I have worked in education for over 30 years, as a Teacher, Headteacher, Executive Headteacher and Associate Her Majesty ‘s Inspector (HMI) working for Ofsted. I retired from Headship in 2021 and have a small consultancy business working as a School Improvement Advisor.
In my free time I volunteer for organisations including working as a Trustee for the Great Brickhill Charity Trust, Home Cook for Unity MK, Member of The Crofty Multi-academy Trust (Cornwall) and as a ‘listener’ for The Samaritans.
I have been the Chair of Governors in an interim capacity at a number of schools as they have transitioned through from weak or no governance to establishing a functioning board.
My strengths are in leading improvements in the academic, social and emotional outcomes for children and she has a strong knowledge of educational systems, the National Curriculum and the Ofsted Framework. I have led and/or advised to several local schools in the Houghton Regis area and have a good working knowledge of procedures at the local authority and at a national level.
The role of the Governing body is to work with the Headteacher and the full school team to get the best education for all the children attending the school allowing all pupils to achieve their potential. There is a distinction between what the Governing Body do, i.e. to make sure that, as far as possible, we monitor what is being done to ensure it is being done in a fair, consistent and unbiased manner and that of the Leadership team of the school do which is to “manage the school” (and all members of the school team from teachers, teaching assistants, admin staff, cleaners, dinner staff, etc.). In fact, the role of a Governor is often described as that of a “Challenging friend”.
As with all schools there are things that may not be going for your child the way you would wish it to go. In those circumstance the school has a “complaint policy” that can be viewed on the school website under the “Our School” – “Policies” tab. It asks that in the first instance you try to address those concerns with the class teacher or if that is not possible, for whatever reason, then it should be raised with the Deputy Head or the Headteacher.
If the member of staff directly involved feels unable to deal with a concern, the Headteacher should be notified, and they will refer you to another staff member. The ability to consider the concern objectively and impartially is very important and we would like the concern to be addressed as soon as possible by the person who can resolve the matter. If the concern, or complaint, is actually about the Head teacher then the concern should be raised in the first place with me, the Chair of Governors. I can be contacted via the following email address governingbody@houghtonregisprimary.co.uk
Currently, our Governing Body is composed of individuals who bring a wealth of experience and expertise from various professional fields. However, we acknowledge that there is a disparity between the diversity within our board and that of the broader community. This gap is most evident in the underrepresentation of certain ethnic, gender, and socio-economic groups. Addressing the diversity gap on our Governing Body is an ongoing journey and we are committed to continuous improvement and accountability in this area.
The governing body recognises the importance of such diversity and would welcome applications that would create a more inclusive and equitable environment reflecting the diversity of our students and local community.
On behalf of my fellow Governors, we hope to continue to speak to as many of you as possible and to continue to look to you for your support in making Houghton Regis Primary School the best we can.
Regards
Deborah Pargerter
Chair of Governors, Houghton Regis Primary School
