Governance
A Governing Body consists of a group of people from the local community, from all walks of life, who bring with them different viewpoints, experiences, knowledge, skills and ideas. They may be parents, staff at the school, local residents or representatives of local businesses, who work together as a team, with the Headteacher and the leadership team to ensure that the school provides their pupils with the best possible education - and constantly strives to improve.
School governors are a vital part of the leadership of their school. Their work is reported on in every school’s Ofsted inspection report. The purpose of governance is to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance. They need to set high expectations and ask challenging questions, but are not expected to make day to day decisions about how the school is managed and run. That is the job of the Headteacher and senior members of staff.
The Governing Body has a general responsibility for seeing the school run effectively. Governors have legal duties, powers and responsibilities. They offer support and challenge to the Headteacher who is responsible for the day to day management of the school. The full Governing Body meets once every term. It is made up of people from the local community, parents, the Headteacher and school staff.
The role of the Governing Body at Earlham Primary School
As governors at Earlham Primary School, we make collective decisions as part of the Governing Body. Our main purpose is to help raise the educational standards and performance of the school by supporting the work of the Headteacher and school staff. We ensure that the school runs effectively, that quality teaching and learning is happening across the school, that the budget is spent wisely and that Earlham provides good value for money.
We make strategic decisions on how the school is run and are answerable to parents, the wider community and most importantly the children who attend Earlham. We govern rather than manage giving direction and focus. The management of the school remains the responsibility of the Headteacher.
We are responsible for:
- Appointing Headteachers and Deputy Headteachers and ensuring the implementation of a range of HR procedures
- Managing the school's budget
- Helping to determining aims, policies and priorities for the school
- Monitoring and evaluating the work of the school and setting targets
- Ensuring high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour
- Ensuring that all children in the schools have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, suitable to age, aptitude and ability, which prepares them for adult life in Britain
- Ensuring the health and safety of pupils and staff
Governing Body Members
Heather De Silva - Chair of Governors
Elizabeth Thomas - Vice-Chair of Governors
Madeleine Wheelan - Co-opted Governor
Ece Kaya - Staff Governor
Natasha Rezai - Headteacher
Aziz Ahmed - Co-opted Governor
Thomas Bruce - Co-opted Governor
Matthew Pollard - Parent Governor
Vasilia Nicolaou - Parent Governor
School related questions should be put in writing to the Chair of Governors and handed in to the school office.
Governor Roles
|
Governor Category |
Name of Governor |
Committee Membership |
Link |
Area of responsibility |
Date of Appointment |
Who Appointed Them |
Term of Office |
|
Chair of Governors LA Governor |
Heather De Silva |
Curriculum Committee |
· English · Humanities: · Safeguarding
|
|
24.05.22 |
Governors |
4 years |
|
Headteacher Governor |
Natasha Rezai |
Resources Committee Curriculum Committee |
All |
Headteacher |
Ex-officio |
Governors |
Ex-officio |
|
Vice Chair of Governors |
Elizabeth Thomas |
Resources Committee |
Co link for Inclusion (SEND, Pupil Premium, and Disadvantaged Pupils) |
Vice Chair of the Curriculum Committee |
26.01.24 |
Governors |
4 years |
|
Co-opted |
Aziz Ahmed |
Resources Committee |
Co-Link for PE · Racial Equity
|
Chair of the Resources Committee |
24.05.22 |
Governors |
4 years |
|
Staff |
Ece Kaya |
Curriculum Committee |
· Early Years |
|
06.03.24 |
Staff |
4 years |
|
Co-opted |
Madeleine Wheelan |
Curriculum Committee |
· Inclusion (SEND, Pupil Premium, and Disadvantaged Pupils) · Attendance · Languages
|
|
04.03.25 |
Governors |
4 years |
|
Co-opted |
Thomas Bruce |
Resources Committee |
· Computing
|
Vice Chair of the Resources Committee |
27.03.23 |
Governors |
4 years |
|
Parent Governor |
Matthew Pollard |
Resources Committee |
· Maths · PE
|
|
21.05.24 |
Parents/Carers |
4 years |
|
Parent Governor |
Vasilia Nicolou |
Curriculum Committee |
· Early Years: · Creative Arts · Science
|
|
21.05.24 |
Parents/Carers |
4 years |
Committees and working groups
We have two main Governors committees :
- Curriculum - Chair of committee : Heather De Silva
- Resources - Chair of committee : Aziz Ahmed
Additional Committees
|
Group |
Members |
|
Pay Committee |
Elizabeth Thomas Thomas Bruce |
|
Headteacher Review Panel |
Heather De Silva Elizabeth Thomas |
Meetings
We meet as a full governing body each term. In addition to full Governing Body meetings, our committees also meet each term.
The committees are Resources, which looks at Finance, Personnel and Premises and the Curriculum Committee which looks at the curriculum and the progress pupils make.
These committees are made up of a minimum of 3 Governors. The committee members discuss items in depth and make recommendations to the full Governing Body.
We also ask all our governors to be link governors where they work with school leaders to help them review and improve their areas of responsibility. This ensures that all our governors know our school well.
In keeping with our commitment to openness and transparency, the main Part One of governing body meetings is open and parents are welcome to attend. The dates of the meetings are available on the school calendar or the Governors Meeting dates page of the school website
Full Governing Body Meetings 2025/2026
Wednesday 19 November 2025
Wednesday 28 January 2026
Wednesday 20th May 2026·
Resources Committee Meetings 2025/2026
Tuesday 21 October 2025
Wednesday 21 March 2026
Wednesday 6th May 2026
Curriculum Committee Meetings 2025/2026
Wednesday 19 November 2025
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Wednesday 1st July 2026
Governing Body Attendance Register
Y denotes governor present
N denotes apology received
NR denotes apology not received
n/a denotes governor is not a member of the committee
Academic Year 2024/2025
|
Governor |
Category |
FGB 24.09.24 |
RC 09.10.24 |
CC 16.10.24 |
FGB 04.03.25 |
RC 11.02.25 |
CC 04.02.25 |
FGB 12.06.25 |
RC 08.05.25 |
CC 21.05.25 |
|
Heather De Silva |
Co-opted |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Elizabeth Thomas |
Co-opted |
N |
Y |
|
N |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
Natasha Rezai |
Staff |
Y
|
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Ece Kaya |
Staff |
N |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Thomas Bruce |
Co-opted |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
Aziz Ahmed |
Co-opted |
N |
Y |
|
N |
Y |
|
N |
N |
|
|
Madeline Wheelan |
Co-Opted |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Matthew Pollard |
Parent |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
Vasilia Nicolaou |
Parent |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
*In the absence of the HT on 08.05/21.05 and 12.06, the Acting HT attended the meeting
Academic Year 2025/2026
|
Governor |
Category |
FGB 19.10.25 |
RC 21.10.25 |
CC 19.11.25 |
FGB 28.11.26 |
RC 21.10.25 |
CC 25.03.26 |
FGB 20.05.26 |
RC 06.05.25 |
CC 01.07.26 |
|
Heather De Silva |
Co-opted |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elizabeth Thomas |
Co-opted |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natasha Rezai |
Staff |
N
|
N |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ece Kaya |
Staff |
N |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas Bruce |
Co-opted |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aziz Ahmed |
Co-opted |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Madeline Wheelan |
Co-Opted |
Y |
|
N |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matthew Pollard |
Parent |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vasilia Nicolaou |
Parent |
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Business and pecuniary interests
Business and pecuniary interests of the Earlham Primary School Governing Body as declared 2025-2026
|
Governor |
Nature of Business |
Nature of Interest |
|
Heather De Silva |
None |
None |
|
Elizabeth Thomas |
None |
None |
|
Natasha Rezai |
None |
None |
|
Ece Kaya |
None |
None |
|
Thomas Bruce |
None |
None |
|
Aziz Ahmed |
None |
None |
|
Madeleine Wheelan |
None |
None |
|
Matthew Pollard |
None |
None |
|
Vasilia Nicolaou |
None |
None |