Thames Ditton Infant School
Loving Learning and Growing Together
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Meet the Governors
Confidentiality Statement: Governors respect the confidential nature of discussions and do not disclose governor business or decisions. When minutes of governing body meetings, Part 1, are approved they are made available to any member of the public who requests sight of them.
Professional Negligence Statement: Advice given by governors at this school is incidental to their professional expertise and is not being given in their professional capacity.
The Governing Body has adopted an open meeting protocol, which is published here for those who might wish to attend a meeting. The Governing Body has also agreed a Code of Conduct, which sets out the expectations and commitment required from members of the governing body.
The Governing Body of Thames Ditton Infant School was reconstituted on 1st September 2016 with a change of status to a Foundation School.
The Governing Body currently comprises a total of 11 governors and associate members who do not have voting rights:
- 4 elected parent governors,
- 1 elected staff governor,
- 1 Local Authority governor,
- 1 Headteacher,
- 5 Co-opted governors, and
- 2 Foundation governors
- Associate members
Governors are appointed for a term of four years.
There are four committees:
- Finance and Resources;
- Personnel (with a Pay Committee from time to time)
- Safeguarding and Wellbeing
- Curriculum and Data.
These committees do much of the work and report to the Full Governing Body.
There are four FGB meetings in an academic year – two in the first term – and each Committee meets three times during the year. Governors work for the good of the school, providing a strategic overview and holding the Senior Leadership Team to account.
Governing Body
| Governor Type | Committee | Specialisms | Date of Appointment | Term of Office (end date) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Elspeth Leach | Headteacher | All | 01/09/2022 | |||
| Mrs Sophie Frame | Staff Governor | Curriculum & Data Committee Safeguarding & Wellbeing Committee | Health and Safety | 24/01/2024 | 23/01/2028 | |
| Mr Edward Cookson | Parent Governor | Finance & Resources Committee Curriculum & Data Committee | 04/05/2021 | 03/05/2025 | ||
| Mr Bronek Carr | Foundation Governor | Finance & Resources Committee | Co-Chair and Chair of F&R Committee | 30/09/2021 | 29/09/2025 | |
| Ms Emma Palmer | Parent Governor | Safeguarding and Personnel Committees | Diversity and Inclusion | 6/10/2022 | 5/10/2026 | |
| Mr Dave Edwards | Co-opted Governor | Safeguarding Committee and Safer Recruitment | 15/11/2022 | 14/11/2026 | ||
| Mr Stewart Holt | LA Governor | Finance & Resources Committee | 19/01/2023 | 18/01/2027 | ||
| Ms Erin Wilson | Foundation Governor | Curriculum & Data Committee | Chair of C&D Committee; LAC, SEND, Disadvantaged Children | 23/11/2023 | 22/11/2027 | |
| Ms Rachael Claridge | Parent Governor | Finance & Resources | 19/02/2024 | 18/02/2028 | ||
| Ms Lydia Parry | Co-Opted (Community) Governor | 10/05/2024 | 9/05/2028 | |||
| Ms Debbie Holmes | Co-Opted (Community) Governor | 15/05/2024 | 14/05/2028 | |||
| Ms Sarah Woodthorpe | Associate Member | Finance & Resources Committee | 14/09/2021 | 13/09/2025 | ||
| Ms Melannie McGuinness | Associate Member, SBM | Finance & Resources Committee and Personnel Committee | 21/11/2022 | |||
| Ms Alice Saywell | Associate Member | Curriculum & Data Committee | 31/10/2021 | 30/10/2025 | ||
| Dr Stephanie Hesz-Wood | Assoicate Member | Curriculum & Data Committee | 26/01/2024 | 25/01/2028 | ||
| Ms Louise O'Gorman | Associate Member | Curriculum & Data Committee | 7/02/2024 | 6/02/2028 | ||
| Governors who have retired or stepped down in the last 12 months | ||||||
| Ms Charissa Fiander-Derry | Chair of Governors, Foundation Governor | 20/06/2017 | 21/07/2023 | |||
| Ms Nicki Young | Parent Governor | 16/11/2021 | 22/11/2023 | |||
| Ms Isobelle Sinclair | Co-Opted Governor Associate Member | 18/02/2022 and 1/02/2024 | 1/02/2024 and 24/05/2024 | |||
| Ms Hannah Evans | Co-Opted Governor | 03/12/2019 | 14/05/2024 | |||
| Ms Lucy Raynor | Co-opted Governor | 28/03/2023 | 24/07/2024 | |||
| Charlie Compson | Parent Governor | 14/10/2022 | 24/07/2024 | |||
| Dr Nitu Gehdu | Co-opted Governor | 22/09/2020 | 24/07/2024 | |||
| ||||||
Clerk to the Governing Body is TBC
Nitu Gehdu stepped down as Co-Chair and Chair of Safeguarding & Well-being committee on 24th July 2024
Lucy Raynor stepped down as a Co-Opted Governor on 24 July 2024.
Charlie Compson stepped down as a Parent Governor on 24 July 2024.
Isobelle Sinclair, stepped down as a Co-Opted Governor on 1/2/204 and as an Associate Member on 24/5/24
Hannah Evans stepped down as a Co-Opted Governor on 14 May 2024
Nicki Young stepped down as a Parent Governor on 22 December 2023.
Charissa Fiander-Derry stepped down as a Foundation Governor and Chair of Governors, effective 21 July 2023.
Governor Attendance
Governing Body Meeting Dates for Academic Year 2024-2025