Mrs Pam Bassindale – Local Authority Governor and Chair of Governors

I joined the Governing Body in September 2013, having just retired as the Headteacher of a local primary school after a long career teaching in primary and secondary schools, both here in the UK and in Germany.  Our Headteacher was looking to find an LA Governor at the time and she always maintains that I didn’t say “No” quickly enough.

Nevertheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the St Andrew’s Team and having the opportunity to play a part in the education of the great children here.  I feel privileged to have been elected at Chair of the Governing Body and look forward to the new challenges that this role will bring.  I am on the Teaching and Learning Committee and the Pay and Performance Panel.

Mrs Alison Bailey – Foundation Governor and Vice Chair     I was taking a break after two terms of being a Parent Governor at another local school when a chance conversation with a very passionate and committed Headteacher led me to consider applying to be a Foundation Governor for this lovely school.  I live not too far from the school and am an active member of St Francis Church (where I run an occasional mid week Service for pre-schoolers and their grown-ups). I hope that my previous eight years’ experience in school governance will be helpful. Mostly I am just blown away by the work that goes on in all our schools. Shaping young lives, educating young people, challenging us all to be the best we can, and doing it all in love – that must be among the most important work that exists. And I want to do what I can to support and protect St Andrew’s school and all the people in it.   Mrs Sheena Blackford – Foundation Governor I have lived in Laverstock since 1999, with a period of years away with my husband’s work, retiring back here four years ago. I have a background in teaching, Social Services and nursing and am a member of St. Andrew’s Church. I have recently become a Foundation Governor  for St. Andrew’s school and look forward to contributing to the life of the school and encouraging children in their journey of lifelong learning.   Dr Jane Burton – Foundation Governor   I have been a Foundation Governor since September 2019.  My children all attended St Andrew’s from 2004 – 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed their time there.  Now that they are older, I am keen to be involved with the school.  I am a scientist and I sit on the Teaching and Learning Committee.   Mr David Hazelton – Foundation Governor     I became a Foundation Governor in January 2021 when our eldest son was in Year 1. I am a physicist by background, turned manager since 2018. It’s the best job in the world, combining my passions for both science and leadership. I also attend Grace Church in Salisbury, leading various groups and ministries there. More years ago than I care to remember, I attended a great C of E primary school, and look back on it very fondly. To me, being a Foundation Governor is my way of helping every child at St Andrew’s to have as great a start in faith, education and the world as I did!   Mrs Bronwen Jugg – Foundation Governor I am looking forward to playing a part in supporting the children in their early years development.  All 3 of my children attended St Andrew’s and thrived and it will be nice to give something back. I am a member of St Andrew’s Church and am committed to supporting the school develop its Christian ethos, providing encouragement,  respect and kindness to all children.   Reverend Diane Roberts – Foundation Governor (Ex Officio)   Diane is an Ex Officio Foundation Governor and Minister with St Andrew’s Church, who sits on our Ethos Committee.   Mrs Wendy Orphan – Foundation Governor     I have joined the Governing Body of St Andrew’s as a Foundation Governor. I am a member of The Bridge Youth Project Primary Team, which I joined as a volunteer in January 2019, and as an employee in September 2021. We visit many local primary schools in the Salisbury area to lead collective worship & RE lessons, building upon the amazing work schools already do to promote the Christian faith in our community. I am an active member of Salisbury Baptist Church where I run the King’s Kids Sunday School. We moved to Salisbury from Swansea, South Wales in 2018. Whilst there, I was a children’s and family worker in a local church. I was a Parent Governor & later Foundation Governor for the same local primary for 15+ years & member of the local Sacre. For ten years I was a primary school teacher & part time youth worker in London. I gained a diploma from the London School of Theology following my PGCE & history degree. My own primary school was also called St Andrew’s Primary School in Enfield. It played a significant part in my journey to faith. I grew up hearing about the person of Jesus there, listening to Bible stories in assembly and attending the local parish church. This St Andrew’s reminds me of mine with its strong Christian ethos, friendly welcome & sense of belonging. I look forward to supporting the school & serving on the ethos committee. Wendy is our Governor for Special Educational Needs.   Dr Chris Howle – Parent Governor   I have been a Parent Governor since March 2024. Many moons ago, a C of E primary school was the foundation of my own enthusiasm for learning that has continued throughout my life & career. I am now a Chartered Chemist, so I’m an advocate of STEM subjects as part of a varied curriculum to enrich children’s lives. I’m keen to contribute to the local community, having lived in Laverstock for 16 years and my daughter is at the school currently, where she thrives in the nurturing, family environment. I’m eager that pupils at St Andrews are positive members of our community through respect for all, dedication to their learning, as well as having fun!   I believe strongly that education provides opportunities for children to access new and exciting experiences, which will enable them to discover & develop their talents, and boost engagement in their own learning. To this end, I am passionate that the school meets high standards so that all our children can reach their potential. School governors play a key role in setting and maintaining these standards, and I have experience of a similar role as a member of the Professional Standards Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry.   Mr David Lupton – Parent Governor   As a Parent Governor, I am keen to promote the interests of our children and support the staff in achieving each child’s individual best.  I seek to assist with the priorities for the school, monitoring performance and ensuring each child can work in a safe and friendly environment. As well as offering the potential for high achievement in the 3Rs, I firmly believe school should be fun, and St Andrew’s has a truly family feel with a great Christian ethos. Children of all abilities are able to experience opportunities in many areas, including sport, music and drama; a tradition which should continue and one that I am very happy to encourage and support. I am a Chartered Engineer and parent with long associations with St Andrew’s. I am delighted to run a Key Stage 2 Engineering Club when possible and am particularly interested in promoting and supporting STEM subjects with my many years of experience.  I work as a STEM Ambassador for Wiltshire and bring with me extensive knowledge in these subjects. I am also an active member of the Institute of Engineering Designers.   Miss Amanda Hodgson – Staff Governor     Amanda is a Staff Governor, sitting on the Teaching and Learning Committee, Finance and Premises Committee and the Ethos Committee.   Amanda is our Deputy Headteacher and our Religious Education Lead.   Mrs Jo Fernie – Staff Governor and Headteacher (Ex Officio)       Mrs Kim Perree – Co-opted (Safeguarding/Equality)     I have been a Governor at St Andrew’s Primary School since 2012. I began as a Parent Governor when my daughter was in Reception.  I have now been Co-opted onto the Board and I am the Nominated Governor for Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities.  I really enjoy being part of the St Andrew’s Team.   Mrs Ellen Ransome – Associate Governor Ellen is our Governor for Maths.   Mrs Laura Hazelton – Clerk to the Governors     Laura is our Clerk to the Governors.

What is the Role of the Governing Body?

At St Andrew’s there are 12 governors who together make up the governing body. The governors come from different backgrounds and include parents, teachers, members of the local church community and a ‘specialist’ appointed by the local Authority. We work as partners with the Headteacher in the leadership of the school.

What Governors do:

An important part of the role of the governing body is to help set the vision and values for the school, and ensure that all the policies and procedures that guide how the school is run are up to date and relevant. The daily management of the school is the responsibly of the Headteacher.

The full governing body normally meets six times a year to discuss and agree the school’s business. In addition there are a number of sub-committees that meet regularly to monitor progress, review policies and make recommendations. These cover:

• Finance, Staffing and Premises
• Teaching & Learning
• Performance Management & Pay

We frequently go into school to attend events and to meet with the Headteacher, other members of staff and pupils to help us to find out how the school works.

What our Role is:

The primary role of the governing body is to help the school provide the best possible education for their pupils by:

• Thinking and working strategically to help raise standards
• Monitoring and evaluating progress towards the school’s priorities and targets
• Supporting the head and staff as well as challenging their expectations – called being a ‘critical friend’
• Accounting to all stakeholders for the school’s overall performance and for the decisions they have made

Setting the Strategic Direction:

The governing body is there to ensure the school is focused on raising standards of achievement and sets high expectations so that all our children reach their potential. To do this we help to provide the framework for how the Headteacher and staff should run the school through:

• Deciding what the school wants to achieve (the vision) and making plans to get there
• Ensuring there are systems in place to check progress is being made
• Helping to set the school’s policies and keeping these under review
• Ensuring that the curriculum is balanced and broadly based and that the National Curriculum and religious education are taught
• Ensuring effective use of resources to achieve the school’s priorities, including approving how the budget should be spent

Being a Critical Friend:

A key role of the governors is to support the Headteacher and the staff – the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. In this role the Governors are there to:

• Recognise and celebrate the achievements of the school, know where the school is not achieving as well as it could and provide support and encouragement when strategies to bring about improvement are being explored
• Strike an appropriate balance between support and challenge

Accountability:

Finally, as schools have a responsibility for the education and well-being of the pupils and are spending public money, there needs to be accountability. The governing body:

• Is required to conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement
• Must be prepared to account for the school’s overall performance to explain its decisions and actions to anyone who has a legitimate interest eg Ofsted, the Local Authority, the Diocese.

If you would like to know more about the role of the governors in the running of the school, please contact our Chair of Governors, Mrs Pam Bassindale (pbassindale@st-andrews-laverstock.wilts.sch.uk).

Statement of Behaviour Principles

The Department for Education requires governing bodies to publish a statement of behaviour principles for their school which guides the Headteacher in determining measures to promote good behaviour and discipline amongst pupils. The document ‘Behaviour and Discipline in Schools: Guidance for Governing Bodies’ (DfE – September 2015) has been used as a reference in producing this Statement of Behaviour Principles.

We are committed to upholding our school vision, ‘Do Everything in Love’, and our school values of love, honesty and respect and we believe that the following principles should form the basis of our behaviour policies.

The right to feel safe

• All pupils, staff and other members of the school community have the right to feel safe at all times whilst in school. We expect everyone to behave responsibly and to treat each other with respect.
• They should be aware that bullying or harassment of any description is unacceptable even if it occurs outside normal school hours.

Equality

• The governors believe that all members of the school community should be treated as individuals and should be free from discrimination, harassment and bullying in any form. Measures to counteract bullying and discrimination should be consistently applied and monitored for their effectiveness.
• The school’s legal duties in relation to the Equality Act will be further reinforced through the Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policies in order to safeguard vulnerable pupils.
• We recognise that some pupils may need extra support to meet behaviour expectations.

High standards of behaviour

• The governors feel that good teaching matched to the needs of all pupils promotes self-esteem, self-discipline and good behaviour, and that good behaviour promotes effective learning and good attitudes to learning.
• Children have the right to learn and staff have the right to teach without disruption.
• Governors also believe that the expectation of high standards of behaviour can have a positive effect in helping pupils to develop into successful citizens, upholding British values.
• There should be a whole school approach to discipline with a clearly defined code of conduct for both staff and pupils.
• The governors also expect that all adults on the premises should behave in a respectful and appropriate manner in order to comply with these principles.

School rules

• The governors expect pupils to be involved in the creation of rules, which should be simple and kept to a minimum. We should seek to give every pupil a sense of personal responsibility for their own actions.
• We expect that all staff will support rules and codes and ensure consistent application and expectations across the school day.

Consequences and rewards

• We believe that our primary aim should be to praise positive attitudes to encourage good behaviour in the classroom and elsewhere in the school.
• The governors expect that any rewards system will be consistently applied. It must be regularly monitored for consistency, fair application and effectiveness.
• Consequences for unacceptable/poor behaviour should be known and understood by all pupils, staff, other adults with responsibility for behaviour, and parents/carers.
• Consequences should be age appropriate, progressive and fairly implemented.

The use of reasonable force

• The governors expect the school Behaviour Policy to outline clearly the circumstances where staff may use reasonable force or positive physical intervention.
• The governors expect that authorised staff are appropriately trained in the use of positive handling and restraint and that all staff are given advice on de-escalation and behaviour management strategies.

Discipline beyond the school gates

• The governors expect staff to respond to non-criminal poor behaviour and bullying which occurs anywhere off the school premises and which is witnessed by a member of staff or reported to the school.
• The Behaviour Policy should include the school’s response to any behaviour when a pupil is taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity, wearing school uniform, or identifiable as a pupil at the school.
• It must also take account of misbehaviour at any time which could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school, poses a threat to another pupil or member of the public, or could adversely affect the reputation of the school.

Allegations of abuse

• Allegations of abuse should be taken seriously and dealt with quickly in a fair and consistent way that provides effective protection for the pupil and supports the person who is the subject of the allegation.
• The governors would not expect automatic suspension of a member of staff who has been accused of misconduct, pending an investigation. The governors would, however, expect the Headteacher to draw on and follow the advice in the ‘Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and other Staff’ guidance when setting out the pastoral support school staff can expect to receive if an allegation is made against them.

January 2023

Next Review: January 2025

Please click on the links below to see the most recent reports from our Governing Body:-