The King’s Federation

What are governing bodies for?

Governors are the largest volunteer force in the country and their overall purpose is to help schools raise standards and provide the best possible education for their students.

How does the governing body work?

The Governing Body works as a group, taking collective responsibility for all decisions. Governors work in close partnership with the Head teacher who, as the lead professional, advises and assists the Governing Body to carry out its functions. The Governing Body includes people with a wide range of skills, experience and backgrounds, all of whom have equal status and rights as Governors. Governors are encouraged to broaden and develop their skills, knowledge and confidence through engaging in training opportunities.

Each governing committee meets once each term to discuss key areas such as student performance, the curriculum, staffing, finance, premises and health and safety. It is important for Governors to get to know the school and its staff, which they do by regularly visiting and attending school events and open days whenever possible.  Governors take on specific roles linked to aspects of the school’s development plan and with members of the Senior Leadership Team.

What are the roles of the governing body?

To challenge and support the Head teacher.
To oversee the school’s long-term vision, strategic aims, values and ethos.
To carry out statutory responsibilities, such as safeguarding.
To agree and monitor plans and policies.
To make creative use of available resources.
To monitor and evaluate performance.
To ensure proper financial management of the school.
To communicate openly with parents, staff and the local community.

Our governing body

Our governing body for the federation is made up of nine members;

Executive Head Teacher	Mrs N. Matharu
Local Authority Governor / Chair of Governors	Mr M. Fox
Staff Governor	Mr B. Gibson
Co-opted Governor/Vice-Chair	Mr J. Baugh
Co-opted Governor	Mrs M. Parekh
Co-opted Governor	Mrs S. Dell
Co-opted Governor	Vacancy
Parent Governor	Mrs C. Jones
Parent Governor	Mrs R. Hussain

Michael John Fox – LA Governor

I have worked for the whole of my professional life as a teacher in Birmingham and Walsall. I retired, early, as a Walsall primary school Head Teacher in August 2010. Since then I have worked for the National College of School Leadership, been deployed as an Ofsted School Inspector and now run a School Improvement Consultancy on a part time basis.

I believe I have extensive experience in school leadership, improvement and more recently governance. I have been the Chair of Governors of an Outstanding Walsall primary school since 2014 and have chaired an Interim Executive Board at a Walsall Special school since October 2019.

I am committed to using my time and skills to improve the life chances of children.

 

Claire Jones  - Parent Governor

I have 2 children at Salisbury in Reception and year 4, the education of the children as a whole at the school is very important to me, I want them to strive and achieve the best that they can be and supporting the school and imputing on the educational decisions so that they can achieve this and also questioning decisions made if I feel they need to be is important.  Representing the parents is my priority and would like to do so for both Salisbury and Kings Hill, and look forward to what can be achieved as a federation, I’ve always given my all in my current role in supporting the school not only as the current parent governor but also as Salisburys head of the PTA and volunteering my time. 

My background is finance where I lived in Bahrain for 3 years working for an offshore finance company in which I was also the PA to the CEO of the company and controlled his calendar and deadlines I was then head hunted to Kazakhstan where I then lived for 3 years which also included timescales and deadlines. 

Rashida Hussain  - Parent Governor

I have worked in local government and in the housing sector for 22 years, spanning across housing, frontline services and more recently in homelessness. As a mother of 3 children I can relate to the struggles and challenges faced by many families and young people in our community. The last data on deprivation for Walsall shows disparities in income, housing opportunity and overall deprivation for our local area.  Education and achieving economic prosperity forms a fundamental element of our young people’s future and having recently completed by MBA, I fully embrace the ethos that learning and promoting a positive attitude towards learning is key. Having a school which is integrated within communities, is resilient and has the ability to deliver for all is vital to having children that prosper in the future. I have a good level of knowledge around diversity, customer engagement, service improvement and can deliver a proactive parent voice constructively on the issues that face parents so we can collectively work with our school to deliver its overall strategic aim and objectives. 

I applied for this positon as I feel as parent it’s important to engage with those delivering education on a local level and having the experience of working with key stakeholders regionally and locally, I believe I can bring a great level of synergy to the new journey the school is embarking upon. As a parent my promise (if successful) is to help table the issues that matter to our school community and advocate for those areas parents who feel they need more support, bring forward issues in a transparent and diplomatic way. Parents are key stakeholders within schools, and collectively working collaboratively to deliver for our children is crucial. I really want to make a change and help our children excel and achieve their potential. I look forward to your support. 

 

Susan Dell

I have worked in Walsall for my entire teaching career. I retired early in December 2018 as Head of School in a Federation.

I have continued to be involved in Education ad moderation manager for Walsall LA and as an independent Education consultant.

I am vice chair of a school which became a Good School in 2020 and am a member of an Interim Executive Board at a Special School.

I am committed to supporting Schools to be the best they can possibly be.

 

John Baugh

I have been fortunate enough to work as a musician/music teacher for my entire career.

Having taught for a local authority, I became a director of an independent music support service in 2014 and delight in the challenge of bringing whole class instrumental music to the children of the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

My association with Kings Hill and Salisbury schools goes back to 2006 when I first visited as a music teacher.

I have been a governor in schools since 2015 and have been Vice-Chair on three occasions, as well as being part of an Interim Executive Board.

Whilst not yet fully retired and living in Staffordshire,  I am delighted to use my time to improve opportunities for children in the area in which I spent my childhood.

Ben Gibson – Staff Governor

I am passionate about providing our children, regardless of their starting points, with the best possible education, ensuring that they are adequately challenged and supported to achieve their full potential. I have worked in multiple primary establishments, across several year groups and all key-stages, and currently teach in Year 5.

As a subject and phase lead, I have been able to strategically develop numerous areas of the wider curriculum and most recently mathematics and physical education, allowing me to create and facilitate memorable learning experiences for pupils and positively champion outcomes.

I feel that my role as Staff Governor will enable me the opportunity to work alongside staff, families and our community to ensure our pupils receive an enriching, inspiring and bespoke curriculum. In my spare time, I enjoy participating in endurance events, such as Ironman triathlons, to raise money for charities local to our community including: Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and St Mary’s Hospice.

Mariam Parekh

I have worked in education for 24 years, where I have previously held the position of Teacher, Head of Department and Professional Mentor.

I have been a school governor for 6 years, gaining experience governing in a range of settings. I am currently a Chair of governors and a Vice Chair of Governors at other Primary schools in Walsall and Birmingham. I am also a member of Walsall Council Schools Forum.

I have a passion for education and school improvement. Currently, I am Studying for a Masters in Educational Leadership and School Improvement at the University of Birmingham.

I am also a Youth Lead and Community First Aid volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.

When I am not engaged in educational related activities, I enjoy spending time at my allotment.

 

At Salisbury Primary School, the governing body can confirm that no staff member has an earning of over £100,000.