Offham School Governors
Welcome to our Governors’ section
All schools have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’ which offers support, constructive advice, a sounding board for ideas, a second opinion on proposals and help where needed. However, a ‘critical friend’ also challenges, asks questions, seeks information, improves proposals and helps to arrive at the best solution for the pupils, staff and whole school community.
The Governing Body works in close partnership with the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are responsible and accountable for the school. It ensures the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives. The Governing Body works as a team with shared responsibilities.
Governors never make decisions on their own, nor do they act as individuals. The Full Governing Body meets 6 times per year.
Circle Model
The governors at Offham Primary School have adopted a circle model of governance. This means that the Governing Body works as a ‘whole team’, meeting 6 times per year, once in each term, without any separate committees. An agenda for each meeting will include all the tasks which the governing body is required to consider, and the governing body will ‘commission’ assignments or activities arising from the business of the meeting, which will be recorded in the minutes.
In addition to ‘commissioning’ activities or actions on their behalf, the governing body may wish to delegate monitoring activities to ‘monitoring pairs’ or ‘individuals’. This could apply to statutory functions, and/or the priorities of the School Single Plan, which is managed under our 5 values and EYFS as headings. In each case where a function has been delegated there is a statutory duty to report any action or decision to the governing body at the next meeting.
Contacting the Governors
To make contact with the Chair of Governors and the Governing body please contact the Clerk to the Governors:
clerk@offham.kent.sch.uk
Meet the Governors
Chair of Governors: Ollie Phipps (Parent Governor)
Vice Chair: Margaret Bell (Co-opted Governor)
Clerk to the Governors: Vincent Rapley
Local Authority Governors: TBC
Staff Governor:
- Mr Jonny O'Sullivan
Headteacher:
- Mrs Emily John
Governor Attendance at Meetings
Governor roles and responsibilities
A little bit about your Governors | Area of responsibility | Monitoring Area of the single plan | Term of Office | Elected By | Declared Business Interests | ||
Ollie Phipps | Chair of Governors
Parent Governor | I live in Offham with my wife and son, who started at the school in 2018. Professionally I am a Clinical Academic working between a university and the NHS. I love education and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My family and I moved to Kent in 2016, and set up home in Offham, where we have enjoyed becoming part of village life. I became a parent governor as I wanted to help develop the school, support the staff, but most importantly to help develop our children’s education and give them a bright future. | Strategic Leadership SEND & Targeted Funding
| Wellbeing | Jan 2019 - 2023 | The Parents | Child attending the school
Resident in local Offham community |
Malcolm Earl | Co-opted Governor | I became a Parent Governor in 1996 when our children attended Offham and I have stayed on ever since as a Co-opted Governor. I live in the village with my wife and work locally at a large aerospace company where I'm a Senior Programme Manager. I'm a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. I enjoy keeping fit and have been a Charlton Athletic season ticket holder for many years. | Website Health & Safety | Community | Oct 2020-Oct 2024 | The Governors | Resident in local Offham community |
Jonathan O'Sullivan
| Staff Governor | Staff Voice | N/A | Sept 2020- 2024 | The Staff | Works at the school. | |
Simon Knell | Parent Governor | I have been a parent at Offham Primary School for the last 9 years and currently have two children who attend ( Ivan in Yr6 and James in Yr3). I work for the Ministry of Justice but have previous worked in the city for 25 years as a currency trader. I also have recent experience of working in a primary school environment. I am passionate about education and am very much looking forward to my new role. | Finance | Future Minded | Sept 2020-2024 | The Parents | Children at the School |
Prof. Tara Rampal | Parent Governor | I am a Doctor, Consultant Anaesthetist with special interest in Population Health Programmes. I am the Founder of Kent and Medway Prehab, a multi pronged programme aimed at Cancer Patients. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Enlightenment of Arts and I hope to bring the diversity of my educational and cultural background to help enrich the wonderful environment at our school. As a parent Governor, I am keen to use years of experience as and National Health service Clinician to support a culture of academic brilliance and nurturing care thrive at Offham Primary School. | Safeguarding | Wellbeing | Sept 2020-2024 | The Parents | Children at the School |
Laura Gould | Parent Governor | I have three children currently attending Offham Primary School. Professionally, I am UK Head of Human Resources for a global family of diverse companies across agriculture, engineering, food services and investments. I have a first degree in Psychology, Masters degrees in Occupational Psychology and Human Resource Management and more recently, a professional accreditation in Coaching. As a family, we love the school and as Parent Governor, I am keen to lend my professional skills to support Offham’s continued focus on excellent academic results, it's nurturing environment and values-based ethos for the children and staff. | Governance & Human Resources | Curriculum | Sept 2020-2024 | The Parents | Children at the School |
Douglas Marks-Moore | Co-opted Governor |
I first came to live in Kent in 1989 and have lived in Offham for the last three years. I am a barrister and have worked in both the UK and abroad prosecuting war criminals in the Hague. I then became a judge for 12 years. I believe the proper education of our children is essential and participation as a school governor in my village gives me great pride and pleasure.
I hope my general legal knowledge will be of assistance to the school in times of great difficulty. | Legal Matters | Community | Jan 2022-2026 | The Governors | Resident in local Offham community |
Margaret Bell | Co-opted Governor | In 2014, we moved to Offham to be closer to our daughter and her family. As one granddaughter attends the school, I visited school events and volunteered for class outings. Being very impressed by the friendly atmosphere and the stimulating and enjoyable teaching and learning environment, I eagerly submitted my expression of interest when the opportunity arose to be a school governor.
I am a qualified teacher with a Masters in Educational Studies and postgraduate qualifications in school improvement, curriculum development, leadership, and change management. Most of my teaching career was spent in East Africa, starting in Kenya, where I worked in nursery and primary schools, homeschooled our two daughters for a year, and was head of the junior section of a preparatory school. Moving to Uganda, I was head of three international schools over the next twenty-five years, including being founder and head of a British-style international school. My last post was with a group of four schools, two nurseries, a primary and a secondary as CEO and Head of Education. My mandate was to focus on the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning environment with the twin aims of enriching the national curriculum and introducing internationally recognised exams, Cambridge Primary, IGCSE, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Now retired, I look forward to working with the Offham school governing board, the school leadership, and the school community to help and support the school fulfil its aims. | Curriculum | Curriculum | Jan 2022-2026 | The Governors | Resident in local Offham community |
Emily John | Headteacher | I am the headteacher at Offham Primary school. At Governing body meetings I report back to the governors about the strategic and day to day running of the school. The Governors and I work together to set the Vision, Mission, Goals and Values for the school. My Governing body is key in helping me to move the school forward, ensuring that we are providing the very best education and learning environment for our children and the best working environment for all of our staff. | Headteacher | Oversees the single plan | Sept 2016 - Present | Headteacher | Child attending the school
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Finance Group: Simon Knell, Margaret Bell, Ollie Phipps, and Emily John
Pay & Reward Committee: Malcolm Earl, Laura Gould, and Ollie Phipps
Headteacher Appraisal Committee: Malcolm Earl, Ollie Phipps, & Independent Education Advisor