Governors | Meridian Community Primary School & Nursery

Governance at Meridian

The Governing Board meets around 10 times per academic year, there is also a Pay Committee which meets once per year. The governors’ duty is to lead the school and support the Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team in determining the strategy and direction of the school, the implementation of statutory requirements including policies and monitoring the school improvement plan through active participation.

The Governing Board has three core functions:

1) Ensuring clarity of the School’s Vision, Ethos and strategic direction;

2) Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and the effective and efficient performance management of staff

3) Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

If you have an enquiry for any of the Governors please email the Clerk, Ms Sally McMahon at clerk@meridian.e-sussex.sch.uk in the first instance; she will then forward your query as appropriate. The Chair, can be contacted on chair@meridian.e-sussex.sch.uk.

All Governors have a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Responsibilities include:

Developing a strategic direction and plan for the school
Supporting and challenging the Head teacher and senior leadership of the school
Determining the aims and priorities of the school
Approving key school policies
Setting statutory and non-statutory targets
Monitoring and evaluating the work of the school
Leading at least one statutory area (e.g. curriculum, pay, SEN, Pupil Premium)
Strategic management of the budget
Appointment of senior staff and ensuring implementation of personnel procedures
Ensuring Health and Safety of pupils and staff
Securing high levels of attendance and good standards of behaviour
Ensuring all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum
Adhering to the School Governing body Code of Conduct
Acting as a 'critical friend' to the school Governors work as a team and make decisions collectively.

Meet our Senior Governors

Mrs Barbara Gerding, Chair of Governors, Co-Opted

Ms Claire Westcott, Headteacher, Ex-Officio Governor

Image to follow

Dr Hannah Wood, Vice Chair of Governors, Co-Opted

Members of the Governing Board

There are 12 places on the Meridian Governing Board, there is currently 5 vacancies: 3 co-opted, 1 parent, 1 staff (March 2024)

Term of Office:


Title	First name	Surname	Governor Type	Appointing Body	First Appointed	Current Term Start	Current Term End	Governor Position/Lead Role
Mrs	Janet	Anthony	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	23/11/2009	15/10/2020	14/10/2024	Safeguarding; Online Safeguarding; Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND); Mental Health & Wellbeing; Behaviour & Attendance; Ofsted Group.
Dr	Hannah	Wood	Co-opted Governor Vice Chair	Governing Board	26/11/2021	26/11/2021	25/11/2025	Vice Chair of Governors; Equality & Diversity; HR/Personnel; Health & Safety; Pay Committee; Ofsted working group; HTPM;
Mrs	Lisa	Gendre	Parent Governor	Parent Elected	01/07/2022	01/07/2022	30/06/2026	Parent & Pupil Voice; Early Years Foundation Stage.
Mrs	Barbara	Gerding	Co-opted Governor Chair	Governing Board	28/09/2023	28/09/2023	27/09/2027	Chair of Governors; Early Years Foundation Stage; Governor Training, Finance; HR/Personnel: PE Grant/Sports Premium; PFI Transition; Ofsted Group; SEND.
Mr	Charles	Boxer	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	14/03/2024	14/03/2024	13/03/2028	Health & Safety; Information Governance/GDPR; PFI Transition; Online Safeguarding.
Ms	Charlotte	Mackay	Staff Governor	Staff Elected	15/04/2024	15/04/2024	14/04/2028
Mr	Ciarron	Clarkson	Parent Governor	Parent Elected	22/04/2024	22/04/2024	21/04/2028	Parent & Pupil Voice, Information Governance/GDPR; Pay Committee.
Mr	Roger	St John	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	25/04/2024	25/04/2024	24/04/2028	HTPM; Finance Link; PFI/Transition.
Dr	Maureen	Berg	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	20/06/2024	20/06/2024	19/06/2028	Data / Pupil Performance / Higher Attainers; Sustainability.
Ms	Claire	Westcott	Staff - Headteacher Ex-Officio	Ex Officio	01/01/2011	01/01/2011	31/12/2035	Headteacher Ex-Officio
Ms	Sally	McMahon	Clerk	Ex Officio	01/09/2023	01/09/2023	31/08/2033	Clerk, Support for Governor Training

Governors Retired in past 12 Months

Title	First name	Surname	Governor Type	Appointing Body	Start Date	End Date	Governor Position/Lead Role
Miss	Kathryn	Donkin	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	01/01/2020	31/12/2023	Chair, plus: Safeguarding; SEND; HR/Personnel; Behaviour & Attendance; Health & Safety; HTPM Panel; Ofsted Group.
Dr	Joel	Chilaka	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	28/01/2020	31/12/2023	GDPR, Pupil Premium; Pupil Performance/Higher Attainers; Pay Committee; Equality & Diversity
Mrs	Nicky	Packham	Parent Governor	Parent Elected	25/01/2021	30/01/2024	Early Years Foundation Stage; Safeguarding; GDPR; Ofsted Group.
Ms	Martha	Sanderson	Staff Governor	Staff elected	28/09/2023	29/02/2024	Parent and Pupil Voice
Mr	Edward	Dunn	Co-opted Governor	Governing Board	10/01/2017	14/03/2024	Finance; PE Grant Link, Pay Committee, HTPM Panel; Ofsted Group.
Mrs	Sue	Porter	LA Governor	Governing Board	09/06/2022	19/06/2024	Pupil Premium; Data / Pupil Performance / Higher Attainers; HTPM.

Governor Interest Declarations, Status June 2024

Name of Governor	Position in the Governing Body	Business Interest Declaration	Nature of Business (place of work)	Continuity of Declaration
Janet Anthony	Co-Opted Governor	None to declare	The Bevern Trust Charity, Catering Manager, part-time	Ongoing
Claire Westcott	Head Teacher, Governor Ex Officio	Head Teacher	Employed at Meridian CPS & Nursery	Ongoing
Hannah Wood	Vice Chair Co-opted Governor	None to declare	Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton	Ongoing
Lisa Gendre	Parent Governor	Children at MCPS; Mother is a volunteer at MCPS	Working in Care Sector Finance	Ongoing
Barbara Gerding	Chair Co-opted Governor	Previous Clerk at Meridian, Freelance Consultancy Work for ESCC/GCS - support to School Clerks	Ashcombe Building, Small construction business; ESCC Governor Support Services	Ongoing
Charles Boxer	Co-opted Governor	None to declare	American Express	Ongoing
Charlotte Mackay	Staff Governor	None to declare	Meridian School	Ongoing
Ciarron Clarkson	Parent Governor	None to declare	tbc	Ongoing
Roger St John	Co-opted Governor	None to declare	Educo Consultancy	Ongoing
Maureen Berg	Co-opted Governor	None to declare	Principle Lecturer, University of Brighton	Ongoing
Edward Dunn	Co-opted Governor	Child at Meridian CP School & Nursery	University of Sussex	Ceased June 2024
Martha Sanderson	Staff Governor	Year 3 Class Teacher	Employed at Meridian CPS & Nursery	Ceased March 2024
Nicky Packham	Parent Governor, Co-Vice Chair	Coordinator for Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership BHCC: Children at MCPS & Nursery	BHSCP, hosted by Local Authority (BHCC)	Ceased 31^st January 2024
Joel Chilaka	Co-opted Governor	None to declare	Medical Professional, NHS	Ceased 31^st December 2023
Kathryn Donkin	Co-opted Governor	None to declare	Associate Director, Strutt & Parker Lewes, Land Management	Ceased 31^st December 2023

Governor Meeting Attendance 2023 - 2024

	Number Attended Out of Max possible	% Attendance
Barbara Gerding (Co-Opted, Chair)	8/8	100%
Hannah Wood (Vice Chair, Co-opted)	8/8	100%
Janet Anthony (Co-Opted)	6/8	75%
Lisa Gendre (Parent)	7/8	88%
Charles Boxer (Co-opted)	3/4	75%
Claire Westcott (Head teacher, ex officio governor)	8/8	100%
Charlotte Mackay	3/3	100%
Ciarron Clarkson	2/3	66%
Roger St John	3/3	100%
Edward Dunn (Co-Opted) Retired March 2024	2/4	50%
Martha Sanderson (Staff Governor) Retired Mar 2024	3/4	75%
Nicky Packham (Parent) Retired Jan 2024	4/4	100%
Joel Chilaka (Co-Opted) Retired Dec 2023	1/3	33%
Kathryn Donkin (Co-Opted) Retired Dec 2023	3/3	100%
Sally McMahon (Clerk)	8/8	100%

Meridian Community Primary School & Nursery

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Contact Us