The Burford School Governing Body is made up of parents, members of
staff and members of the local community who are committed to the promotion
of high standards of educational achievement
Governors bring a wide range of experience, interests and skills to
the role and whilst some have professional qualifications, this is not a
prerequisite. More important are enthusiasm and an interest in
supporting the school.
The Governing Body acts as a critical friend to the school and is
responsible for its strategic direction, policy and overall management and
has legal duties, powers and responsibilities. Governors work
collectively and do not take individual responsibility. The day-to-day
management of the school rests firmly with the headteacher and the school
staff.
Governors are appointed to work in partnership with the Headteacher
and staff to:
Burford School Governors have the chance to develop new skills,
practice existing ones, participate in meetings, ask questions, make
suggestions, work as part of a team and make a difference.
There are occasional vacancies for new governors. If you are
a parent or a member of the local community and are interested in helping
our school to develop and improve, then please contact the School Office who
will put you in touch with a current governor who will be happy to talk to
you.
A detailed job description for the role can be found by clicking here.
I have lived in Marlow for 3½ years with my husband Will
and three boys - Charlie currently at Burford in Year 3, Oliver in Year 1
and 3 year old Max who will be starting in 2011.
I am a director of a small property development company,
working from home alongside Will and have also been involved in the fashion
business for 22 years.
I became a parent governor in May 2008 in order to learn
more about how the school is run and to offer my help and support in any way
I can. I have recently become Chair of the Premises committee and am a
member of the Curriculum and Extended Services committees. I am the also
the Environment/Outdoor Learning Governor and the Music Governor.
In my spare time I enjoy gardening, riding and travelling
and of course hanging out with my boys!
I have lived in Marlow Bottom for a little over 5 years
with my husband Bertrand and our 2 daughters,
I run a Corporate and Executive Coaching business and
whilst my office is at home I am mostly in
I Chaired the Marlow Bottom pre-school playgroup for
Mimi’s last year there, and became a Governor at Burford after that (2008).
I am the Early Years and Art Governor and sit on the Personnel and Community
Committees.
I have lived in Marlow since 2000 with my husband Neil
and our two children - Matthew and Rebecca.
I became a parent governor in October 2008 and currently
sit on the Curriculum, Community, and Extended Services Committee’s and I am
also the Science Governor. I am
on the School Travel Planning Committee where my main responsibility is the
termly newsletter.
I work part-time as an LSA (Learning Support Assistant)
at
I am the father of Harry who joined the reception class
this term. I have lived in the
Wycombe district for just over two years now, previously in Burnham for
nearly ten years. Originally
from Blackpool I moved to
I currently work in adult education as a manager of a
centre. Previously, I have
worked in community safety and local regeneration covering grant funding and
monitoring performance. Also, I
have been on a management committee for a small local charity in which I
became involved in recruiting staff, bidding for funding, and supporting
volunteers.
I became a parent governor in October 2009 and joined the
Premises Committee. I hope to be
able make a real contribution with the use and development of the schools’
buildings. So far I have learnt
from the Governing Body that there is a wide range of areas to oversee – I
look forward to learning all about how the school works.
I became a governor so that I could support the work of
parents and teachers – to make the most for our childrens’ education.
I am part of a local squash club, enjoy walking holidays
and am keen to spend time with my son involving him in lots of interests and
sports that the school has to offer.
I live in Marlow Bottom just a few hundred yards from the
school gates with my husband Graham and our daughters Anna and Cerys who are
in years 6 and 3 respectively.
Prior to leaving work to have our daughters, I worked for
almost 20 years in a variety of senior secretarial and administrative roles
for a large engineering and construction company.
I was elected as a parent governor in October 2004 and at
the end of my 4 year term of office I was asked to remain with the governing
body as a Community Governor. I
became Vice-Chairman in 2006 and was elected Chairman of Governors in
October 2007 and was subsequently re-elected to the role in 2008 and 2009.
I am a member of the Curriculum, Community, Finance,
Personnel and Premises Committees.
My curriculum responsibilities are for PSHE (Personal, Social &
Health Education) and Young, Gifted & Talented.
I have lived in Marlow Bottom for the last 6 years. We
have three children, Max who is in year 3 at Burford, Elena who will start
school in September 2010 and new baby Sophia.
I have enjoyed a successful career in purchasing spanning some twenty years,
during which time I worked and lived overseas, latterly I specialised in
change management and mentoring / coaching of diverse teams.
However, following the birth of Elena I decided to take a break from
corporate life and to spend some quality time with my family
I became a Community governor in 2007. My interest in
becoming a governor stems from my belief in the state education system and
the fond memories that I have of my Bucks school days.
Since becoming a governor I have taken on the
responsibility of being the Chair of the Curriculum Committee and the Chair
of the Extended Services Committee as these activities relate back to my
interest in how children are taught during their time at school and the
support school can give to both working and non working parents.
I have lived in Wycombe District for nearly 20 years and
in Marlow Bottom since November 2000. I became interested in becoming a
Governor when our son Alex started in Reception and was appointed as a
Community Governor in 2007.
Since joining the Governing Body I have become Chairman of the Personnel
Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.
I have also taken on the role of Development Governor and Child
Protection Governor.
I have a general interest in most things sporting though
more a spectator than participant these days - apart from regular games with
Alex and his pals.
Gill and I moved to Marlow Bottom with our new baby in
October 1968 intending to stay for about two years.
I spent the whole of my professional life in the bus
industry principally in the role of Personnel and Training but became
involved in consultancy assignments with The British Council and World Bank
in designing training packages for managers in developing countries.
On the privatisation of the transport industry I took early
retirement and did freelance consultancy for some years.
In 1995 I was elected to Wycombe District Council as
Councillor for Marlow Bottom and have been privileged to be re-elected on
each occasion since, latterly for the enlarged ward of Greater Marlow.
I am also involved on the wider stage of Local Government through my
work with the Local Government Association, currently as Chairman of their
Scrutiny Panel.
Both our sons attended Burford and in the 1970s I was
appointed as a Parent Governor and Gill and I have always been involved in
the Marlow Bottom Community and its many organisations.
I was delighted to be appointed as a Community Governor in January
2007 and am currently a member of the Finance, Personnel and Premises
Committees and the School Travel Group.
I hope that I can contribute both to the current work of the school
and to its future development.
I was appointed to Burford’s Governing Body by the local
education authority, although I am also a parent, of Nick (who was at school
between 2000 and 2006) and Saskia
(currently in year 6).
I serve on the Curriculum Committee, chair the Community
Committee, and am also lead governor for Special Educational Needs (SEN). I
am also the governor for Diversity and would be pleased to hear from
parents/carers/guardians who may wish to raise any issues concerning my
areas of responsibility.
I was elected in 2009 to the Buckinghamshire Schools
Forum, which means that I will hopefully be able to help to ensure that
Burford continues to improve in line with all current educational
initiatives.
After a long career in local government, rising to the
level of chief executive, I am now managing director of my own consultancy,
specialising in local government improvement and change management. I am a
season ticket holder at Wycombe Wanderers and enjoy music, theatre and being
with my family.
I have lived in Wycombe for over ten years with my
husband and children. We chose Burford school because of its
reputation. Hannah is in upper KS2, and Harry is in KS1, so I am lucky
enough to see both “ends” of the school. I became interested in
becoming a governor when Hannah started in reception & was elected a parent
governor in November 2004. In
2008 I was asked to take on the role of a Local Authority Governor.
I joined the Finance committee, of which I am the
Chairman, and personnel committee which covered my interests in particular.
I am also the Numeracy and ICT governor. I also serve as a Trustee of the
School Fund. Being a governor has given me a real insight into the issues
and challenges that schools face.
Originally from
My husband and I moved to Wycombe two years ago with our
four girls, the third of whom, Haala Khan, has recently started at Burford
in Reception. Prior to this, we had lived in
However, I have now been a full-time mum for five years,
leaving work when I had my youngest two girls. The demands of mothering four
girls keep me very busy, but I have always tried to maintain my involvement
in their schools as far as possible. During my teaching years, I developed a
particular interest in Primary Mathematics, and have recently delivered a
number of workshops on the subject, aimed at parents from minority ethnic
backgrounds. Currently, I have enrolled on an Open University MA in
Education, and anticipate a few challenging years juggling children and
dissertation papers!
Originally from
I am delighted to be Headteacher of such a lovely school
with the best children I have ever encountered! I enjoy working in an
environment where the staff are so warm and friendly and the parents are
enthusiastic and supportive. As I live in Fulmer, near Gerrards Cross I have
a convenient journey to school and I am looking forward to enjoying Burford
for many years to come!
I was appointed as Deputy Head teacher at
After taking on the role of Acting Deputy I decided I was
ready for the next challenge in my career and applied to
I moved to Marlow Bottom in 2006 and joined
I was elected as non teaching staff Governor in October
2006 and primarily sit on the Premises committee but also attend Finance and
Personnel committee meetings wherever possible.
Together with Mrs Whittington, I am responsible for most
things outside of teaching in the school – buildings, grounds, maintenance,
security and fire systems, health & safety and contractor liaison to name
but a few. With pupils, staff and visitors in mind, I also ensure the school
operates efficiently and safely on a day to day basis.
I enjoy boating, motorcycling, driving, DIY and tinkering with anything
mechanical.
I obtained my BEd (Hons) degree from
I was appointed at Burford at Easter 2008, and feel
privileged to work alongside such a dedicated team of professional, caring
staff. As well as teaching a Year 1 class, I work throughout the school to
provide a variety of musical opportunities for children of all ages, and
enjoy preparing Burford Choir to sing at concerts throughout the year. I am
currently an associate member of the Governors and sit on the Curriculum
Committee.