Welcome to the meet the Governors webpage, from feedback which we received from parents and carers there seems to be little understanding as to the role of the governors and the governing body at Whitehouse Common Primary School. I hope that this page will help to increase that understanding.
The Governing Body at Whitehouse Common primary School is made up of members of the local and school community. There are 18 members on our governing Body. The governing body works closely with the Headteacher, who is responsible for the day to day management of the school. The governing body is part of the school leadership team, responsible for strategic planning and policy development. They work as a team to make sure the school provides a good quality education for all its pupils and we:
- support the school, but not uncritically
- explain its policies to parents and the community
- help to settle its disputes, fairly and conscientiously
- oversee its policies and its use of resources and finances
The governors at Whitehouse Common Primary School work as an effective team, we get together as a full body for a meeting once a term and are also working with the school as either governors with defined responsibilities or as committee members.
Committees
The Governing Body operates 4 committees:
- Finance, Personel, Staffing and Salaries. This committee helps to control the annual school budget which is in excess of £1million.
- Curriculum. This committee works with the heads of the curriculum areas and the teaching staff on standards of student achievement, teaching and learning including the provision of Special Educational Needs.
- Health and safety. Advises the governing body on general safety policies and recommends steps to be taken to ensure that everything feasible is done to promote the safety of staff, students and authorised visitors on the school premises, and that relevant legal obligations are complied with. .
- Happy Hometime Club. The not for profit Before and After school club.
Governors
The governors at Whitehouse Common Primary School are as follows:
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Name: Rob Crosson Position: Chair of Governing Body, Foundation Governor Committees: Finance, Curriculum, Health and Safety, SEN, Pay I have been a governor for 10 years and Chair for the last 5 years. I applied to be a Local Authority Governor in 2003 and was lucky enough to be allocated to Whitehouse Common. I wanted to be a governor to return some of the support I received during my schooldays. I was also, for the first time in my career, able to commit the time to do something for the community. I am am constantly amazed at the energy and enthusiasm the staff consistently demonstrate whilst facing the successive challenges that come with that shared vision of improving the experience of every single child during their time at Whitehouse Common. I suppose the highlight of the last few years is that I have been able to accompany the children on educational visits and on their residential visits to Howtown sharing their experience of learning in a completely different environment. I am also a National Leader of Governance; a role that allows me to support other Chairs of Governors who are new, inexperienced or just struggling to build an effective Governing Body. Chair of governors at Maney Hill School. |
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Position: Head Teacher Since commencing work at Whitehouse Common Primary School in January 2009, I have enjoyed working with all of the school community. Schools governors have gained a cumulative degree of responsibility over the years and here, as in all schools, their role has become increasingly important as schools have gained more independence for their management from local authorities. This has been particularly relevant since we changed status to that of a Foundation school in May 2013 and successfully formed a co-operative trust with six other local schools.The governors here take their great responsibility for the financial and other management of the school very seriously, and have a key role in setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability and acting as a sounding board to myself, the head teacher. I have a range of experience in both business and education and enjoy working in our diverse community that enriches all our lives. For me, working with children, and for the future of our children is most purposeful and rewarding. |
Name: Mrs D Allen|
Position: Chair of Finance Committee, Local Authority Governor Link / Training Governor Committees: Finance, Health and Safety, SEN, HHC, Pay I became a LEA Governor in 2001 & was delighted to be allocated to Whitehouse Common Where both my children started their School days 25 years ago. WHC gave them a very good start & it is great to be part of the fast moving, hard working School of today. I am Chair of the Finance & Personnel Committee and my experience of working as an Accountant for B'ham Council is useful for making the most of the School budget and helping to plan for the future.
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Name: Colin Philpott|
Position: Co-opted Governor Committees: Health, Safety and Premises (Chair), Happy Hometime Club (Chair), Finance and Personnel, Vice Chair to Governors I feel very privileged to be a Co-Opted Governor at Whitehouse Common as this is where I began my learning journey some years ago. I have been very grateful for the solid foundations I was able to develop as an individual, something I feel is really important for all children. I have two boys who both attend school, one in reception and one year three and they thoroughly enjoy themselves which this is a common and positive theme I have noticed at Whitehouse Common, something I believe really aids children's development and learning. As a Senior Manager in the National Health Service, I have spent many years working within the diverse communities of the West Midlands, observing and being part of the richness these provide to all of our lives. Health education is one area where schools, which sit at the heart of communities could add real value to the wider population into the future. As a forward thinking school I look forward to being part of the future plans, and hope to be able to bring some of my experience and knowledge from the public sector to the school to ensure all of our children have the best possible start in life. |
Name: Chris Harris Name: Martine Cowdery
Position: Staff Governor Committees: Finance I have been a support staff governor for eleven years, seeing the school through amalgamation in 2000. Having worked for the Education Department for twenty seven years, I have a wealth of experience to offer. I have been a HLTA for three years and enjoy the flexability it offers, it allows me to teach in key stage 1 and key stage 2. I have a BA Hons degree in Early Years and that is where my heart lies. Declared pecuniary interest: Sister's company is Guardian a company the school have/may use to add film to glass windows. |
 Name: Perminder Balu
Position: Co-opted Governor Committees: N/A Chartered Surveyor with over 17 years’ experience in; project management, planning applications & land negotiation. Originally involved in aggregate & recycling matters before moving into the development of cycling & walking projects and more recently public engagement/ consultation & marketing. On a more informal basis, I’ve 3 children at primary school in Sutton Coldfield and I’m also a qualified British Gymnastics Coach.
I was appointed as a Local Authority Governor (now Co-Opted Governor)to Whitehouse Common Primary School in 2006. Since then I've carried out various roles, including; Vice Chairman of the Premises/Health and Safety Committee, member of the Finance Committee, and Governing Body representative on the Eco Team and Healthy Schools Programme.
My involvement in the school has been extremely engaging as it has undergone some significant changes over the years. Working alongside the staff to continually improve the teaching environment has been a real pleasure. I’m proud to be part of a school that continually strives forward and moreso see the pupils develop and grow stronger & stronger.
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Position: Co-opted Governor
Committees: Curriculum I was fortunate enough to be elected as a Parent Governor at Whitehouse Common in October 2012. I serve on the curriculum committee. I have 3 children at the school, a boy and two girls. I really enjoy being a part of ‘our’ school, and look forward to its continuing successes over the coming years. In my professional life I run a successful business. I am also a part time lecturer at the University of Birmingham. |
Name: Paul Carroll|
Position: Parent Governor Committees: Health and Safety I was elected as a parent governor in October 2011. I serve on the Health and Safety committee. I have a little boy who started Whitehouse Common in September 2011 and a little girl who started the school Nursery in September 2013. I attended Whitehouse Common Primary school myself in the 80's and have some wonderful memories of my time there. I am passionate about educational standards and the important role a parent plays in the partnership within a school. I welcome this opportunity to continue to help the school succeed for the benefit of all our children, representing parents as well as supporting the Head Teacher and staff in decisions that will affect our children's education now and in the future. I have been a teacher myself for 17 years in a local Infant school in Sutton Coldfield.
Teacher Governor at Walmley Infant School.
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Name: Claire Wheeler Name: Fiona Milward
Position: Deputy Head Associate Member Committees: Finance, Curriculum As Deputy Head, I am extremely proud and privileged to be able to play a key role in maintaining and developing the excellent reputation that Whitehouse Common Primary School has amongst the local community. We have a superb and highly committed team of governors and an extremely enthusiastic, hard working, dynamic and talented group of staff. We all share a common vision and set of goals for the school’s future and so it is a real privilege to be able to work with them all to help make our great school even better. Our desire is that every child who attends our school should reach their potential and this ideal is the foundation of everything that we do. The children never cease to amaze us with what they can achieve, as anyone who has ever been fortunate enough to visit one of our assemblies or events (such as our fiftieth anniversary) would agree. I therefore consider myself extremely fortunate that my two daughters attend this school and it is fantastic to see them benefiting from the high quality and rounded education that we offer. |
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Position: Co-opted Governor Committees: Curriculum I thoroughly enjoy being part of the team at Whitehouse Common School. As Assistant headteacher my role involves being part of the leadership team. This includes overseeing the standards and day to day running of Key Stage two. I began my teaching career in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage One. During this initial year of teaching and the following two years, I was responsible for leading and managing the Foundation Stage. Since then, I have taught across all key stages and led a variety of subjects including DT, Art, History and Geography. Currently I am maths and literacy leader and strive to ensure children enjoy and achieve in all aspects of maths, reading and writing. Working with children on a daily basis enables me to see first- hand the fantastic things that happen at Whitehouse Common. The whole team value each other and collaborate well. We all understand the importance of having high expectations in order to excel. As teacher governor I am involved in the strategic decisions of the governing body that are always centered on how we can continue to drive the school forward. I believe it is a privilege to be able to make a difference to the lives of children, staff and the local community through school leadership. |
Name: Lisa Maugham|
Position: Co-opted Governor Committees: Finance Having three children at the school, and being involved in helping the PTA encouraged me to stand as a parent governor in November 2013. I currently sit on the finance committee, which offers a great insight into how the school is working to meet the challenging demands of a limited school budget. I am the named governor for science and numeracy, and I have met with the Numeracy and Science leads to find out how these areas of the curriculum are delivered and assessed. I have been lucky enough in recent years to be invited to talk to many of the year groups about many different aspects of my work as a dentist, as well as visiting my year 4 link class. |
Name: Michael Dixon|
Position: Co-opted Governor Committees: Curriculum
I have taught for over twenty years in a range of primary schools across the north of Birmingham. More latterly, I moved into higher education, firstly at University College Birmingham and for the past seven years at Birmingham City University (BCU). My role here includes assessing trainee teachers in practice. Therefore, I am very familiar with Whitehouse Common Primary School as it is one of my designated schools as Faculty Tutor. When I visit the school, I am always impressed by the warmth, professionalism and dedication of the staff. The children are always placed at the centre of the learning experience and are motivated by the wonderful resources and environment that Whitehouse Common offers. My particular interests are literacy and early years. I volunteered to be a governor in September 2013 as part of BCU's partnership with the Four Oaks Learning Trust for Excellence. I was delighted when the Deputy Head of School at BCU told me I had been allocated Whitehouse Common. |
Name: Lesley Hopkins|
Position: Staff Governor I joined Whitehouse Common Primary School in 2004 and thoroughly enjoy being part of the team. I have been able to teach in all key stages of the school and currently lead the Early Years Foundation Stage. I have successfully led Religious Education and now lead Computing, securing secure our ICT Mark in 2012. I look forward to playing a strategic role in continuing to strive for excellence, for all our children, in my role as governor.
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Name: Harriet Breeze|
Position: Parent Governor Committees: Health and Safety
I am a mum to two daughters, an 18 month old and a very vibrant 5 year old. My eldest daughters love for Whitehouse Common School started when she joined nursery in 2013 and has continued into Reception. The excitement and happiness she displays from being at Whitehouse Common is infectious. This is one of my reasons for becoming a parent governor, ensuring that like my daughter other children enjoy positive experiences and thrive throughout their school life.
I have been employed in the public sector for 18 years. I have worked in partnership with a variety of organisations, and have seen first hand how vital a positive school environment is in shaping a young person's future.
It is a privilege to serve as parent governor and SEN governor at Whitehouse Common School, providing support to both staff and children to ensure that Whitehouse Common continues to provide an outstanding education for our children.
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Name: Sarah BurtonGovernor's Register of Interests
| Name |
Type of Governor |
Office | Term | Committee(s) | Registered Interests |
Safeguard Training Safer Recruitment Training Attended |
| Rob Crosson | Foundation |
Chair of Governors |
2013 - 2017 |
Finance & Personnel Curriculum Health & Safety SEN Pay |
Chair of Governors at Maney Hill School National Leader of Governance |
Safeguarding Training & Safer Recruitment Training |
| Debbie Allen | Head Teacher |
Finance & Personnel Curriculum Health & Saftey SEN HHC Pay |
Staff Member
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Safeguard Lead (DSL) Safer Recruitment Training |
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| Colin Phillpot | Local Authority | Chair of Finance | 2013 - 2017 |
Finance & Personnel Health & Saftey SEN HHC Pay |
None |
Safeguarding Training & Safer Recruitment Training |
| Perminder Balu | Co-opted | 2013 - 2017 | Health & Safety | None | Safeguarding & Protecting Children Training | |
| Lisa Maugham | Co-opted | 2014 -2018 | Curriculum | Staff Member |
Safeguarding Training |
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| Lesley Hopkins | Co-opted | Chair of Curriculum | 2013 - 2017 | Curriculum | Birmingham City University |
Safeguarding Training |
| Chris Harris | Co-opted / Parent |
Vice Chair of Governors Chair of HHC Chair of Health & Safety |
2014 - 2017 |
HHC Health & Safety |
Parent of children attending HHC |
Safeguarding Training (NHS) |
| Paul Carroll | Co-opted | 2013 - 2017 | Curriculum | None | ||
| Mike Dixon | Co-opted | 2013 - 2017 | Finance & Personnel | None | ||
| Sarah Burton | Parent/SEN | 2014 - 2018 |
Health & Safety Inclusion |
None | ||
| Claire Wheeler | Parent | 2011 - 2015 | Health & Safety |
Teacher Governor at Walmley Infant School |
Safeguarding Training |
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| Martine Cowdery | Staff | 2012 - 2016 |
Finance Health & Safety |
Guardian Window Films |
Safeguarding Training |
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| Fiona Milward | Associate Member | No Voting Rights | 2014 - 2018 |
Finance Curriculum |
None |
Safeguarding Training (Deputy DSL) |
| John Horne | Associate Member | No Voting Rights | 2014 - 2018 | Health & Safety | Married to staff member | |
| Harriet Breeze | Staff | 2016 - 2019 | Staff member | Safeguarding Training |
Governor Attendance
To see our records of governor attendance, click the below links.
Previous Governors who have helped the school on its journey:
- Mr Peter Martin (LEA Governor)
- Mrs Valerie Martin (LEA Governor)
- Mrs Julie Morgan (LEA Governor former Chair)
- Mr Martyn Collin (Head Teacher Governor)
- Mrs Helen Sotomayor (Teacher Governor)
- Mrs Suzan Poulton (Parent Governor)
- Mr Robin Wheeler (Parent Governor)
- Mrs Jean Wood (Lea Governor)
- Mr Henry Lacey (Lea Governor)
- Mr Ian Stewart (Parent Governor)
- Mrs Gail Chamberlain (Co-opted Governor)
- Mr Simon Rowney (Co-opted and Parent Governor, former Chair)
- Mrs Marion Daniels (Teacher Governor)
- Mr Giles Wheeler (Parent Governor, former Chair)
- Mrs Katrena Aucott (Co-opted Governor)
- Mrs Sue Eriksen (Parent Governor)
- Mr Jamie Barry (Teacher Governor)
- Miss Chris Tonkinson (Teacher Governor)
- Mr Dale Hill (Head Teacher Governor)
- Mr Japp Vos (former Chair)
- Mrs Nicole Checkley (Deputy Head Governor)
- Mrs Helen Myers (Parent Governor)
- Mr Shafiq Ahmed (Parent Governor)
- Mr Mark Tipton (Parent Governor)
- Bob Pattni (Community Governor)
- Simon Lowndes (Parent Governor)
- Julia Wakefield (Parent Governor)
- Wayne Merrick (Co-opted Governor)
- Nigel Marshall (Co-opted Governor)
- Harriet Breeze (Co-Opted Governor)
- Dean Boyce (Co-Opted Governor)
- Helen Woodman (Clerk to the Governing Body)
- Jane Harper (Staff Governor)
- Carol Duckworth (Foundation Governor)
