Governors

Sherington Governing Body

The Sherington governors share the enthusiasm and excitement for learning that pupils and staff have. We are proud of Sherington’s outstanding achievements and are committed to the Sherington vision of “Aspire Believe Create Achieve” and between us, we bring a wide variety of skills and experience to the role.

To get in touch, you can email governors@sherington.greenwich.sch.uk, leave a message in the school office or catch us in the playground – questions, ideas, comments all welcome! (Please note that the first port of call for any issues relating specifically to your child is your child’s class teacher.)

Linda Pound – Chair of Governors

Sherington’s Governing Board has four key responsibilities:

The role of the governing body is strategic (not operational – the headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school). The governing body acts as a “critical friend” to the school and its leadership.  Governors focus on these core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction– we help decide the school’s strategy for improvement. We do not get involved in the day-to-day management of the school but focus on key issues that will raise standards and achievement.
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff. We use our knowledge and experience to support and challenge (in a constructive way) the headteacher and staff so as to get the best possible teaching and outcomes.
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent . We work with the staff to ensure that the school makes best use of its resources.
• Ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard by ensuring that governors are visible to staff, children and parents and take up opportunities to interact with all three groups.

Governor Impact Statement – September 2024 to August 2025

This academic year has been a great success for the school. Under the experienced, enthusiastic and wise guidance of our new headteacher Hannah Freeman, and with the support of the leadership team, Sherington has been able to maintain its considerable strengths while reinvigorating the work of the school.

Governors have been impressed with Hannah’s efficient and insightful work and supportive of the changes she has made. Before she had officially taken over as headteacher she had extended after school provision, SheringtonXtra. This has been helpful to parents, and children have been consulted on and provided with additional play resources and changes to the food provided.

The school’s last OFSTED report led the school to focus on SEND provision and through careful consultation, Hannah, working with the Inclusion Manager, put in place plans to open a new class designed to support children with high level SEND, in the building previously the Sure Start base. This provision opened in September 2025. This initiative is supported by governors who will be monitoring its development.

Important elements of life at Sherington have been respected. Academic standards remain high with a continuing emphasis on a broad curriculum – including science and art weeks, world book day, poet laureate appointment and regular opportunities to see and hear children’s music and dance performances. In appointing Hannah, governors were keen that Sherington’s focus on Positive Education should be maintained. In practice, the focus has been sharpened with the introduction of a scheme where each year group becomes an ambassador for one of the Virtues. Each year group prepares an assembly to which parents are invited exploring their allocated virtue.

Governors are highly supportive of Hannah’s effective steps to improve communication with parents, and to further develop teamwork amongst staff. She has a firm handle on the school’s finances and places a strong emphasis on safeguarding.

How do we ensure effective governance?

• Through regular attendance at governors’ meetings, where we receive full updates on achievements, finance, staffing, resources. The governing board was brought up to full strength and there are regular audits to ensure that we have a full range of skills necessary to the role. The pattern of meetings has been changed. Previously we met as a full board 3 times a year with sub-committees meeting a further three times a year. Now we meet as a full governing board 7 times a year – once every half term and one additional business meeting to set up the year’s work. This ensures that the full board has up-to-date information on the life of the school.
• Governors work with the headteacher to agree the school’s priorities for the coming three years and set up visits to monitor progress towards those goals. Our role is that of critical friends, supportive of the school’s ethos and taking an important role in evaluation of the school’s work, while at the same time holding senior leaders to account. Processes for ensuring the safety and well-being of children and staff, and equality for all are monitored.
• We strive to get to know the school, visiting at regular intervals to see the school in action, to meet parents and children and to celebrate achievements across the curriculum. Visits may be informal or designed to focus on a specific area of the school’s work. Reports on visits are submitted to the headteacher and board.
• Governors are involved in the appointment of new staff, particularly at a senior level. In cooperation with a local authority advisor governors are also involved in headteacher appraisal. The appraisal process allows us to look closely at the performance of the headteacher, have discussions about areas of strengths, and where necessary, areas for development. New targets are then set for the coming year.
• All governors undertake training. We must all undertake annual training on safeguarding but the authority offers a range of courses which many board members attend. New governors receive induction training.

Please click here for attendance of meetings for the last completed school year.

All terms of office are 4 years unless otherwise noted.

Our Clerk is Lucy Davies, provided by Royal Greenwich Governor Services.

F&P = Finance & Personnel, L&A = Learning & Achievement, P = Premises, Pay = Pay Committee

ROI = Register of interests

The Governing Body including the Head are required to register any business interests on appointment and at every governors meeting.  The Register of Interests is held in the school office. 

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