Our Governors
The Governing Body
What is the Governing Body?
The Governing body is made up of individuals drawn from different parts of our school’s life: parents, staff, members of the community, and church. Governors are ordinary people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education.
In November 2018, the school officially became an academy within the London Diocesan Board for Schools Academies Trust 2. This meant that all Governors were appointed to new terms of four years by the Trustees of the Trust, and our work is determined by a Scheme of Delegation from the Trust. If you’d like to understand this better, you can read the Scheme of Delegation by clicking here. The Governing board is now called the “Local Academy Committee” or LAC for short.
What do Governors / Committee members do?
Committee members work with the school leadership to ensure high standards of achievement for all children in the school by:
- Setting the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
How do I make contact with the Local Academy Committee?
Many of our non-staff Committee members are frequently in school and at school events, and are always happy to have a conversation about any aspect of our school’s life.
However you can also contact them by asking the school office to pass on a message or by emailing them at:
Who are St Richard’s Local Academy Committee?
In addition to the Headteacher, our Local Academy Committee is made up of:
- 2 Foundation LAC members appointed by the LDBS Academies Trust 2
- The Incumbent of St Richards Church appointed by the LDBS Academies Trust 2
- 2 Elected Parent LAC members
- 1 Elected Staff LAC member
Our current Committee members are as follows:
Mrs Anne Messer
Anne has been a governor since January 2018 and a Chair of the LAC since January 2019. She has previously worked in law and public policy and now spends her time caring for her family and doing volunteer work. She loves walking her cocker spaniel in Richmond Park, reading fiction, and swimming in the sea (when it’s warm!). She’s married with two teenage sons.
Mrs Cecilia Thwaites
Cecilia has been a governor since December 2017. She used to work at BBC Schools TV then CBeebies Interactive and is now the editor of a children’s website. Throughout her son’s primary and secondary school, she was an active member of the PTA. She loves scuba-diving, skiing, cycling, reading. Now that her son’s at uni, she’s privileged to continue supporting children’s education as a governor at this lovely school!
Mrs Anna Juniper
Mr. Mayank Taneja
Mayank joined the governing board in June 2019. He is passionate about helping people and organisations find the right solutions to their business needs and challenges. He works as a procurement consultant with a leading European frozen foods brand. In his free time, he likes to read spiritual and motivational books.
Revd. Debs Wignall
Rev. Debs became a governor at the start of 2021 having become vicar of St Richard’s Church in November 2020. Prior to becoming a vicar Debs worked in education, including as a Primary School Teacher and so is delighted to be here in Hanworth with the opportunity to contribute to the flourishing of the St Richard’s family, including the church and school. She is enjoying exploring the local area and is a keen gardener. Debs is married and has two adult sons and a daughter-in-law.
Governor Vacancies
We currently have vacancies for two Parent LAC Members. If you are interested in becoming a Parent Governor, please contact the school office.Governors Report to Parents
Workings of the Local Academy Committee
The LAC does not distribute its work amongst individual committees; instead we all meet monthly. Advantages are that all members have involvement in all of the key issues, such as the quality of teaching and finance. Issues can be tackled promptly and time is not wasted reporting individual committee decisions.
Named LAC Member Responsibilities
Although we meet as a full committee, LAC members each take an area of responsibility within the school. These are as follows:
Admissions: Rev. Debs Wignall
Curriculum: Anne Messer (Science, Art, Design & Technology, Music), Cecilia Thwaites (English, Humanities, MFL), Mayank (Mathematics, Computing), Rev. Debs Wignall (RE, PE & PSHE)
Health & Safety, Premises: Mayank Taneja
Inclusion and SEND: Cecilia Thwaites
Safeguarding: Anne Messer
Finance: Anne Messer & Mayank Taneja
GDPR & Website: Mayank Taneja
Pay and Performance: Rev. Debs Wignall and Anne Messer
Meeting Minutes
The public minutes from each Local Academy Committee meeting can be accessed by clicking on the links below: LAC Minutes - September 2022
Attendance
A record of governor attendance at Local Academy Committee meetings can be found here:
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