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