Meet the Governors
Chair of Governors, writes:
I am delighted to welcome you to the Perryfields Junior School website. I hope that through the website you will be able to get an understanding of what a special place Perryfields Junior School is.
As Governors, we are very proud to be part of the local community and are fully committed to working with Mrs Edwards and her staff, the children and parents/carers to ensure that we keep encouraging our pupils to show kindness, excellence, determination, resilience and effort, in line with our curriculum and school ethos.
Part of our role as a Governing Body, together with the Trust Board, is to set the vision and strategic direction of the school. To achieve this, we work with the school leadership team to ensure your child receives the best possible education they can in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.
I have been a Trustee and Governor at Perryfields Junior School since November 2023. Prior to that I was employed by the school as School Business Manager from 2018 – 2023. In February 2024, the school retained its Outstanding OFSTED grade. The Lead Inspector said:
“Pupils at Perryfields Junior School are surrounded by kindness. Adults treat them with respect and dignity. In return, pupils show compassion and interest in their learning. Being part of such a community, pupils are genuinely happy. They are safe because all adults in the school know them well. Pupils trust adults. This is a very special place.
The school’s expectations of pupils are exceptionally high. Their work is challenging. They meet these challenges head on. Their work ethic is strong, as they want to do well. Pupils want to be proud of what they achieve.”
As such, I am extremely proud to be part of the Perryfields Junior School team and I know my fellow governors and trustees all feel the same way.
Thank you for reading this welcome and please check out the website for much more detailed information about all aspects of our school.
Best wishes.
Mrs Julia Chandler
Chair of Governors
Who are the governors?
Governors are non-executive and many have full-time jobs and come from a range of backgrounds: they can be parents, a figure in the local community, professionals, or retired people with relevant experience.
We currenty have 10 governors, who are either elected or appointed:
Headteacher: Samantha Edwards (Acting Headteacher)
Staff: Kirsty Marksheffel and Louise Rooney.
Community: Richard Whitten, Bruce Verspeak, John Nicholas and Julia Chandler.
Parents: Joanna Clarke, Elsa Ranjith and Bhashkaran Govender.
What do we do?
It is the Governors’ function to have responsibility for the long-term success and viability of the School and to support the Headteacher and Senior Leadership team. We make decisions that help the school to provide the best possible education, in a safe and welcoming environment and prepare the children for their transition through to senior school and life in general.
Monthly governing body meetings and targeted governor visits to school help us to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This enables us to make the right decisions and offer advice to the school in its determination to achieve the highest results possible. To do this we ensure we recruit the most able staff and it is our job to ensure we get “Value for Money” in everything we do or spend.
Governor training is very much encouraged and readily available to ensure our governors are equipped with the skills to monitor and evaluate the school performance.
How are we organised?
Since Perryfields Enterprise Academy Trust (PEAT) is a charitable trust, some of our Governors’ role is as trustees of a legally constituted board of the trust. Perryfields Junior School's governors also plan the strategic objectives of the School, ensure its financial health, and that the School conforms to legal requirements.
All governors are members of the Full Governing Body and the Curriculum and Learning Committee. In addition Trustees meet six times per academic year, and governors, together with all staff, attend a School Improvement Plan meeting annually where the school's vision is reviewed and challenging objectives set for the following year.
We have governors who take the lead role for Safeguarding Children, SEND, Pupil and Sport Premium, Health & Safety, Premises, Computing & e-safety. At our meetings we review all school policies as required by statute.
If you wish to contact the Governing Body, please do so via the School Office.
November 2024, we are currently looking to grow our Governing Body and would welcome applications from members of the local community who could bring relevant experience and expertise to our Trust, please follow the link for the full advert and job description; Community Governor role.