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Governance
The Swan School is an free school, part of The River Learning Trust. Each school within The River Learning Trust is managed by its Local Governing Body (LGB) and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the school.
Working in partnership with the Headteacher and staff, governors ensure high standards of achievement. They focus on strategy and school improvement; they decide what they want the school to achieve, set priorities and monitor progress to realise these aims.
They have three core strategic functions delegated to them by The River Learning Trust:
- Setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school, within the context of The River Learning Trust
- Holding the Headteacher and senior staff to account for the educational performance of the school and its students
- Ensuring the school remains within the budget delegated by The River Learning Trust and making sure the money is well spent.


The governing body is made up of the Headteacher and people from various different groups who have an interest in the success of the school, including parents, staff, the local authority and the community. The governors welcome a range of viewpoints, and make decisions together about a variety of issues. Between them governors have a wide breadth of skills and experience to enable the governing body collectively to support and challenge the school leadership. As vacancies arise specific skills are targeted to fill gaps in the governing body.
The governors are:
- Sally Addis – Chair of Governors
- Moira Dorey – Vice Chair of Governors
- Kay Wood – Headteacher
- Helen Batten – Clerk to the Governors
Community Governors
- Holly Joseph – Community Governor
- Chewe Munkonge – Community Governor
- Naomi Winnifrith – Community Governor
Parent Governors
- Roger Baker – Parent Governor
- Paul Goulart – Parent Governor
Staff Governors
- Katrina Playford – Staff Governor
Governors make a significant contribution to ensuring that every young person receives the best possible education. They are key strategic decision makers in schools. Our school is a rich and diverse community and we want our governing body to reflect that diversity. It is also important that as a group the governors have the range of skills required to fulfill their strategic responsibilities. By being part of the governing body you will be able to contribute to open debate and help the group to make majority decisions.
Almost anyone aged over 18 can be a school governor, you don’t have to have a child at the school or have any particular qualifications. Governors are currently drawn from four groups: parents, staff, the local community and the local authority. To help you understand the role, all new governors attend the governor induction programme run by the local authority. Further training is available to enable you to enhance your knowledge and skills.
If you wish to contact a governor, please email to [email protected] marked for the attention of the Chair of Governors. Alternatively you can send a letter addressed in the same way. If you have any concerns about your own child please contact the school directly in the first instance.
Governing body of Swan School – attendance at governor meetings 2021-22
Governor name | 2 November 2021 | 6 January 2022 | 15 February 2022 | 4 April 2022 | 9 June 2022 | 14 June 2022 | 14 July 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sally Addis | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Roger Baker | n/a | n/a | Present | Present | Apology received | Present | Present |
Moira Dorey | Present | Present | Apology received | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Paul Goulart | n/a | n/a | Present | Present | Present | Present | Apology received |
Macaulay Iyayi | Apology received | Apology received | Present | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present |
Holly Joseph | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Chewe Munkonge | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Apology received | Apology received |
Katrina Playford | n/a | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Kathryn Walton | Present | Present | Apology received | Present | Apology received | Present | Present |
Naomi Winnifrith | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Kay Wood | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
Declarations of Interest
Governor name | Governor Category | Appointed by | Term of Office | Position of responsibility | Declared pecuniary or material interests | Other educational establishments governed, or charity trusteeships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sally Addis | Community | River Learning Trust | 01.09 2019 – 31.08.2023 | Chair of Governing Body | None [23/10/22] | None |
Roger Baker | Parent | Parents | 15.02.2022- 14.02.2024 | - | None [28/10/22] | None |
Moira Dorey | Community | River Learning Trust | 01.09.2019 – 31.08.2023 |
Vice Chair of Governing Body Pastoral Curriculum Governor Lead Parental Engagement Governor Lead |
None [01/11/22] | Trustee, Oxford Schools Chaplaincy since 2015 |
Paul Goulart | Parent | Parents | 15.02.2022 – 14.02.2024 | - | None [01/11/22] | Governor, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford |
Macaulay Iyayi | Parent | Parents |
07.02.2021 –
06.02.2023 [Resigned 10.22] |
Sports & PE Governor Lead Equality & Diversity Governor Co-Lead |
None [18/10/21] | None |
Holly Joseph | Community | Governing body | 21.06.2021 – 20.06.2023 | SEND Governor Lead | None [24/10/22] | None |
Chewe Munkonge | Community | Governing body | 03.09.2021 – 02.09.2023 |
Pupil Premium Governor Lead Finance Governor Lead |
None [01/11/22] | None |
Katrina Playford | Staff | Staff | 22.12.2021 – 21.12.2023 | Health & Safety Governor Lead | None [01/11/22] | None |
Kathryn Walton | Staff | Governing body | 23.10.2021 – 22.10.2023 | Equality & Diversity Governor Co-Lead | None [21/09/21] | None |
Naomi Winnifrith | Community | Governing Body | 10.11.2021- 09.11.2022 | Safeguarding Governor Lead | None [31/10/22] | None |
Kay Wood | Heateacher | Ex officio | n/a | - | None [11/11/22] | None |
Governors who have resigned in the last 12 months:
Governor name | Governor Category | Appointed by | Term of Office | Position of responsibility | Declared pecuniary or material interests | Other educational establishments governed, or charity trusteeships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beverley Inscoe | Staff | Staff |
19.04.2021 –
18.04.2023 Resigned July 2021 |
- | None | None |
Rachael McMullen | Community | River Learning Trust |
01.09.2019 –
31.08.2021 Resigned April 2021 |
SEND Governor Lead | None | None |