Governors
The day-to-day running of the school and its management is undertaken by the Headteacher. The governing body is similar to a board of directors, making policy decisions about how the school should be run. Governors can only act together, not individually, and they meet regularly. All governors are DBS checked. The Governing Body of Little Gaddesden School meets seven times each year and alternates the focus of its meetings between Resources and Learning Matters as well as the wider business of the Governing Body. Further detail is included in the Governing Body Schedule of Delegation (see link below). Minutes of the governors’ meetings are available from the school office.
Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has a governing body of twelve. There are seven Foundation Governors, with two appointed by the Diocese of St Albans Board of Education, and four appointed by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Peter & St Paul, Little Gaddesden. The parish priest is a Foundation Governor ex officio. One governor is appointed by Hertfordshire County Council. There are two elected Parent Governors, and two Staff Governors (including the Headteacher). In addition, the Governing Body may co-opt Associate Members at any time to make use of the specific expertise and experience they can contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
Parent Governors bring the views of the parents to the governing body, but they speak and act as individuals. They should not be thought of as delegates or mouthpieces of the parents, and they do not vote for all parents in general. They have equal status in the work of the governing body, with voting rights. Parents elect two Parent Governors for four-year terms.
School Governors from October 2024
 | Term Start | Term End |
Headteacher | ||
Lorna Elkes | ||
Staff Governor | ||
Isabelle Wheeler | 07 Sep 2023 | 06 Sep 2027 |
Foundation Diocesan Board of Education Appointed Governors | ||
Philip Heaphy (Chair) | 06 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2027 |
Victoria Dingle | 04 Jul 2024 | 03 Jul 2028 |
Foundation Ex-Officio Governor | ||
Revd. John Russell | ||
Parent Governors | ||
Simon Emmett | 16 Mar 2022 | 15 Mar 2026 |
vacancy | ||
Foundation Parochial Church Council Appointed Governors | ||
Linda Buchanan-Barrow | 24 Jul 2023 | 23 Jul 2027 |
Laurie McLaren | 01 Sep 2024 | 31 Aug 2028 |
Laura Gill | 04 Dec 2021 | 03 Dec 2025 |
Hayley McKenna | 06 Jul 2023 | 05 Jul 2027 |
Local Authority Governor | ||
Briony Sutcliffe | 24 Jun 2022 | 23 Jun 2026 |
News from the School Governors
Governing Body Newsletter & Annual Report 2023/2024
Governing Body Newsletter & Annual Report – 2022/2023
Governing Body Code of Conduct October 2023
Governing Body Newsletter & Annual Report – 2021/2022
Governing Body Newsletter & Annual Report – 2020/2021
Governing Body Newsletter & Annual Report – 2019/2020
Governing Body Schedule of Financial Delegation 2023-24
Governing Body – Scheme of Delegation
Attendance at Governing Body meetings September 2023 to July 2024
Full Governing Body: 7 meetings
Linda Buchanan-Barrow 7; Lorna Elkes 7; Simon Emmett 5; Laura Gill 4; Phil Heaphy 7; Hannah Jarvis 7; Hayley McKenna 7; Stuart Owen 1; John Russell 2; Briony Sutcliffe 7; Isabelle Wheeler 6.
Attendance at Governing Body meetings September 2022 to July 2023
Full Governing Body: 7 meetings
Linda Buchanan-Barrow (Associate Member) 5; Nicholas Crispin 3; Lorna Elkes 7; Simon Emmett 5; Laura Gill 6; Phil Heaphy 7; Anne Heath 4; Hannah Jarvis 6; Hayley McKenna (Associate Member) 5; Amy Miles 5; Claire Owen 5; Stuart Owen 3; John Russell 4; Briony Sutcliffe 7.
Business and Other Interests
- No governor has declared any business interests which might involve the school.
- The Revd John Russell is also an ex officio governor of Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary School.
- Linda Buchanan-Barrow provides private tutoring to some pupils from the school. Philip Heaphy has a relative who also provides private tutoring to some pupils from the school. The school has not been involved in any way in the initiation or development of these arrangements.
- Briony Sutcliffe has relatives who are Chairs of Governors at local primary schools. She is also a governance consultant for Herts for Learning (HfL) and a DfE appointed national leader of governance for the National Governance Association (NGA).
- No governor has any relative, spouse or partner employed by the school.
Ex-Governors who were in post academic year 2022-23
Rev Stuart Owen, Foundation Diocescan Board of Education Appointed Governor
