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:
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
Governor Register of Business Interests: January 2022
Chair of Governors – Pam Conibeer
Vice Chair of Governors – Liz Windon
Headteacher – Amanda Lavelle
Governor | Governor Category
|
Business Interest | |
1 | Mrs Pam Conibeer | Co-opted | None |
2 | Mrs Amanda Lavelle | Head Teacher | Governor at another school |
3 | Miss Kate Maryon | Staff | None |
4 | Mr Richard Bolsin | Co-opted | Governor at another school |
5 | Mrs Elizabeth Earl | Co-opted | None |
6 | Mrs Bouchera Khatib | Co-opted | None |
7 | Mrs Janice Meston | Co-opted | None |
8 | Mrs Diane Varco | Co-opted | None |
9 | Mrs Liz Windon | Co-opted | Governor at another school,
Consultant SDS (School Data Support) Commissioned by the school to carry out Termly assessment data analysis |
10 | Mrs Esther Jenner | Parent | 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 |
Mrs Esther Jenner | Parent | Parents | Jan 2026 | 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 | Esther Jenner |
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 | ||
Elizabeth Earl | Elizabeth Earl | ||
Esther Jenner | Liz Windon | ||
Diane Varco | |||
Liz Windon | |||
Janice Meston | |||
As of September 2021
To download the NGA Code of Practice for Governing Bodies click here: NGA-Code-of-Practice-for-Governing-Bodies