St Michael's
Church of England Primary School

The Leadership & Staff

At St. Michael’s we are delighted to have such a competent and loyal team of staff. Those who work at St. Michael’s are dedicated to help the children in terms of social, pastoral and educational support and they are committed to help the children to flourish and be the best they can be. The teaching staff are the main point of contact for parents and below is an overview of the staff.

The Office:

• David Howland (Business Manager)
• Louisa Miller (Admin Manager)
• Claire Gayle (Pupil Manager)
• Carole Pendleton (Admin Assistant)
• Paul Moger (Premises Manager)

The Senior Leadership Team:

• Riana Gouws (Headteacher)
• Jacqui Gillespie (Deputy Headteacher)
• Eunice Asante (Inclusion Leader & SENCO)
• Dionne Paul (Infant Leader)
• David Howland (Business Manager)
  

The Teaching Staff:

• Reception: Dionne Paul (Infant leader & Teacher) & Angie Brailey (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 1: Amanda Matthews (Teacher) & Anne Jeffery (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 2: Ashley Aldridge (Teacher) & Nikki Ferris (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 3: Joyce Obels (Teacher) & Tracey Reid (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 4: Colleen Leo-Kelly (Teacher) & Shannel Gadd (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 5: Jocelyn Kajubi (Teacher) & Carol Colling (Teaching Assistant) & Sue Ferguson (Teaching Assistant)
• Year 6: Paulette Johnson (Teacher) & Kay Burrows (Teaching Assistant)

Lunchtime Supervisors:

• Infant: Anne Jeffery (Supervisor), Carole Pendleton, Stuart Williams
• Juniors: Sue Ferguson (Supervisor), Shannel Gadd, Sarah Hukporti-Kaba, Kim Whitmore, Catherine Jones

Governors - what do they do and who are they?

Our mission statement of ‘enabling children to flourish in their potential as a child of God’ is central in all that we do as a school and this includes ensuring our Board of Governors are proactively involved with the embedding of our vision through the work that they do, working in partnership with the school as outlined below. As a school our Board of Governors will, in partnership with the school:
•    Create a secure and nurturing Christian environment which values and respects every individual and their beliefs;
•    Equip children, through an innovative and broad curriculum, with confidence, life skills to flourish in their God-given potential;
•    Partner with home, church and the local community to help children make a positive contribution to God’s world.

Role of Governors
The Board of Governors provides strategic leadership and accountability for the school.  

Its main functions are to;

• Play an important strategic role in our school. They are not expected to take detailed decisions about the day-to-day management of the school, but to support the staff in embedding the vision and ethos and help decide the strategic direction.
• Act as a “critical friend” of the school by providing the Headteacher and staff with support, advice and information and monitor and evaluate to school’s effectiveness.
• Ensure pupils learn most effectively and achieve the highest standards.
• Ensure accountability. The Board of Governors also hold the school to account with regards to pupil and staff performance and the school is accountable to parents, pupils, the community, the Diocese, Local Authority and Ofsted.

It is also responsible for many important decisions in the running of the school. These include:

• Appointing the Headteacher and Senior Leaders. Governors are also involved in the appointment of teaching staff as appropriate.

• Agreeing the aims of the school curriculum and ensuring the national curriculum is implemented.

• Oversee the financial performance of the school and determine how the school’s budget is to be used each year.

• Dealing with official complaints and exclusions.

• Additional responsibilities due to its status as a voluntary aided church school, including admissions process, school’s Christian ethos, religious education, development and maintenance of the school buildings.

Our school has a total of fourteen governors all of whom act in a voluntary capacity:

Chair of Governors

• Beryl Fielder

8 ‘Foundation’ governors

• The Incumbent (Vicar) of St Michael’s Church (ex-officio):
• Revd Ifeanyi Chukuka
• 2 appointed by the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education:
• Sandra Jempson
• Beryl Fielder (Chair)
• 5 appointed by the PCC of St Michael’s Church:
• Anita Grande
• Louisa Miller
• Angela Farr
• Tilie Bentil-Mensah
• Peter Vennard
• 2 Staff governors:
• Headteacher (ex-officio) - Riana Gouws
• 1 Teacher - Richard Studd
• 1 Co-opted Governor: (Normally drawn from the staff )
• Ben Leslie
• 2 Parent elected Governors:
• Dare Faleye
• Utami Giles
• 1 Local Authority nominated Governor:,
• Currently vacant
• Clerk:
• Brenda Ayling

Click here to download a copy of the Instrument of Government (pdf)

Click here to see full details of Governors, business interests, committee membership, roles and attendance at meetings in the last academic year.

    Minutes from meetings of the Governing Body are a public record and can obtained from the Clerk or may be viewed in school - please ask the Business Manager. The minutes of the most recent meetings can be accessed below (please click on relevant date). Note that some minutes may be in draft and subject to amendment when presented for approval at the next Governors' meeting:

29 April 2019 (full)

4 March 2019 (full)

15 October 2018 (full)

10 October 2018 (strategy)

Governors Fund

As a Church (aided) School, we have a responsibility for maintaining and improving our school buildings and we are helped with a grant from the Government for 90% of the costs. This means that we have to contribute 10% ourselves. We do this by asking all parents to contribute to the "Governors' Fund" each year. A leaflet about the Fund can be seen here.

Arrangements are in place for you to pay by monthly direct debit to make it far easier to ensure that payments don't get forgotten and spread the cost over the whole year – which works out at just £2.50 per month per child. You can of course still pay via ParentPay or by cash/cheque at the school office.

To set up a direct debit, please use this link to our payment partner, "GoCardless":

https://pay.gocardless.com/AL000105X2S985

(click link or copy and paste into your browser) and complete the on-line form. It is very easy and straightforward. It would be a great help to the school/governors if you could also complete the slip from the leaflet and return it to school.

Cheques should be made payable to ‘St Michael’s Governors’ Fund’ and placed in clearly labelled envelopes with the payment slip / Gift aid declaration from the leaflet.