to the School Committee summarising school monitoring and evaluation (eg lesson observations, work scrutinies, tracking and learning walks).
Monitor the provision of extra-curricular activities, including overnight stays provided to encourage recreation and social development.
Ensure that Governors have access to training and information to support them in their roles.
To establish and review a performance management policy for all staff.

Finance, Premises & Grounds Committee

Chair: Hilary Currie
Terms of Reference:

In conjunction with the Headteacher to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, for approval by the full Governing Body.
To monitor income and expenditure, including virement decisions, significant anomalies from the anticipated position and report termly to the Governing Body.
To ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the County Council and the requirements of the DfE Financial Management Standard for Schools.
To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds kept on behalf of the Governing Body.
To annually review charges and remissions policies and expenses policies.
To make decisions in respect of service level agreements.
To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees.
To prepare financial statements for inclusion in any reports to parents.
To ensure as far as is practical that any Health and Safety (H&S) issues are appropriately funded in accordance with priorities.
To ensure that Pay Review Committee and Pay Appeal Committee decisions are appropriately funded.
Inspection/reporting repair and maintenance to Buildings & Grounds.
Consider Improvements.
Tendering procedures (proposals to be taken to Governing Body for agreement).
Health & Safety issues, inspection report and action (including completion of annual risk assessment).
Expenditure Proposals for submission to the Governing Body.

Meetings: termly, or each half term, planned to coincide with Oracle.
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; a fair hearing is required; or a pecuniary interest. Associate Members may not vote.

First/Pay Review Committee

Chair: Mark den Hollander
Terms of Reference

To act in accordance with the Whole School Pay Policy adopted by the Governing Body to include matters relating to: teaching and learning responsibility payments, SEN (Special Educational Needs) allowances, recruitment and retention payments, points for previous experience, bursaries, regradings.
To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure.
To make any decisions under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body, eg disciplinary, grievance, ill health, Capability etc, where the Headteacher is the subject of the action.
To make any decisions relating to a member of staff (other than the Headteacher) under the Personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (unless delegated to the Headteacher).
Staffing Reductions.
Parental Complaints.
To carry out an annual review of the staffing structure in consultation with the Headteacher and the Finance Committee.
To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
To keep under review work/life balance, working conditions and wellbeing, including the monitoring of absence.
To make recommendations to the Finance Committee on Personnel related expenditure.

Meetings: Autumn Term, plus as and when necessary.
Disqualifications: School Staff and Pecuniary Interest

Appeals Committee

Chair: Hilary Currie
Terms of Reference:

To consider any appeal against a decision to dismiss a member of staff made by the Hearing/First Committee (or Headteacher if delegated).
To consider any appeal against a decision under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (eg disciplinary, pay review and Capability for teachers etc).
To consider any appeal against selection for redundancy.

Meetings: as and when required. Must have no fewer members than the Hearing.
Disqualifications: Headteacher. Any Governor who was involved in the hearing. Spouse/partner.

Pupil Discipline Committee

Exclusions (Fixed term)

Headteacher’s Performance Review Committee

Chair: Barbara Scott
Terms of Reference:

To arrange to meet with the External Adviser (EA) or Education Development Partner (EDP) to discuss the Headteacher’s performance targets.
To decide with support from the EA or EDP whether the targets have been met and to set new targets annually.
To monitor throughout the year the performance of the Headteacher against the targets.
To make recommendations to the appropriate committee in respect of awards for the successful meeting of set targets.

Meetings: Autumn term, plus monitoring meetings.
Disqualifications: the Headteacher and staff.

Virement & Expenditure Levels

Virement Limits		Expenditure Limits
Limit set for Headteacher without prior written approval of Chair or Governing Body	£1,000	Any items of expenditure up to	£5,000
Limit set for Headteacher with approval from Chair of Governors	£5,000	Above this limit if item was previously notified to the Governing Body. Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity.
Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity.

NB Any goods/services purchased and works to be carried out are subject to Durham County Council Contract Procedure Rules (January 2014) for quotations.

Staffing Matters

In matters of discipline and or capability, redundancy and the Ill Health for staff the delegation of the function is to the First/Pay Review Committee.

The conduct, capability, performance and discipline of staff matters when the Headteacher is the subject of any proceedings, is delegated to the Chair of the Governing Body.

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