“Effective governance begins with effective governors”

The purpose of governance is to provide confident and strong strategic leadership which leads to robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.

All governance boards, no matter what type of school or how many schools they govern, have three core functions

· Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;

· Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and

· Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

The Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees which delegates many responsibilities down to a Local Governing Board (LGB) for each of its schools. The Board of Trustees and the LGB are a collection of individuals who bring different skills, knowledge and expertise to governance but with a common motivation to be involved. We are all volunteers, committed to the children for whom we serve.

Our LGB is made up of staff, parents and individuals from the local community.

We fulfil our duties by approving policies, reading documentation, attending meetings, visiting the school and talking to staff, pupils and parents. We meet as a full board 6-7 times per academic year, when we discuss strategic issues. We visit the schools regularly so we can base our work on a first-hand knowledge of the schools.

The LGB embraces the value of being a learning organisation at every level, and so, as governors, we undertake professional development to ensure we are as effective in our roles as possible.

Who we are

Allison Flack – Headteacher Governor

I have been working at Hurst Green since 2013, initially as a teacher before becoming Headteacher in January 2020. Prior to working at Hurst Green I taught at schools in East London, Hastings and Bexhill. It has been a privilege and hugely rewarding working with governors, staff and children at Hurst Green over the years continuously improving the school. I am committed to providing the children in our school with the best education and opportunities that I can working together with the whole school community. The children are an absolute delight who never cease to impress me with their determination, hard work and positive attitude to school. I am very proud to work at Hurst Green with such a committed and hard-working staff and have relished the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of developing Hurst Green into the good school it is today.

Vacancy – Staff Governor

Elaine Lambert – Trust Governor – Co Chair of Governors

My husband and I moved to Etchingham in 2017, following our retirement. I have had a varied career. I started my working life as a computer programmer then became a secondary school maths teacher after starting a family, going on to become a head of department in a Further Education College. I then joined the School Effectiveness team in the London Borough of Bexley as their mathematics consultant. Finally, I worked as a publisher, responsible for secondary school maths textbooks and I have also authored and edited maths resources. I spent 4 years as a parent governor when my children were at their Church of England primary school. I am passionate about helping children to reach their full potential, and as a governor I do everything I can to support the school to enable all our children to achieve this. Other interests include cycling, walking, pottery and my grandchildren!

Fiona Drury – Parent Governor

Nicola De Havilland – Parent Governor – Co Chair of Governors

I am the mother of three children, two who attend Hurst Green Primary School in Years 2 and 6 and I am passionate about the education of all children who attend the school.  I believe that children deserve the best education we can provide for them and I am committed to working as part of the team to help Hurst Green School continue to develop and grow.  I graduated from university with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Degree in History and Fine Art and studied accountancy for three years. I began my professional career in London, where I worked as part of the management team for a law firm for thirteen years; I was also a director of my own Management Consultancy for three years.  I have lived in Hurst Green for 13 years and thoroughly enjoy being part of this community. I am currently a full time mother to my three children and enjoy dedicating my time, commitment and enthusiasm to my family and my Governor role.  In my spare time, I love to travel and learn about different cultures, I paint, play the piano and enjoy all things creative.  I love visiting the theatre, going to the opera and enjoy gardening. I regularly take part and assist in charitable events.

Contact

Should you wish to contact the Chair of Governors, please approach the School Office or email elambert@hurstgreen.school

The minutes of the Governing Body meetings are available upon request.