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 14 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 | ||
| Ms Charissa Fiander-Derry | Foundation Governor | Curriculum & Data Committee Personnel Committee | Co-Chair and Chair of Curriculum & Data Committee | 20/06/2017 | 19/06/2025 |
| Ms Hannah Evans | Co-opted Governor | Personnel Committee Safeguarding & Wellbeing Committee | Training Governor | 03/12/2019 | 02/12/2023 |
| Mrs Sophie Frame | Staff Governor | Curriculum & Data Committee Safeguarding & Wellbeing Committee | 29/01/2020 | 28/01/2024 | |
| Mr Ivo Gatto | Co-opted Governor | Personnel Committee | 20/09/2021 | 19/09/2025 | |
| Dr Nitu Gehdu | Co-opted Governor | Safeguarding/Child Protection Governor Safeguarding & Wellbeing Committee | Chair of Safeguarding & Wellbeing Committee | 22/09/2020 | 21/09/2024 |
| 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 | 30/09/2021 | 29/09/2025 | |
| Ms Nicki Young | Parent Governor | Personnel Committee | 16/11/2021 | 15/11/2025 | |
| Mrs Isobelle Sinclair | Co-opted Governor | On Maternity Leave | 18/1/2022 | 17/1/2026 | |
| Ms Emma Palmer | Parent Governor | 6/10/2022 | 5/10/2026 | ||
| Mr Charlie Compson | Parent Governor | 14/10/2022 | 13/10/2026 | ||
| Mr Dave Edwards | Co-opted Governor | 15/11/2022 | 14/11/2026 | ||
| Ms Alice Saywell | Associate Member | Curriculum & Data | 14/09/2021 | 13/09/2025 | |
| Ms Sarah Woodthorpe | Associate Member | Finance & Resources Committee | 14/09/2021 | 13/09/2025 | |
| Ms Lucy Raynor | Associate Member | Personnel Committee | 18/10/2021 | 17/10/2025 | |
| Mr Stewart Holt | Associate Member | 16/11/2022 | |||
| Ms Melannie McGuinness | Associate Member, SBM | Finance & Resources Committee | 21/11/2022 | ||
| Governors who have retired or stepped down in the last 12 months | |||||
| Mrs Tania Dean | Other/Associate Member | 01/09/2018 | 16/12/2021 | ||
| Ms Hannah White | Parent Governor | 04/05/2021 | 28/02/2022 | ||
| Mr Matt Bowen | Local Authority Governor | 01/09/2020 | 22/07/2022 | ||
| Dr Elizabeth Scott-Baumann | Parent Governor | 12/12/2018 | 22/07/2022 | ||
| Mrs Rebecca Hicks | Head teacher | 01/09/2012 | 31/08/2022 | ||
Mr Jay Bimbrah | Co-Opted Governor | 26/10/2018 | 25/10/2022 |
Clerk to the Governing Body is Sara Morgan.
Governors must also declare any conflicts of interest in agenda items before every meeting.
Hannah White stepped down as a Parent Governor, effective 28 February 2022.
Matt Bowen stepped down as a Local Authority Governor, effective 22 July 2022.
Dr Elizabeth Scott-Baumann stepped down as a Parent Governor, effective 22 July 2022.
Rebecca Hicks stepped down as the Head Teacher and Governor, effective 22 July 2022.
Jay Bimbrah's term of office as Co-Opted Governor finished on 25 October 2022.
Governor Attendance 2019-20
Governing Body Meeting Dates for Academic Year 2022-2023