GOVERNING BODY
Valentine Primary School is a maintained school operating within an Instrument of Governance authorised by Southampton City Council.
The Governing Body of the school conforms to standing orders and each governor is required to comply with a Code of Conduct which includes declaring relevant business and pecuniary interests. (The Governor Code of Conduct is attached below)
All governors (with the exception of the Executive Headteacher) are appointed for a 4-year term of office which may be renewed. Parent governors are elected by parents of children currently attending the school; the local authority governor is appointed by Southampton City Council; the staff governor is elected by employed members of staff; and co-opted governors are appointed by the Governing Body to ensure a balance of skills, knowledge and experience is maintained.
GOVERNANCE AT VALENTINE
Valentine Governors are each assigned to support and monitor the work of the school. This is in conjunction with our school's School Development Plan and the Governor Monitoring Schedule.
The role of the Governing Body is to exercise a civic duty of accountability for the strategic operation of the school. The role of a governor is not to involve oneself with the operational (daily running) of the school or the decision-making of the Headteacher.
Documents are available at the bottom of this page.
GOVERNING BOARD - biographies
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NAME |
GOVERNOR TYPE |
ADDITIONAL INFO |
| Mr Constable-Phelps | Executive Headteacher (Ex-Officio - Governor) | |
| Mr James Deas | LA appointed Governor | |
| Ms Karen Harrison | Clerk to Governors | |
| Mrs Lynn Ross | Co-opted Governor | |
| Mr David Higginbottom | Co-opted Governor | Also governor at Mason Moor Primary School |
| Mrs Maria Smyth | Co-opted Governor | Also governor at Mason Moor Primary School |
| Mrs Amanda Humby |
Co-opted Governor & Chair of Governors |
Chair of Governors at all 4 partnership schools |
| Mr Chris Dewey | Parent Governor | Vice-Chair of Governors |
| Mr Tristan Benfield | Staff Governor |
other attendees
Name |
Governor support role |
Additional information |
| Mr Steve King |
Acting Assistant Headteacher |
Mr King provides written updates in the Headteacher Report half-termly to all governors. |
| Mrs Vanessa Rattley | School Business Manager | Mrs Rattley attends all Full Governing Body meetings to provide written and verbal updates on finances, HR and staffing. |
| Mr Kevin Brown | Operations Manager | Mr Brown attends all Full Governing Body meetings to provide top-level overviews of finance. |
GOVERNANCE terms and attendance 23/24
|
Name |
Type of governor |
Date of appointment |
Appointment term/step down date |
2023/24 FGB attendance record |
|
Louise Moore |
Staff |
24 May 2024 |
23 May 2028 |
2 out of 2 meetings |
|
Chris Dewey |
Parent |
22 March 2024 |
21 March 2028 |
4 out of 4 meetings |
|
James Deas |
LA |
01 December 2023 |
30 November 2027 |
4 out of 6 meetings |
|
Clare Bailey |
Co-opted |
20 September 2023 |
19 September 2027 |
6 out of 7 meetings |
|
Amanda Humby |
Co-opted |
20 September 2023 |
19 September 2027 |
7 out of 7 meetings |
|
Daniel Constable-Phelps |
Executive Head Teacher |
September 2023 |
Ex officio |
7 out of 7 meetings |
|
Tomasz Lasek |
Co-opted |
10 May 2023 |
20/12/2024 |
4 out of 7 meetings |
GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS 2025
Please see the Governor Monitoring Schedule below - these stipulate the activity we ask Governing Body members to complete to provide them with a rounded understanding of the school. In addition to this activity - committees meet for Full Governing Body matters on the following dates:
- Monday 29 September 2025 (5 - 6:30pm)
- Monday 15 December 2025 (5 - 6:30pm)
- Monday 23 February 2026 (5 - 6:30pm)
- Monday 27 April 2026 (5 - 6:30pm)
- (Governors to moderate a SAT test during wb: 11 May 2026)
- Monday 13 July 2026 (5 - 6:30pm)
The Governing Body meets at Valentine Primary School on the dates listed above. All Governors receive an enhanced DBS check, which the school undertakes, when the Governor begins their term of office. This ensures our commitment to the protection and safety of children.
In addition to the full governing body meetings, the following Governance activity happens throughout the year:
- Finance Committee meets half-termly. However, given the school's historic deficit budget - inherited by current leaders - this group meets 6-weekly to update on financial spending.
- The Quality of Education Team undertake monitoring as per the Governance Monitoring Schedule below.
Complaints to governors
Parents, carers and wider community members - please be advised that our Chair of Governors will not action a complaint if it has not followed the school's published complaints procedure - which is available on the 'Contact Us' page of the website. A reminder that complaints do not escalate directly to the Headteacher or Governors.
Governors must be assured that parents/carers have followed the complaints protocol to ensure fair and transparent discussion in relation to your issue.
GIAS link to governor membership
