Governors

Welcome to our Governors' section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

The Governing Board

Each school has its own governing body. Governors have considerable responsibilities, but governors don't exercise them as individuals. They work as part of a governing body - a corporate team They do not manage the day to day operations of the school - this is the role of the Headteacher and senior leadership team.

The role of the governing body is to undertake 3 core functions;

• Ensure clarity of visions, ethos and strategic direction
• Hold school leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and it's pupils and the performance management of the staff
• Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.

This is achieved through:

• helping the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement
• keep focussed on excelling in school improvement
• be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
• help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
• make the school accountable to the public for what it does
• work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
• exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the Headteacher and staff
• not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action.
• regular interactions with staff through visits and staff attendance at governor meetings

The governing body is made up of local authority representatives, parents, school staff and members of the community. The way a governing body is made up is set out in the school's Instrument of Government. The governing body at Shephalbury Park meets regularly and the minutes of each meeting are made available in the school office for parents who wish to see them.

Our instrument of governors are:

• 2 Parent governors
• 1 LA governor
• 2 Staff governors (including the Headteacher)
• 5 Co-opted governors

Purpose of the Finance & Resources Committee

The purpose of the Finance Committee is to:

• oversee, challenge and support the school in respect of its Financial, Personnel and Premises obligations and activities.
• to work with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure full accountability for the financial wellbeing of the school, the development of staff, the safety of children and achievement of the school’s medium term plan.

Purpose of the Curriculum & Safeguarding Committee

The purpose of the Curriculum & Safeguarding Committee is to:

• advise the Governing Body on the school’s curriculum policy and its statutory obligations regarding the curriculum
• with the assistance of staff, to monitor and evaluate the delivery of the curriculum, specifically the impact of actions taken to implement the SDP.
• to review, approve and monitor the implementation of policies for curriculum areas, special educational needs, collective worship, race equality and pupil behaviour/discipline.  
• to ensure that the needs of pupils with special educational needs are met.
• in conjunction with the Head Teacher, to agree statutory targets for pupil attainment.
• at least annually, to receive a report from the Headteacher on the quality of teaching and the standards of pupil achievement, and to identify any necessary governing body actions.
• after consultation with the Headteacher and staff, to identify priorities for the School Development/Improvement Plan and to consider the draft plan for discussion and approval by the governing body.
• to monitor, at least once a term, progress in implementing the School Development/Improvement Plan.
• Governors are required to question and monitor matters of pupil safety and safeguarding procedures within the school.

Shephalbury Park Primary School Governing Board 

Claire Smith - Co - Chair of Governors

Classification: Parent Governor

Term of Office: November 2020- October 2024

Areas of Interest: Finance and Resources Committee, complaints

I joined the Governing body as a parent governor in 2020, I have a daughter in year two and from September will have another daughter in Nursery.

I have worked in Education for all of my adult life in several different schools across Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. During my career I have worked as a Teacher, as an Early Years leader and as a HLTA, I am an experienced early years practitioner who is passionate about supporting young learners to develop their thirst for learning, growth mindset and have a positive start to their life in education. I hope that my experience of working in a variety of education settings will help the school reach its full potential.

Joanne Dawson - Co-Chair of Governor

Classification: Local authority Governor

Term of Office: September 2024 - September 2028

Areas of Interest:

Phillip Prasad- Vice Chair 

Classification: Parent Governor

Term of Office: October 2021 - October 2025

Areas of Interest: Finance & Resources Committee

I am excited to be joining the governing body of Shephalbury Park as a Parent Governor. I currently have a son in Reception (school year 2021-22) and a daughter who will be joining the school in 2 years time. I feel being a Parent Governor provides me with the ideal opportunity to give something back and support the school in its quest to become an exceptional school.

I bring along experience of finance, working as a chartered accountant within Hertfordshire County Council, along with 7 years of prior experience working in schools. With my wife also being a primary school teacher with 12 years experience, I bring a varied breadth of knowledge which I hope will improve Shephalbury Park and allow pupils to thrive. I believe strongly in the right of every child to receive an education that will help them realise their maximum potential and I look forward to helping achieve this as a Governor.

Amy-Louise Collard

Classification: Co-Opted Governor

Term of Office: February 2019 – February 2027

Areas of Interest: Standards & Pupil Welfare Committee, Safeguarding, Online Safety

I’m delighted to have joined the governing board and have lead responsibility for safeguarding at Shephalbury.  My professional and personal experience gives me a strong oversight of governance along with the many issues that can affect young people’s safety and wellbeing. I am looking forward to continuing working with all the stakeholders at the school, alongside the governing board, to provide a high level of support in this critical area.

In my professional life I have previously worked in supported accommodation for children and young people I had additional responsibilities for chairing Referral Panels for young people who had come through the criminal justice system.  I have also worked with children, adults and families affected by substance misuse and took the lead in designing and delivering an essential support service in the community for individuals who were affected by alcohol misuse.  For the last 9 and a half years I have been working in frontline emergency services in central London, dealing with many incidents and critical issues;  this has very much added to my skill set and has resulted in my appointment as wellbeing champion for my workplace.

In my personal life I have been a kinship foster carer for family and have fostered Local Authority children in emergency circumstances as well as short and long term placements, giving me a sound understanding of the many needs of children and their families.  I also have one child who attends Shephalbury Park Primary School and it has been wonderful to chart her progress over this time.  I consider it a real privilege to be part of the governing body and opportunity to make a real impact on the education of children in the community. I very much hope that my skills, experiences and contributions will support the school and all the people within it.

Alex Digby

Classification: Parent Governor

Term of Office: March 2023 -April 2027

Areas of Interest: Health and safety 

Mark Smith

Classification: Parent Governor

Term of Office September 2024 - August 2028

Areas of Interest:

I joined the Governing Body of Shephalbury Park Primary School in October 2024 as a co-opted Governor. I have previously been a Governor and latterly Chair of Governors (for 6 years) at another school elsewhere in Hertfordshire (2002-2023). My experience in School Governance totals approx 23 years as of 2026. I am married to a Primary School teacher (Claire), and am the grandson of a Primary School teacher, and son of a Primary School teacher & Headteacher!

In my professional life, I work in the Emergency Services and have done so for the last 24 years, working on the front line dealing with incidents ranging from the ordinary to major or critical. I am very experienced in safeguarding, pressured decision making (including the National Decision Model (NDM), project management, and staff management (having been a manager and leader for 18 of these 24 years) including coaching and mentoring. I work extensively with partner agencies across the Emergency Services and Public/Voluntary sector, building trust and working relationships to build bridges and remove barriers to effective multi-agency working.

In my personal life, I have been heavily involved in back-stage management for a local theatre group, including shows at the Gordon Craig Theatre. I am a keen amateur photographer (much to the annoyance of my family when on holiday!). I enjoy walking and training my dog  Willow, and have two children (as of 25/26, one in Year 6, and one in Year 2). 

As a Governor, I believe my role is to support, and where needed, challenge, the school to provide the best education and experience for all of the children, who need to be at the heart of all that we do in Education.

Lauren Maggs

Classification: Teacher Governor

Term of Office: September 2024 - September 2028

Areas of Interest: 

I joined the governing body as a staff governor in September 2024. I graduated from the University of York in 2016, completed my PGCE and have been working as a teacher now for seven years. I am passionate about providing our learners with an exciting and positive school experience that equips them for their next steps.

In my free time I love to be outdoors, so I do a lot of walking, running and I also play football. I am passionate about animals and the environment and I love watching nature documentaries.

Dean Body

Classification: Parent Governor

Term of Office: November 2024 - November 2028

Areas of Interest:

No pecuniary interests declared on current governing board

Link Areas for Members of the Board.

Contact us at:

Board of Governors

Shephalbury Park Primary School

Burydale, 

Stevenage,

Herts. SG2 8AX

01438 235454

chairofgovernors@shephalburypark.herts.sch.uk