Governors
Meet our Governors...
All state maintained primary, secondary and special schools, are accountable to their governing bodies, which in turn are accountable to parents and the community. Parent and staff representatives are elected to the governing body; the local authority appoints governors to the governing body and the relevant faith bodies appoint foundation governors in faith schools.
The governing body is responsible for the conduct of its school, and must promote high standards of educational achievement at the school.
The governing body continues to work in partnership with the Headteacher, staff, parents and students to raise standards of achievement. The governing body has a strong focus on three core strategic functions: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction, holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its students, and the performance management of staff; and overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent. Our full governing body meets three times a year. The teaching and learning committee meets three times a year; and the leadership and management committee also meets three times a year. The governors are also involved with regular visits to the school and supporting special events.
Useful links:
www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/governors
www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/governance
Links to our Governors' Statement, Schools Financial Benchmarking information and Transparency & Accountability Statement can be found at the bottom of the page, along with the minutes of the meetings.
Our team of Governors consist of:
John Sherwood - Chair of Governors
I have recently retired from a career in chemical engineering, firstly at AstraZeneca and then as a consultant for several companies around the world. For the last 40 years I have lived on Malhamdale Road and both my children happily attended Havannah School in the 1980s and 90s during which time I was both a parent governor and an active member of the PTA.
Kath Bennett - Co-opted Governor
I have lived on Malhamdale Road for over 30 years and my two oldest children attended Havannah CP school very happily during their primary years. As a History & Politics teacher, I spent over 20 years teaching in local secondary schools & colleges and have maintained an interest in education since my retirement a few years ago. I volunteered as a governor as a way of continuing to contribute to the education of local children.
Ann Holland - Co-opted Governor
I have been a teacher for over 40 years and am now retired. During my career I have taught all year groups - Early Years to Year 6 - teaching the full range of primary curriculum subjects. It is a job I have loved.
Throughout my career I have developed my interests in literacy and Special Needs. I have co-ordinated both these important and demanding areas by introducing and developing policies as well as promoting good practice throughout the school.
Having now retired from teaching I still play an active and important role as a school governor at Havannah by ensuring that all our children reach their full potential.
Maria Wilson - Local Authority Governor
My name is Maria Wilson. My main job for 36 years was as a High School Teacher of History in the West Midlands - a job which I was passionate about. On my retirement, I joined Cheshire East Council as a Clerk to Governors to continue to work in education. I currently clerk for eight schools in the Primary sector. This keeps my brain working. For five years I also worked in a cake shop two days per week. This enabled me to make new friends when I moved home to Cheshire.
In my spare time, I enjoy watching rugby union, embroidery, baking, reading, gardening, and walking. I am also the Chair of the Staffordshire Inter-Club Tennis League and the Honorary Secretary of the Tatton Garden Society.
Bryony Millbourne - Parent Governor
I am a Parent Governor here at Havannah. It is a pleasure to be able to learn about the workings of the school and help with their vision for the future, as I wholly support their ethos of putting each child and their individual needs at the centre of everything they do.
I have one child who very happily attends the school and is currently in year 3. Through this I know the school team well and also have first hand experience of the SEND support on offer. Therefore I am enjoying my new role as the SEND Link Governor.
I currently work as a Community Centre Manager which involves factors such as building maintenance, finances, marketing and customer liaison. In the past I have worked in Marketing and Events in an educational environment at Leek College, and also in Training within the corporate world of AstraZeneca. I therefore aim to transfer the variety of skills I have gained in the past to this Governor role.
Andrina Jackson - Parent Governor
Hello!
I recently became a Parent Governor here at Havannah. I have two Children who are 11 and 6. My eldest happily attended Havannah and is now at High School and my youngest is currently enjoying Year 1!
As a parent I have experience with SEND and the support offered through the school. Their nurturing approach is what first appealed to me when choosing a school.
I have worked for a small family business for 15 years. My role involves Accounting, Administration, Payroll, Banking, Data input, Stock control and liaising with customers.
As a whole, I hope to bring my personal and professional knowledge with me into this role.
Rachel Melville - Co-opted Governor
I have worked within sales and marketing for over 15 years and have experience within hospitality, charity, education and manufacturing industries. I currently work for a global paper manufacturer, selling and marketing products in the UK and Ireland. I hope to bring a range of skills and experiences to the board, as I'd really like to give something back to the community.
I live in Congleton with my husband and my daughter, who currently attends a local nursery full time. As a family, we enjoy walking our dogs, going to visit my parents (who live near a beach!) and snuggling up on the sofa to watch a film or read together.
Stefanie Williams - Headteacher
