High Down Schools

Governors

Governors Remit

When High Down Schools federated in 2015, we formed a single Board of Governors to work on behalf of both schools. Now, as part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership (LSP), the Governing Body’s remit is to:

Oversee the running of the schools within the powers delegated to it by the LSP Board of Trustees
Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction for the schools in alignment with the Trust vision and strategic objectives
Hold the executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the schools and their pupils, and the performance management of staff
Oversee the financial performance of the schools; making sure their funding is well spent
Draw any significant recommendations and matters of concern to the attention of the LSP Board of Trustees

Monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance and success play a major role for our Governing Body. We have a detailed monitoring schedule linked to the schools’ Raising Attainment and Progress Plan. These visits ensure governors have a detailed understanding of the life and workings of the schools and are to both support and challenge the senior leadership team.

Please follow the link to LSP Scheme of Delegation.

Please follow the link to read the latest Governors’ Newsletter.

Please follow the link to find out more about the Trustees of LSP

Our Schools’ Governors

Co-Chairs of Governors: Nolan Hibberd and Gail Meacock

Vice-Chair of Governors: Rob Audain

Two Parent Governors: Hannah Jones and Laura McMahon

One Headteacher Governor: Andreya Cowan

One Staff Governor: Ben Culverhouse

Up to Eighteen Co-opted Governors: Penny Atherton, Rob Audain, Beckie Collard, Julia Filer, Nolan Hibberd, Rhodri Hopkins, Heather Kirkpatrick, Joe Lee, Sue Mason, Gail Meacock, Andrew Parsons and Jane Williams

Clerk to Governors: Cathryn Butler

You can email the Co-Chairs of Governors at chair.governors@highdownschools.org or write to them at: Co-Chairs of Governors, c/o High Down Schools, Down Road, Portishead, BS20 6DY.

Appointment of Governors

Our governors are drawn from parents, the community and school staff, and are appointed for a four-year term of office. Co-opted governors are appointed, based on their skill set, by the Governing Body (subject to ratification by the LSP Board of Trustees); parent governors are elected by parents and carers, and staff governors by school staff.

Governor Vacancies

If you are interested in being a governor at our schools, please contact the Clerk to Governors in the first instance: cathryn.butler@highdownschools.org The links below provide information about the governor’s role, and also the circumstances in which someone cannot be a governor. We currently have two co-opted governor vacancies.

Information About Governors

The DfE requires schools to publish specific information about its governors, including those who served during the previous school year. The listing below, therefore, includes our current governors, and those who resigned during the 2018/19 school year. Governors undertake many activities in support of our school’s success; the meeting attendance rates below represent only a small part of this.

Mrs Penny Atherton

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 14 January 2023
Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2015 – 14 January 2019
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Deputy Headteacher at High Down Infants School
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 71%

Mr Rob Audain

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 14 January 2023
Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2015 – 14 January 2019
Parent Governor: 4 November 2011 – 14 January 2015
Business & Pecuniary Interests: parent at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 57%

Mrs Charlotte Birkett

Co-opted Governor: 21 September 2017 – 30 May 2020 (resigned)
Business & Pecuniary Interests: parent at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 86%

Mrs Beckie Collard

Co-opted Governor: 27 June 2017 – 26 June 2021
Business & Pecuniary Interests: none
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 71%

Mrs Andreya Cowan

Headteacher Governor: from 1 January 2003
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Executive Headteacher at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 100%

Mr Ben Culverhouse

Staff Governor: 9 February 2018 – 8 February 2022
Business & Pecuniary Interests: classteacher at High Down Junior School
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 71%

Mrs Julia Filer

Co-opted Governor: 31 March 2020 – 30 March 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: none
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: not applicable

Mrs Sonia Goddard

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 15 May 2020 (resigned)
Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2015 – 14 January 2019
Community Governor: 1 July 2007 – 30 June 2011 and 13 September 2011 – 14 January 2015
Business & Pecuniary Interests: none
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 57%

Mr Nolan Hibberd

Co-opted Governor: 27 June 2017 – 26 June 2021
Business & Pecuniary Interests: parent at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 100%

Mr Rhodri Hopkins

Co-opted Governor: 21 September 2017 – 20 September 2021
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Executive Deputy Headteacher at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 71%

Mrs Francoise Johnston

Co-opted Governor: 4 January 2016 – 31 August 2019 (resigned)
Business & Pecuniary Interests: none
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 86%

Mrs Hannah Jones

Parent Governor: 20 September 2018 – 19 September 2022
Business & Pecuniary Interests: parent at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 100%

Mrs Heather Kirkpatrick

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 14 January 2023
Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2015 – 14 January 2019
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Business Manager at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 100%

Mr Joe Lee

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 14 January 2023
Parent Governor: 15 January 2015 – 14 January 2019
Business & Pecuniary Interests: parent at High Down Schools
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 43%

Mrs Sue Mason

Co-opted Governor: 15 January 2019 – 14 January 2023
Co-opted Governor: 1 September 2016 – 14 January 2019
Local Authority Governor: 4 September 1996 – 3 September 2008, 27 October 2008 – 26 October 2012, 8 February 2013 – 14 January 2015, and 15 January 2015 – 31 August 2016
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Portishead Town Councillor
2018/19 Meeting Attendance: 100%

Ms Laura McMahon