Meet the Governors
Welcome to our Governors page. To find out more about our Governing Body, please choose from the links below.
If you wish to contact the Governing Body, please do so via email to astephenson@mereworth.kent.sch.uk for the attention of the Clerk, Adam Blakemore.
About our Governors
For more information, please click on a heading below:
- Pamela Conibeer, CHAIR OF GOVERNORS
My name is Pamela Conibeer and my husband and I have been residents of Mereworth for almost twenty years, having moved here from Essex early in 1991. My own background is in education, as we moved to Kent in order for me to take up my present post as Headteacher of a girls secondary school in Medway.
I became a Community Governor in 2009 during a period of change and development for the school, which has always been at the heart of the village community, and I feel it is both a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the team as the school goes from strength to strength.
I am also the Chair of the Management Committee of The Rowans which is a Pupil Referral Unit in Walderslade, Medway.
- Richard Bolsin
I live in Yalding. I am married with three grown up children, all products of Kent’s schools. Until 2012 I was General Secretary of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and was awarded the MBE in 2009 for services to adult education.
After graduating from Cambridge University, I started my career teaching classics at Watford Grammar School. I then went on to work in Hertfordshire, Dudley and Kent and became Medway’s first Director of Education in 1997. I have been a Governor of three Kent schools and of Mid Kent College of Higher and Further Education.
- Alison Currie, Finance Chair
I have lived in Mereworth since the start of 2017. I am a qualified accountant with extensive experience at senior levels in both public and private sector. I am currently the Executive Director of Finance and IT at Plan International, the development and humanitarian organisation that advance children’s rights and equality for girls. I have also worked in several UK government departments and in the further education sector.
- Esther Jenner
I have lived in Mereworth since 2013 with my family. I have 2 children who will both be attending Mereworth Primary School by September 2022.
I am currently a bookkeeper and received my AAT qualification in 2019. My job involves working for several different size companies looking at their finances and helping them with financial decisions to aid their businesses.
Prior to be being a bookkeeper, I worked as an estate agent running a small business and taking control of day to day running and the finances. I helped start the business from the beginning and built it up to what is now a successful estate agency.
A few years back I realised there was a need for communication within the Mereworth community, so I set up the Mereworth Group Facebook page which is ongoing.
- Bouchera Khatib
My name is Bouchera Khatib. I have lived with my family in West Malling since 2011.
I am a maths and linguistics specialist and I have been in the teaching profession for nearly 17 years. I have taught previously in the USA, London and, for the past 13 years, in Kent. Currently I work in a special needs school in Tunbridge Wells. I joined Mereworth Primary School as a community governor in July 2018 and I am looking forward to being part of the school’s journey to Outstanding.I enjoy spending my spare time cycling with my children or looking after my allotment experimenting with growing organic fruit and vegetables.
- Elizabeth Earl, SEND
I have lived in Mereworth for many years and my two children attended Mereworth Primary School. My professional background is school leadership and school improvement, and I have a particular interest in supporting vulnerable pupils. I am also an Anglican Lay Minister and am involved in the life and worship of Mereworth Church.
- Liz Windon, Vice chair
I worked in Education as a Management Information Officer in Medway and then Kent for 10 years. Initially my main role was the creation and provision to schools and LA Officers of detailed and timely performance data to enable aid school improvement.
I now specialise in providing independent consultancy support to schools to set up effective pupil tracking systems in SIMS Assessment Manager which have often been praised in Ofsted inspection reports. I also assist schools in the analysis of internal and external data as evidence to support their own school evaluation
I train school staff and governors to enable them to understand and effectively use data provided by the school and the DfE Analyse School Performance Ofsted Inspection dashboard
I am on the Steering Group for the 21 Steps Project which was created in 2014 when NC levels were removed. This Assessment and tracking system is used at Mereworth Community Primary School and I am commissioned by the school to create the Termly data analysis
I have been involved, as a LA officer, independent data consultant and a school governor, in providing evidence for Ofsted inspections which have proved effective in improving judgement on standards of achievement and progress.
I have been a school governor for the last 17 years in a number of Primary schools in Medway and Kent. I am currently a governor at Victoria Road Primary School in Ashford and the Trustee with portfolio for Assessment and Outcomes in a small MAT.
- Diane Varco, Sports Premium
I have lived in Mereworth since 1992, and both my children attended this school. I was an active member of the PTFA for the duration of their time at the school. I have always been fond of the school and have maintained an interest in its progress.
I love where I live and have always enjoyed walking, taking a keen interest in the countryside around us. I also enjoy spending time in the kitchen especially baking; my family describe me as feeder!
Originally from Worcestershire, I moved to Kent to take up a career in Pensions. I left full time employment to have a family and now run my own small greetings cards business from home.
I am active member of our village community, in the past I have served on the Parish Council, the village fete committee and cooked for the Lunch Club for a number of years. I hope that in being a Governor I will provide a useful additional link to the community which the school serves.
Mereworth Annual Governor Statement 2020 – 2021
Governance Arrangements
The Governing Body of Mereworth Primary School is made up of 11 Governors.
These are: 2 Staff Governors (including the Headteacher), 2 Parent Governors, 1 Local Authority Governor and 7 Co-opted Governors.
Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Body and are people, who, in their opinion, have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
On our Governing Body apart from the Headteacher and staff member, 2 are parents and 7 are members of the local community. They bring a rich and varied range of experience and expertise;
5 have backgrounds in education and education management including a serving teacher from a local school, the remaining 4 have backgrounds in finance, business and law enforcement.
The full Governing Body meets three times per year, in terms 1, 3, and 5 and, in addition, we have three committees to consider the different aspects of the school in more detail. These committees are:
1 The Finance and Resources Committee, which meets three times a year, in terms 2,4&5 in accordance with the financial requirements of the LEA. This committee focuses on safety, finance, premises, some personnel matters and oversees the use and outcomes of specifically directed funding for identified pupil groups.
2 The Teaching and Learning Committee, which meets three times a year, in terms 2, 4 & 6. In addition to their general oversight, individual governors take on specific monitoring and liaison roles and report back to the committee and /or the full GB as appropriate.
3 The Pay and Performance Committee. This committee comprises three members of the Governing Body agreed by the FGB. The committee meets on 2 occasions per year to oversee the arrangements and outcomes of the Pay and Performance procedures for the teaching staff and the support staff to ensure that these are fair and equitable and in accordance with required processes. This committee also oversees the annual appraisal process for the Headteacher in liaison with the external advisor.
Committees will be formed from identified governors, if required, to consider pupil discipline and staffing matters.
Attendance Record of Governors
Governors have a very good attendance record for meetings and it has not been necessary to cancel meetings because of difficulties re. Being ‘quorate’ (the number of governors needed to ensure that legal decisions can be made). The only cancellation of a meeting in the year was due to a complete breakdown of the IT system.
See separate Governor Attendance record 2020-2021.
The Focus of the Governing Body in the Academic Year 2020 -2021
At Mereworth this was very similar to every other educational establishment in the country, to monitor and support the programme put in place under the leadership of the Headteacher, to ensure the best possible outcomes for pupils, staff and parents throughout the unprecedented challenges of the Covid 19 Pandemic including various Lockdowns and changing rules and expectations.
The governors were kept informed throughout, receiving copies of all documentation sent to pupils and parents, in addition to comprehensive reports delivered to the GB meetings, all of which took place, in accordance with the planned schedule but on Microsoft Teams. It was a sharp learning curve for all involved and very successful.
Governors were very impressed by the professionalism, commitment and creativity demonstrated by the staff as they delivered relevant, challenging and interesting programmes via the Schools Remote Education Policy during the national lockdown periods, class bubble closure periods and pupils isolating due to Covid 19, to all pupils as appropriate, to ensure their continuing engagement taking into account individual needs and circumstances.
It was pleasing to note from many sources, that parents responded very positively to the work set and carried out by the children, by the ongoing engagement, and to the wider social support offered by the school. There were a number of fun activities planned and delivered, which raised the spirits of the whole school community and demonstrated some hitherto unsuspected talents.
Support was also available for the staff as they coped with the very demanding nature of their roles Governors were pleased to note this focus on the well-being of all the members of the school community and beyond.
The T&L Committee focused on pupil progress and the use of the Catch-Up premium. All subjects were adapted to reflect the school ‘Recovery Curriculum’ (which focused on English and Maths to recover lost learning from the previous year). They were also interested in the assessment techniques used to inform learning interventions.
The governors were kept well informed about the impact of the pandemic on the progress of the more vulnerable SEND pupils with regular, very detailed reports. The designated governor for SEND pupils visited the school in person at the end of the year and was able to report very positively on the support offered and the methodology of identifying individual needs. Obviously the changes brought about by the pandemic affected the learning of all pupils but, as so often the case, impacted particularly on the progress and development of the most vulnerable. The school is doing everything it can to secure their progress but there are delays in diagnosis and assessment from the LEA.
The F&R Committee concentrated on the impact of the pandemic on the financial position of the school. One area in particular was the effect that closures and working from home policies had on clubs and out of school provision. Difficult decisions had to be made about what it was possible to offer parents and families and governors were involved in the process. They also oversee the effectiveness of the use of Pupil Premium and Sports Premium additional funding and to this responsibility this year .was added any monies associated with mitigating the expenses created by the pandemic. They were able to report that maximum advantage was gained from all the funding although there were some difficulties in terms of timely distribution of this help to the school.
This committee has regularly reported to the FGB on the tight and effective budgetary controls that exist and how the careful and far sighted approach of the Headteacher has enabled the school to meet the many challenges associated with maintaining the established high standards in times of change and uncertainty.
The committee focus routinely on the maintenance and development of the premises and on all aspects of health and safety. A designated governor regularly visits the school to monitor safeguarding processes and to ensure that all legal requirements are met, not only in terms of the safety of the premises but also the administrative documentation and practice.
Future Plans for the Governors
As we begin the new academic year 2021-2022 our aim is to ensure that the Governing Body continue to offer effective oversight and support to the Mereworth School Community. This will, of course, involve our role in helping to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the pupils, their families and the staff. The success of the Recovery Curriculum is fundamental to the school and to all the pupils especially the most vulnerable, but we will need to focus on the well-being of the whole community.
There are issues regarding succession in the governing body. A number of the governors are reaching the end of their term of office and so we need to find new members to take on this interesting and worthwhile role. There is nothing more important…or more enjoyable than supporting young people in their growth and development so I would urge all existing governors to help recruit for the future.
Governors Register of Business Interests September 2021
Mereworth Community Primary School
Governors Register of Business Interests – September 2019
| Richard Bolsin | Co-opted | Governor at another school |
| Amanda Lavelle | Headteacher | None |
| Pam Conibeer | Co-opted | Governor at another school |
| Janice Meston | Co-opted | None |
| Diane Varco | Co-opted | None |
| Kate Maryon | Staff | None |
| Alison Currie | Local Authority | None |
| Matthew Davis | Parent | None |
| Liz Windon | Co-opted | Govenor at another school, Independant school data consultant |
| Elizabeth Earl | Co-opted | None |
| Bouchera Khatib | Co-opted | None |
Mereworth Primary School – Governor Records
| Governor Name | Type | Appointed
By |
End of Term | Term of office |
| Mrs Pam Conibeer | Chair (Co-Opted) | FGB | 31st Dec 2023 | 5 Years |
| Mr Richard Bolsin | Co-Opted | Local Authority | 31st Dec 2023 | 5 Years |
| Mrs Janice Meston | Parent | Parents | 1st Oct 2022 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Bouchera Khatib | Co-Opted | FGB | 15th July 2022 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Elizabeth Earl | Co-Opted | FGB | 1th Nov 2022 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Diane Varco | Co-Opted | FGB | 7th Jan 2023 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Liz Windon | Co-Opted | FGB | 7th Jan 2023 | 4 Years |
| Mr Matt Davis | Parent | Parents | 24th May 2022 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Alison Currie | Local Authority | Local Authority | 25th Feb 2022 | 4 Years |
| Mrs Amanda Lavelle | Head Teacher | FGB | N/A | N/A |
| Ms Kate Maryon | Staff | Staff | 31st Jan 2023 | 4 Years |
As at September 2021
| P = Present |
| A = Apologies |
| R = Resigned |
| NA = not applicable |
| Note that not all govenors sit on every Committee |
Governing Body Meetings 2021-2022
To view the schedule of meetings please download the following PDF:
Mereworth Primary School – Governing Body Structure/ Membership
HT Performance – Pam Conibeer / Richard Bolsin / Elizabeth Earl
Appeal Panel – Governors appointed as required – at least 3
Complaints – Governors appointed as required – at least 3
| Full Governing Body | Pay & Reward Committee | Teaching & Learning Committee | Finance & Resources Committee |
| Pam Conibeer | Pam Conibeer | Pam Conibeer | Alison Currie |
| Amanda Lavelle | Richard Bolsin | Amanda Lavelle | Amanda Lavelle |
| Kate Maryon | Elizabeth Earl | Kate Maryon | Diane Varco |
| Richard Bolsin | Richard Bolsin | Janice Meston | |
| Bouchera Khatib | Bouchera Khatib | Matt Davis | |
| Elizabeth Earl | Elizabeth Earl | ||
| Matt Davis | Liz Windon | ||
| Diane Varco | |||
| Alison Currie | |||
| Janice Meston | |||
| Liz Windon | |||
As of September 2021
To download the NGA Code of Practice for Governing Bodies click here: NGA-Code-of-Practice-for-Governing-Bodies
