Sarah Merewood - Chair of Governors

I have been Chair of Governors at Wickham since July 2017. I originally joined as a Parent Governor in 2015 when my son was in Year 1, and now my daughter also attends the school. I am a resident in Knowle so have an awareness of the local area and all stakeholders in the community.

I wanted to be a governor to make a difference to the life chances of the children that attend the school, using my professional experiences and skill set to support the development of the school. It is a privilege to have this role and work with the school staff, children and parents to enhance learning opportunities and create a thriving environment. I am excited about the journey the school is on and enjoy seeing the positive outcomes for the school community.

Graham Cutter - Head Teacher

I qualified as a teacher in 2001 and joined Wickham Primary School in January 2020, following five years in post as the headteacher at another local school, where I also served on the governing body. I am extremely passionate about teaching and learning and have the highest of expectations of both pupils and staff. I believe that a strong relationship with all stakeholders is central to a school’s success and I enjoy working in close partnership with all involved in the education of our children.

Janet Sinclair

I was in the teaching profession as a primary school teacher until I retired several years ago. Soon after, I was approached by the chair of governors of Wickham Primary who asked me to join the governing body. I was delighted as I was already missing being involved with schools, especially the children. I am enjoying the role of governor immensely.

 Kathryn Holladay

I am a new arrival to the Governing Body, having started in 2022 although I have lived in the village for 16 years. My career has been in education, mainly at secondary level, but I have had teaching and leadership experience in a variety of schools. I look forward to using my skills to benefit the education and positive development of pupils at the school. I have already been impressed by the dedication, professionalism, and commitment of the staff as well as the support and encouragement given to the pupils.

 Victoria Foulkes

I have worked in IT for over 25 years and currently hold a position within the world’s largest media and advertising agency as a Senior Business Partner for our North America region. My responsibilities are heavily focused on driving a technology strategy that helps the business to achieve their goals, a role I thoroughly enjoy and one that requires/enables a varied skillset.

I have held strong connections with Wickham Primary School since 2015 when my daughter Eloise joined Year R. My son Jude is currently thriving in Squirrels class. I have always enjoyed volunteering within the ‘Friends of Wickham Primary School’ charity team to help fundraising which has enabled many fantastic contributions over the years.  One of my personal values is to ‘give back’ so joining the governing body felt like a natural step to support the fantastic journey the school is currently on.

 Laura Appleton

I have two children who attend Wickham Church of England Primary School and think it is such a great school. In 2023 I decided I wanted to do something more within the school so have volunteered to be a governor.  My career to date has been within the Fresh Produce industry, supplying the retailers salads products and now fresh herbs. I work within a sales and commercial environment and felt I could bring my skills from this to support the school. I sit on the resources committee where I hope to gain an understanding of how the finances of a school work and provide support with monetary decisions. 

Emilie Holland    

I am a family solicitor and joined the team of School Governors in 2023.  I live locally and my child attends the pre-school and am therefore passionate about the success of the pre-school, the school and their place in the local community.

Ben Cooper

Since 2019, I have watched my three children move through the Wickham Church of England Primary School ecosystem and grow into kind, respectful, and resilient individuals. This is a testament to the school’s nurturing environment and strong values. I firmly believe that a thriving primary school lies at the heart of a community like Wickham, offering every child the opportunity to excel academically, socially, and emotionally.

Professionally, I bring experience in leadership, financial oversight, and strategic planning, having led diverse teams and managed resources effectively in challenging environments. I am passionate about state-led education, with a family background in teaching and a deep respect for the dedication of educators and support staff that make schools function.

Katie Shotter

I am a teacher at a local CE Primary School, currently working with Year 1 children. My experience extends to teaching Pre-School aged children, as well as Year R and Year 6. As a career changer, I bring a wealth of experience from my previous background in the emergency services.

I am a parent of a son in Year 3 who has special educational needs (SEN) and a daughter attending university, I deeply understand the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all children. Driven by my passion for inclusivity, I am committed to ensuring that every child reaches their full potential.

Sarah Woods

I joined Wickham CE Primary as a new governor in 2024 wanting to contribute to the opportunities and life chances of the children here. I am a social worker by profession and am an advocate for equal opportunities for all children whatever their additional needs may be. I am a mother and grandmother, so children are always important to me.

I play the piano and percussion and love being able to play in orchestras. I am part of the music team at my church. I have two dogs so enjoy going for daily walks in the woods.

I look forward to making a helpful contribution to the lives of the children at Wickham CE Primary.

June Haynes

Based at Hampshire County Council, I join the governing body with several years knowledge of the educational system from a local authority perspective. My current role includes ensuring that County Councillors make sound and appropriate decisions across all aspects of living, working and education, on behalf of the residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. I have one grown-up daughter who recently completed her educational journey, at which point I felt it was an appropriate time to share my experiences as both a parent and a professional. As a volunteer, I have run both a Rainbow and Brownie group, which was at the heart of our local community, so it seemed a natural progression for me to help support this local community school.

Laura Craft 

Staff governor. 

Meeting Information

The Full Governing Body, chaired by Sarah Merewood, meets twice each term. 

The Full Governing Body has established two supporting committees, which undertake much of the detailed work of the Governing Body and report to the Full Governing Body:

The Achievement Committee is chaired by Janet Sinclair and meets once each term.

The Resources Committee is chaired by Victoria Foulkes and meets twice each term.

Full governing body and committee minutes are in the public domain. The minutes of a particular meeting can be obtained by contacting the school office.

Governing Body Members

Wickham Church of England Primary School has 14 governors, consisting of:

• 4 Foundation Governors
• 5 Co-opted Governors
• 2 Parent Governors
• 1 Local Authority Governor
• 1 Headteacher
• 1 Staff Governor

We can be contacted via the school office or by email:

governing.body@wickham-primary.hants.sch.uk  

The Role of a Governor:

Our role is to support the head teacher and the staff in providing the best possible educational environment for the children at our school. We have overall responsibility for the school's strategic direction, specifically:

• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• To hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• To oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent 

We also carry out a number of other important duties, which include:

• Determining how the school's budget is spent
• The appointing and dismissing of staff
• Hearing appeals and grievances
• Forming policy on the school's curriculum and collective worship
• Setting standards for pupils' behaviour and discipline
• Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
• Setting and monitoring the school's aims and policies 
• We ensure the school provides for ALL pupils
• We ensure that the National Curriculum is taught
• We contribute to how the school can encourage pupils' spiritual, moral and cultural development

Term and Appointment

Governors at Wickham Church of England Primary are appointed for a 4 year term. Each category of governor is appointed in a different way:

Parent Governors: Parents will receive a letter when a vacancy arises inviting nominations. Where there are more parents wishing to serve as governors than vacancies, an election is held. If there are fewer parents than vacancies, parents can be elected unopposed.

Headteacher: The Headteacher is a member of the Governing Body by virtue of their position.

Staff Governors: The staff governor is elected by the school staff – any election which is contested must be held by ballot.

Authority Governors: Nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body. Appointments are made on the basis of the individual’s interests and experience at work, home or elsewhere which may be relevant to being a governor.

Co-opted Governors: Appointed by the Governing Body. Appointments are made taking into account the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Foundation Governors: Appointed by the Diocese.

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT (VARIATION)

1.     The name of the school is Wickham Church of England Primary School

2.    The school is a voluntary controlled school

3.    There is a Trust Deed for the school dated 1868

4.    Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.

You don't have to have children at the school to be a governor. However, you do have to be over 18, and pass a formal check for your suitability to be within a school. No specific qualifications are required but there are certain expectations. Governors attend regular training sessions to help keep up to date with changes in educational policies and the law. What's really important is that you have energy, enthusiasm, time and a real desire to help provide children with the best possible education.

Governors come from all sections of the community, and all walks of life. They can be parents, staff at the school, residents’ in the locality or representatives of local churches or businesses. It is important that you can work as part of a team, and can give commitment to the school.

If you think you have what it takes to be a school governor there are a number of ways of finding schools that have vacancies:

• You can contact your local school to ask if they need a new governor
• You can contact SGOSS - Governors for Schools, which recruits Governors nationally
• You can contact your local council
• You can use the inspiring the future website

Declaration of Interests

Attendance of Meetings