Governors

What is a Governing Body and what do we do?

The role of the Governing Body is to oversee the success of the school and work in partnership with the Head and teachers to agree priorities and monitor progress towards them. ALTS Governing Body is there to provide constructive support and challenge to the Head and teachers to enable them to do their jobs to the best of their ability. ALTS Governing Body also works as a decision-making body with corporate responsibility to work in the best interests of the school.

The overall role of a governing body is a strategic one. Its key functions are to:

Set the aims and objectives for the school
Set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
Set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
Monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
Be a source of challenge and support to the Head.

Our Governing Body does not run or manage ALTS. It has no responsibility for the internal organisation or management of the school.

Who can become a Governor?

Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people. Our school governors are people who genuinely want to make a positive contribution to our children’s education. Time commitments can vary but on average we spend between 10-20 days per year on governing responsibilities – monthly meetings, training, school visits etc. A Governors term of office is normally four years.

Our aim is to have a balanced group of governors with diversity in gender, age, experience and skill sets, to ensure our support can be as effective as possible to the Head and teachers.

Parent Governors

We welcome applications for Parent Governors. For further information about this role please click on the document below.

Title	Download
Have a Say as a Parent Governor	Download

School Governors at Alfred Lord Tennyson School

The Governing Board comprises 15 governors;

The Head Teacher
4 Elected Parent Governors
1 Staff Governor
1 Local Authority Governor
8 Co-Opted Governors

Roles & Responsibilities

School Governors at Alfred Street Junior School

Position	Name
Chair	Mr R Scarfe – Co-opted Governor Term of Office – 1^st September 2023 to 31^st August 2027 Pecuniary Interests - Personal or close family relationship - Daughter is a School Improvement Manager for West Northants Council
Vice Chairperson	Mrs L Baker – Co-opted Governor Term of Office – 1^st September 2023 to 31^st August 2027 Pecuniary Interests - Personal or close family relationship - Married to Mr J Baker (co-opted governor)
Headteacher	Mr K O'Connor (Headteacher) Pecuniary Interests - Personal or close family relationship - Husband works in the Finance Department for Adult Social Care at North Northamptonshire County Council
LA Representative	Mrs C Kirby Term of Office – 1^st September 2023 to 31^st August 2027 Pecuniary Interests - None
Parent Governors (elected)	Mrs Annette Dagwell Term of Office – 26^th November 2023 to 25^th November 2027 Pecuniary Interests - None
	Ms Sally Love Term of Office – 26^th November 2023 to 25^th November 2027 Pecuniary Interests - None
Co-opted Governors (appointed	Mr J Baker Term of Office – 1^st September 2023 to 31^st August 2027 Pecuniary Interests - Personal or close family relationship - married to Mrs L Baker co-opted governor and Vice Chair of the Board of Governors
	Mrs B Martin Term of Office – 1st September 2023 to 31st August 2027 Pecuniary Interests - None
	Vacancy
	Vacancy
Staff Governor	Mrs C Sturman Term of Office – 1^st January 2024 to 31^st December 2027 Pecuniary Interests - None
Clerk to the Governors	Ms L O’Sullivan

Governor / Committees

Committee	Governor Members
Headteacher’s Performance Management	Mr R Scarfe, Mrs L Baker, and Mrs C Kirby
Pay Committee	Mr J Baker, and Mrs B Martin

Link Governors

Link	Governor Members
English	Mrs L Baker, Mrs C Kirby
Early Years Foundation Stage	Mrs C Kirby
French	Mrs C Kirby
Health & Safety	Mr J Baker
Maths	Mr R Scarfe
PE & Sports Premium	Mr J Baker
Pupil Premium	Mr J Baker
Safeguarding	Mr R Scarfe
Special Educational Needs	Mrs B Martin
Connected Curriculum	Mrs L Baker, Mrs C Kirby
Finance	Mr R Scarfe

Governors Documents

Title	Download
ALTS Governors Attendance 2023-2024	Download
Governor Allowances	Download

Governors' Who's Who

R Scarfe Profile

Richard Scarfe

I’m Richard Scarfe I’m Chair of Governors for Alfred Lord Tennyson School.

I worked, most of my working life, at a research centre. Designing systems to improve quality of communication across oceans, creating systems to automatically design integrated circuits and delving into machine learning and artificial intelligence. Towards the end of my working career I concentrated on innovation for all walks of life with many of the largest businesses and industry sectors – health / social services, armed forces, police, banking, retail, logistics, communication, home and education. One of the big messages that stem from conversations with businesses is:

If you want somebody to do a good job, give them a good job to do!

I believe this transfers into education:

If you want children to attend (and do well at) school, make them want to go to school.

The challenge for schools is to provide the best education for children. A question I often ask myself, and others:

Q: How should education prepare children for the future?

From that:

Q: What world can we expect children to inhabit as they grow older?
A: Nobody knows for sure.

I believe children should think of school as a safe, inclusive and enjoyable place where they can learn how to learn. How to learn for life. Not just for learning for academic success – although that may well happen too.

Part of the governor’s role is to challenge the school’s leadership team and see that progress is being made. During recent years I’ve been pleased to see improvements at school for the children and the staff. It’s a particular pleasure seeing the pupils, and staff, grow in confidence and ability.

Carol Kirby

Hello, my name is Carol Kirby. I was appointed as the Local Authority governor in 2020 to Alfred Street Junior School and I became a Co-opted governor to Alfred Lord Tennyson School in September 2023.

I taught Modern Foreign languages, in local State Secondary, Middle and Primary Schools from 1979 until 2014.I was a co-opted governor at my local Maintained Nursery School Federation until 2020. I am passionate about State education provision being the best it can be. The transformational power of education cannot be underestimated. I was the first person in my family to go to university.

My educational background means I can be of most effective use to the school as a link governor for monitoring the curriculum and educational standards at EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

As a governor, apart from my role in supporting and challenging the education provided at ALFO, I particularly enjoy helping with the curriculum enrichment days the staff put on so successfully for our children. I also love assisting with school trips when I can witness the excellent behaviour of our pupils when out in the community. I run extra-curricular clubs like the crochet club and the Languages and culture club and I support events put on by the PTA.

Being a school governor is a truly rewarding activity.

Lynne Baker

I am Lynne Baker, and I joined the governing Body at Alfred Street School, when I retired from Teaching in 2011. I am currently the longest serving member of the Governing Body. I have also been elected as Vice Chair in the freshly amalgamated school, which is a great honour and the start of an exciting opportunity to develop the school as a successful new Primary School.

Within my role as a governor, I have a particular interest in the development of the whole school curriculum and specifically the creative and connected approach, which gives rise to a broad and balanced curriculum, with joy , awe and wonder at the heart of it.

I believe it is most important to build up each pupil’s confidence and self-worth, which will enable them to reach their full potential in a range of skills. I firmly believe that a successful pupil is a happy and fulfilled individual and that learning new skills and feeling confident in using them is the key to a well-grounded and capable adult.

My main role is to monitor the curriculum and standards, and to ensure that improvement is made as swiftly as possible.

My background is in Art and Design, and I was a Head of Art for most of my 39 years teaching career. I was also a Head of Year in a very large Middle School in Bedfordshire. My pastoral role as a Form Teacher and Head of Year, has given me vast insight into problems and difficulties pupils may have to face, and I am keen to ensure that all our young pupils can access the curriculum and acquire the necessary skills to flourish at the next level of education.

Alfred Lord Tennyson School is very dear to my heart, and I attended the Alfred Street site as a 5-year-old until secondary level, as did all my family.

The atmosphere in the school is always welcoming and friendly, and pupils are always ready to speak to me when I go into school, particularly those who have attended my after-school Art clubs. The school now has a golden opportunity to create a diverse and thriving Primary School, in line with most of the other schools in the Town. I am excited for its future, and to have a role in its success.

Jake Baker

I'm Jake Baker. I was appointed a Governor in the Summer of 2022 having been invited by some of my now fellow Governors to join the Board. I have always been interested in children's education having seen how well my own two grown up children have benefitted from a good state educational grounding. I feel passionately about the continuing and ever improving quality of education in all its forms at Alfred Lord Tennyson School, whether it be thriving academically or in sports and am delighted to be able to contribute.

Part of my role is to help the school operate efficiently by being part of the decision-making processes in the best interests of its pupils. I do this by ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction. School Governors not only hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, but also in ensuring it complies with the law. My particular input here is Premises, Health & Safety, PE and Sports Premium. I like to do the best of my ability for the good and benefit of the school's pupils and staff.

I have a military background and so am used to ensuring efficient and smart operations and processes, particularly paying attention to detail in many aspects and believe these are useful transferable skills in my role as a co-opted School Governor for Alfred Lord Tennyson School and in closing, I look forward to learning more and thus giving more to ALTS in the future.

Brenda Martin

Hello I am Brenda Martin. I am a relatively new Governor, serving the last 9 months on Alfred Lord Tennyson School. I was then co-opted on to the Governing board in September 2023 of Alfred Lord Tennyson School.

I moved to Rushden in 2021 from Bedfordshire. I have always been interested in education and worked for over 20 years as a Teaching Assistant working with Children with various needs. I have 2 grown up children, which 1 of them has dyslexia both are in full time employment. I want to support children to be the best possible version of themselves that they can possibly be.

As a Governor I want to make sure that the children have the best access to the curriculum as possible and make their learning journey with the school enjoyable and interesting, and for them to continue to grow in every area.

I look forward to meeting parents at school events as I am keen to be involved as a volunteer as well.

Sally Love

Hello my name is Sally Love.

I am a mum of four; with two of my children having travelled through both schools. I now find myself back in the playground navigating the school runs again.

I am not native to Rushden; having grown up in North London and briefly living in St.Neots. Before settling down to raise my children in Rushden.

Becoming a mum in the playground very much turned Rushden into my home and I have now lived here for nearly twenty years. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Having left school with fairly good grades despite the failing school I attended. It really showed me what can be achieved with hard work and effort. A value I hope I have instilled in my children and the children I have been in contact with.

My working life has always had to fit around my children and from working in various after school clubs in Rushden. I went into working in a special educational needs college locally.

This insight into special educational needs definitely aided me when my son needed an EHC plan.

I am eager to make a difference and to see children reach their potential so I hope I my position as parent governor I can do this.

Annette Dagwell

Hello. I’m Annette Dagwell. I was a Parent Governor at Tennyson Road Infant School for just under 3 years and have just recently been reinstated as a Parent Governor for ALTS.

The reason I want to be a parent governor is to ensure that the board has a parent perspective involved in some of the crucial decisions that need to be made within school.

Having a child at Alfred Lord Tennyson School myself, it matters to me that all children are getting the best education they possibly can and are being taught a diverse and enriched curriculum to prepare them for the next stage at secondary school.

Charlotte Sturban

Charlotte Sturman

Hi I’m Charlotte Sturman, I’m a Level 3 Teaching Assistant that has worked at Tennyson Road infants for 16 years. I also have 3 boys which all came though Tennyson Road and Alfred Street. I was delighted to be nominated for staff governor at ALTS as I’ve held this role for several years at Tennyson Road.

The hands on experience of the school environment has given me a practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face daily which drives my strong belief that every child deserves the best start in life.

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