About the Governing Body

Governors' Vision for Greenleaf (revised Summer 2019)

Consistent excellence in terms of progress and attainment across a rich curriculum
A spirit of learning beyond boundaries
- Fostering a growth mindset
- Creating aspiration
- Embedding the global dimension
An environment which promotes a healthy lifestyle through emotional self-awareness and physical well-being

Strategic Plan

About Governors

Governors are part of the largest volunteer workforce in the country; they play a key role in helping the school provide the best possible education for all its pupils. The Governing Body is drawn from various sections of the Community:

Parent governors: 3
Staff governors: 5 including the Headteacher
LA appointed governors: 1
Co-opted governors: 6

The Governing Body must exercise its functions with a view to fulfilling a largely strategic role in the running of the school. It establishes the strategic framework by: setting aims and objectives for the school; adopting policies for achieving those aims and objectives; setting targets for achieving those aims and objectives.

The governing body monitors and evaluates progress of its strategy and regularly reviews the framework for the school in the light of that progress. When establishing the strategic framework and reviewing progress, the governing body considers advice given by the Headteacher, local authority and other agencies.

The Governors, in partnership with school staff draw up a School Development Plan which provides the main mechanism for the strategic planning.

To carry out their responsibilities governing bodies must hold at least three meetings per school year. Greenleaf full Governing Body usually meets five times in the school year. Meetings are convened by the clerk who takes directions from the Governing Body and the Chair. Part of the Agenda is set nationally, part by the local authority and part by the school itself.

Some Governors' business is also conducted at Committee Meetings. Greenleaf has 2 regular committees; Resources and Curriculum. Each committee usually meets termly. There are also some committees which meet when required; Staff Appointments, Requests for Emergency Leave, Complaints, Disciplinary and Performance Management.

Governors visit the school regularly so that they kept are informed of all aspects of school life. Each Governor is linked to a class and is also responsible for a subject area.

Every year Governors self-evaluate their skills and experiences which contribute to Greenleaf having an effective Governing Body. Click here to view this year's Skills Analysis. Where gaps are identified, governors consider whether any particular action (eg. training) needs to be put in place.

The Headteacher and Governing Body work in close partnership. The Headteacher discusses all the main aspects of school life with the governing body and expects the governing body to both challenge and support the school. Acting as a “critical friend”, the governing body offers support and constructive advice; governors question proposals and seek further information to enable them to make sound decisions.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Please click here for a list of Governor committees and membership.

ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS

Please click here for a schedule of attendance by Governors at last year's meetings.

STATEMENT OF INTEREST

Please click here for declarations of interest.

TO CONTACT THE GOVERNING BODY

Please address all correspondence either to the Chair of Governors, or to a named governor, via the school office.

Greenleaf Primary School Governing Body

Mr G Shaw

Chair of Governors

Mr G Shaw
Ms N Edwards

Vice Chair & Co-Opted Governor

Ms N Edwards

I am Vice Chair of Governors and the Link Governor for Early Years.
Outside of my work with the school, I am mum to two young children and work full time as a commercial litigation solicitor and mediator. My role as a school governor gives me the opportunity to use my experience and skills to benefit my wider community, which is very important to me. I am proud to be a school governor at Greenleaf Primary School as it is within my local community and the values of the school align with my personal values.
Mr R Skipwith

Co-Opted Governor

Mr R Skipwith
Mr S Dar

Co-Opted Governor

Mr S Dar
Mr C Yacoobali

Co-Opted Governor

Mr C Yacoobali
Ms P Royal

Co-Opted Governor

Ms P Royal

Hello everyone and a special hello to the children and parents at Greenleaf. I started my role as governor in 2018, when my first child was in Reception.
Knowing that our children will spend a considerable amount of their life in school inspired me to learn more about what happens on the day-to-day and in the longer term.
I became a parent governor because I wanted to bring my insights as a parent to the role, but also use this opportunity to apply my skills as a professional in the areas of social research, equalities/diversity and organisational development to support the leadership to deliver its ambitions for our children, the school and its diverse school community.
It is a rewarding role. You learn a lot and your children get the chance to point at your picture and tell those around them "that's my mum" which is always worthy of a smile and a little bit of pride. So, if you see me around doing the school-run do say hello.
Mr S Chaplin

Co-Opted Governor

Mr S Chaplin

I am a father of two children that attend Greenleaf and am passionate about ensuring that our school provides the best possible education and experiences for every child.
I am an experienced children's social worker and currently work as a service manager in a local authority. I have experience of running early intervention projects in primary schools and as an advisor to the family courts.
Mr N Thurlow

Parent Governor

Mr N Thurlow

Having lived in Walthamstow for over a decade and with two children in the school - one in year six, one in year one, being engaged and supportive of where my children are educated is really important to me.
In my work I am Head of Community Safety for an inner London borough and have worked in this area for almost 15 years. As Head of Community Safety I am responsible for a range of crime and anti-social behaviour concerns that matter to residents, senior council officers and politicians both at strategic and operational level. Within my current role I manage Emergency Planning, Prevent, Gangs, CCTV, Community Safety (including hate crime and Violence Against Women and Girls), Anti-Social Behaviour, Parks Police and Neighbourhood Warden services. I also hold several London wide portfolios within Community Safety. If there are any matters in regard to crime, ASB etc, as listed above , which I can help the school and the governing body with I am more than happy to.
Ms C Halligan

Local Authority Governor

Ms C Halligan

I'm Cat, a Greenleaf governor nominated by the local authority. I work as an Educational Psychologist which means that I work with school staff, parents, students and other agencies to ensure that children are happy and learning at school. I also work with senior leaders in schools to support them with their school improvement plans and implement whole school or group approaches to affect change for larger groups of children.
I've worked in education since finishing my Psychology degree in 2012, first as a secondary teacher and then as a mentor for new teachers. Greenleaf is the first school I have been a governor for and I'm looking forward to working with other governors and staff to ensure that students at Greenleaf continue to access a well-rounded, effective education.
Ms K Thompson

Staff Governor

Ms K Thompson
Ms R Franklin

Staff Governor

Ms R Franklin
Mr M Scott

Staff Governor

Mr M Scott

I'm a Year 5 teacher and International Schools/Global Dimension Coordinator at the school.
I have been at Greenleaf for nearly five years and I thoroughly enjoy the positive ethos that runs through the school. Being a governor is important to me as I feel that making a difference is at the heart of everything Greenleaf does and it's important to keep the community aware of what we do and to keep our ears open to new ideas from fellow governors.
Ms A Ross

Staff Governor

Ms A Ross

I'm a Year 2 teacher and head of humanities at Greenleaf. I was fortunate to have been offered a PGCE training contract at Greenleaf 3 years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed being part of our school community. Prior to this, I was a partner at a global recruitment firm. I live in Walthamstow and have two primary aged children. I feel that my background in business, being a resident of Walthamstow, a parent of primary aged children and a teacher at this amazing school gives me a unique insight to serve our school community as a governor.
Ms S Qureshi

Headteacher

Ms S Qureshi