New Marske Primary

01642 486392

office@newmarskeprimary.co.uk

New Marske Primary

T: 01642 486392   E: westgarthoffice@westgarthprimary.co.uk

New Marske Primary

T: 01642 486392

School Governors

                                          

New Marske Primary School Local School Board

Welcome to the governors’ page at New Marske Primary School.

We would like to take this opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions and to introduce ourselves.

Who are the governors?

The Local School Board consists of 12 governors and the Head Teacher. There are two parent governors (elected by their peers), one staff and nine co-opted governors (appointed by the Galileo Trust). The governors are dedicated volunteers who give their time, commitment and support to New Marske Primary School, its pupils and staff. The governors have varied skill sets which enable them to challenge the school, identify potential weaknesses and bring about necessary improvements.

What does the Local School Board do?

The Local School Board has three core functions, namely:

  1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
  2. Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of New Marske Primary school and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
  3. Overseeing the financial performance of New Marske Primary School and making sure the budget is balanced and well spent

How do we achieve this?

The full Local School Board meets three times a year, once each term. Additionally, there are four governor awareness sessions each academic year which allows governors to familiarise themselves with the operational running of the school. The role of the Local School Board is strictly strategic.

Early years (Nursery and Reception), Middle phase (Years 1-3), Later Phase (Years 4-6), Financial Monitoring, Safeguarding, Health; Safety & Wellbeing, SEND; PP & LAC as well as Community Engagement have dedicated link governors who visit the school once each term per responsibility during school hours.

The Local School Board is also assessed during an Ofsted inspection and its effectiveness has a big impact on the overall judgement of the school.

New Marske Primary has very committed governors who work as an effective team. We are supported by the Galileo Trust and Local Authorities Governor Support Service, which offers help, advice and training when it is needed.

If you are interested in becoming a governor, please contact the Chair of governors via the school office.

Please find below a brief introduction of our current Local School Board members:

Our School Governors 

Chair of Governors

Sophie Long

My name is Sophie Long and I have been a governor since 2018. I am the link governor for Early Years and Financial Monitoring. I came to live in the UK, aged 16, to attend a boarding school. After completing my education, I went on to work in model design and special effects. My area of specialism is archaeological reconstructions and I am a self-employed sculptress and jeweller.

From my time in the modelmaking industry, I bring transferable skills to my role as a governor. I am thorough, pay attention to detail, I am punctual and work well under pressure, am flexible to change and have the ability to devise innovative ways of finding solutions. I fully believe in the ethos of New Marske Primary School and am committed to help staff to make the school a happy, supportive environment in which pupils are aided to develop their skills and individual qualities.

 

 

I’m Luke, parish councillor for Longbeck Ward (Marske & New Marske). As the school’s Community Link Governor, I help to make sure the school has strong connections to the village community! During the day I work at the Institute for Public Policy Research, researching policy ideas to help boost the North East. Previously I worked as an English teacher, and helped advise government on education standards. I’m proud to be from Marske & live locally with my wife Bethan and dog Zero, who loves Errington Woods!

I am Philippa. I have lived in New Marske most of my life and I’m a former pupil of the school. In my day job I am a Lecturer at Middlesbrough College. I also currently volunteer at 1st Marske and New Marske Barn Owls (Beaver section), although I started my volunteering career at 5th Marske Brownies where I was a Unit Leader for ten years. I became a governor when my son started at Blossom Tree Nursery. I also wanted to bring my educational skill set to the governing body and help support the school community.  My current priorities as a governor are to offer guidance with middle phase attainment (Year 1-3) and to support with SEND provision.
I am Stan, a retired HR professional with an interest in education. I am a governor at three schools and have been elected to the local authority Schools Forum and sit on the schools admission and exclusions panels. I am a Parish Councillor, representing the Longbeck Ward. I am heavily involved with promoting Marske United and developing their links within the community.

My name is Jay and I am the Health, Safety and Welfare Link Governor for the school. My key purpose is to ensure that the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Pupils and Teachers is being managed correctly and report back to the Board of Governors with any concerns or reflections. I work as a Health and Safety Manager for a Mid-Stream Oil company and became involved with the school when I recognised that I could offer support as the school looked at risk assessing the impact of COVID on daily school life and setting appropriate controls. I attend School Board meetings and I visit school once a quarter to audit the management of Health, Safety and Welfare.

Outside of work and volunteering, I enjoy spending time with my daughter, running (completed my first marathon in 2021) and walking my dog Chip, preferably in the Lake District or North Wales.

Downloads

Code of Conduct

GMAT Scheme of Delegation 2021-22