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The Governing Body

Message from the school’s Governing Body:

A warm welcome to our Governing Body webpage. We would like to provide some information to let you know more about us and our important roles and responsibilities. 

Governors perform a vital voluntary role in education and a full and diverse governing body is a source of enormous strength to a school. The Governing Body at Sonning Primary School is well-equipped with experienced, enthusiastic and progressive people, who really care about the school. We are responsible to The Keys Academy Trust (TKAT) and work closely with the school’s headteacher and the senior leadership team as well as the CEO and Trustees of TKAT, to push the boundaries and ensure success both today and tomorrow.

Sonning has 14 Governors including members of the community, church, staff and parents. While the governors have different backgrounds and experience, we work together to both support and challenge the school senior leadership team as they strive for the best possible education, learning environment and future prospects for the school’s children. Governors are here to be a critical friend, working strategically to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our school. We are not involved in the day to day running of the school.

Governors focus strongly on 4 core areas:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school
  • Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
  • To maintain ultimate responsibility for safeguarding: are children safe – and do they feel safe?

In order to support the school improvement, Governors:

  • Hold regular meetings, at least once a term per main committee
    • Full Governing Body (also known as the Local Governing Body)
    • Achievement and Standards Committee
    • Resources Committee
    • School and Community Committee
  • Make regular visits to the school to meet with staff and children
  • Conduct surveys of parents/carers, pupils and staff
  • Examine key management information, data and reports
  • Set and review policies
  • Contribute actively to discussions, ask questions and challenge practices

Our Christian Vision:

In all of their work with the school, TKAT and the wider local community, we, as a Governing Body, aim to promote and protect the schools’ Christian vision to “To Build Strong Foundations”.

Getting in touch:

It is our aim as a Governing Body to be as open and as approachable as possible. If you wish to contact the Full Governing Body please e-mail clerksonning@sonning.wokingham.sch.uk or ask in the school office.

If you wish to contact the Chair of Governors directly, please see contact details below in ‘meet the governors’.

Governance structure:

Governors are appointed by TKAT (with the exception of parent and staff governors, who are elected by parents and staff respectively).

For information about governance in The Keys Academy Trust, please see here

Clerksonning@sonning.wokingham.sch.uk

 

Meet the Governors

Name

Category

Committee

Additional responsibilities

Term

Appointment start date – end date

Clare Borsberry-Lewis

 

cborsberylewis@sonning.wokingham.sch.uk

 

Foundation

Resources;

Achievement & Standards;

Admissions

 

Chair of Governors;

Trust/Hub collaboration;

OSC

4 years

01/09/2023 – 31/08/2027

 

Rachel Argent

Foundation

Achievement & Standards;

SIAMS; Charity link re school/parish

4 years

26/05/2022

25/05/2026

 

Ben Biddulph

Foundation

School & Community;

Admissions

Branding, website

4 years

01/12/2022

30/11/2026

 

Gill Kelsall

Staff

School & Community;

Achievement & Standards;

 

 

Deputy Headteacher; Pupil Premium Grant

4 years

01/09/2022

31/08/2026

Barry Luther

The Keys Academy Trust

Resources

Finance support

4 years

01/12/2022

30/11/2026

 

Ian McCann

Foundation

School & Community;

Resources

Communications, Fundraising

4 years

26/05/2022

25/05/2026

 

           

Nick Sawyer

Foundation

School & Community

Resources

 Health & Safety, Premises

4 years

 01/09/2023

31/08/2027

Kate Voss

Parent

Resources;

School & Community

OSC, Healthy eating, staff well-being

4 years

01/09/2023

31/08/2026

 

Gemma Walton

Parent

Achievement & Standards;

School & Community

Vice Chair, Safeguarding

4 years

24/11/2020

23/11/2024

 

Jonathan Roberts

Foundation

 

 

4 years

29/11/2023

28/11/2027

Laura Ashton

Foundation

 

 

4 years

29/11/2023

28/11/2027

Vacancy

Foundation (Vicar)

 

 

4 years

 

Phil Sherwood

Headteacher

All

 

Ex officio

01/09/2022

Susan Watkins

Governance Professional

-

-

On -going

01/01/2023

 

Previous Governors

Previous governors in last 12 months

Name

Category

End Date

Rachel Hazell

TKAT

31/12/2022

Rev. Jamie Taylor

Foundation

 31/08/2023

Kate Toogood

Foundation

 31/08/2023

 

Gabrielle Plowman

Foundation

   

 

14/10/2023

 

Register of Business Declarations / Interests

Name

Relevant Business Interests

Nature of Interest

Relationship with school staff

Governor/Trustee/Staff member of other Schools/Academies

Trustee of a Charity

Clare Borsberry-Lewis

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

Sonning CE primary OSC

Rachel Argent

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Ben Biddulph

Sonning CEP Parent

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Gill Kelsall

Sonning CEP Deputy Headteacher

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Barry Luther

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Ian McCann

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Gabrielle Plowman

Teacher at Reading Blue Coat School

-

None declared

Teacher at Reading Blue Coat School

None declared

Rev Jamie Taylor

None declared

-

None declared

Reading Bluecoat School - Governor

Sonning and District Welfare and Educational Trust; Bull Ecclesiastical Charity; Ranmore Trust; Sonning PCC

Rev Kate Toogood

None declared

Sonning CEP Parent

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Kate Voss

Sonning CEP Parent

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Gemma Walton

Sonning CEP Parent

-

None declared

Deputy Headteacher at Newlands Girls School

None declared

Vacancy

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Vacancy

None declared

-

None declared

None declared

None declared

Phil Sherwood

Sonning CEP Headteacher

-

None declared

Executive Head at Polehampton CE Infant & Junior School

Sonning CE Primary School PTA;

Sonning and District Welfare and Educational Trust

Susan Watkins

Sonning CEP Parent

-

None declared

None declared

Sonning CE Primary School PTA

Attendance at Meetings

Surname

Forename

Role

Appt'd by

Term

Appt Date

End Date

S&c Attendance

A&S

Attendance

Resources

Attendance

LGB Attendance

Argent

Rachel

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

26.05.22

25.5.26

100%

100%

 

80%

Borsberry-Lewis

Clare

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

01.09.19

31.8.23

 

100%

100%

100%

Ben Biddulph

Foundation

Trust

4 yrs

01.12.22

30.11.26

100%

 

 

75%

Kelsall

Gill

Staff

Staff

4 Yrs

01.09.22

31.08.26

75%

100%

 

60%

Luther

Barry

TKAT

Trust

4 years

01.12.26

31.11.26

 

 

100%

100%

McCann

Ian

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

26.05.22

25.5.26

100%

 

100%

60%

Plowman

Gabrielle

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

26.05.22

25.5.26

 

100%

75%

60%

Taylor

Rev Jamie

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

01.09.19

31.8.23

     

0%

Toogood

Rev Kate

Foundation

Trust

4 Yrs

01.09.19

31.8.23

     

0%

Voss

Kate

Parent

Parents

4 Yrs

01.09.19

31.8.23

100%

 

100%

80%

Walton

Gemma

Parent

Parents

4 Yrs

24.11.20

23.1.24

0%

100%

 

100%

Sherwood

Phil

Head

ex officio

n/a

01.09.22

na

100%

100%

100%

100%

 

Governance Structure