Oakham C of E Primary School and The Parks School share a Governing Body which meets 5 times per academic year.

My name is Stewart Needham,  I am the Chair of Governors for Oakham C of E Primary & The Parks School. My role is to assist the Governing Body in carrying out its duties.  I have served on the governing body since 29th January 2018. I feel very passionate about our schools and primary education in general as I believe it represents the most influential years of our children’s lives. I want to ensure that everything we do as the governing board is focused on providing the best possible start in education for all of our children.

The Governors are similar to directors in a business, and act as ‘critical friends’ to the Executive Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team.  Governors work with the Executive Headteacher on strategic and developmental issues, and on target setting, performance management and appraisal.  They visit the schools to meet members of the Senior Leadership Team and to carry out their responsibilities in terms of monitoring and providing oversight.  However, the Executive Headteacher alone is responsible for the day to day management of the schools.

Minutes of Full Governing Body meetings and committee meetings are available, on request, from the school office.

If you wish to contact the Governing Body, please email Mrs Sharon Spencer, Clerk to the Governors,  sspencer@rltschools.com who will direct your query to the most appropriate Governor.

If you have any comment for, or need to contact, the chair of governors please email Stewart Needham: oakhamchair@rltschools.com or leave a message at the school office.

Governance Structure

As part of the Rutland Learning Trust, The local governing board work collaboratively and in partnership with the board of trustees. The board of trustees delegate certain governance functions to the local govering board.  

As the local governing board, we set the strategic direction and make decisions about Oakham C of E Primary & The Parks School. Local governors work closely with school staff to understand and monitor financial, academic & improvement progress. For more details about how the Rutland Learning Trust & Local Governing bodies are structures, including our scheme of delegation, please visit our trust website.

Rutland Learning Trust Governance Structure

Our local Governing Body uses the trusts committee structure and Governor Champions to undertake our monitoring and evaluation.  The membership and terms of reference of committees are reviewed annually. 

The committees are: Business Committee & Headteacher Performance Management. 

Some of our committees are given delegated powers to make decisions that do not require approval from the local governing body as per the scheme of delegation.  In addition, like many governing bodies, we sometimes form working groups to focus on specific projects or areas to develop. 

Instrument of Governance

An Instrument of Government is the legal document for Local Authority schools that records the constitution of the governing body and the term of office for each category of governor as well as the name of the schools.

Governors of Oakham Church of England Primary School and The Parks School

All governors are required annually to declare any interests they may have in relevant businesses or other educational establishments.  All information relating to this as well as details of all current governors can be found below.

Declaration of interests and further relevant information.

  • There are no other relevant business interests for our governors to declare.
  • None of our governors have declared that they have any extra governing roles in other schools.

Name Position Appointing Body Date of Appointment Date of Term End
Mr Ben Searle Co-opted Governing Board 24/09/2020 23/09/2024
Mrs Alison Swinscoe Co-opted Governing Board 23/09/2021 22/09/2025
Mrs Victoria Maxwell Co-opted Governing Board 24/09/2020 23/09/2024
VACANCY Co-opted Governing Board    
VACANCY Co-opted Governing Board    
VACANCY Co-opted Governing Board    
VACANCY LA LA    
Mrs Liz Needham Foundation Diocese 22/09/2023 21/09/2027
Rev Stephen Griffiths Foundation Diocese 07/11/2018 Ex-officio
VACANCY Foundation Diocese    
Mr Steve Cox Staff (Head) Governing Board 24/08/2015 Ex-officio
Mrs Caroline Abdul-Raham Parent (The Parks) Parent Election 15/06/2021 14/06/2025
VACANCY Parent (The Parks) Parent Election    
Mrs Alex Gregory Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election 15/06/2021 14/06/2025
Sarah Potrykus Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election 01/02/2022 31/01/2026
Mr Stewart Needham (Chair) Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election 01/02/2022 31/01/2026
Mark Davis Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election 01/02/2022 31/01/2026
VACANCY Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election    
Mrs Claire Wade Staff (OCOEP) Staff Election 24/09/2020 23/09/2024
VACANCY  Staff (OCOEP) Staff Election    
VACANCY  Staff (The Parks) Staff Election    
VACANCY  Staff (The Parks) Staff Election    

Governors who have served in the past 12 months

Name Position Appointing Body Date of Appointment Date of Term End
Mrs Diane Wensley Co-opted Governing Board 12/06/2021 15/03/2023
Mrs Natasja Deacon Parent (OCOEP) Parent Election 01/02/2022 11/10/2023

 

 

Governors Attendance (Previous Year)

NameTerm 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
NO FGB
Alison
Swinscoe
Apologies
Ben
Searle
Caroline
Abdul-Rahim
Natasja
Deacon
ApologiesApologiesApologies
Mark
Davis
ApologiesApologies
Sarah
Potrykus
ApologiesApologiesApologies
Victoria
Maxwell
Apologies
Steven
Griffiths
ApologiesApologiesApologiesApologies
Liz
Needham
Steven
Cox
Alex
Gregory
Apologies
Claire
Wade
ApologiesApologiesApologiesApologies
Sharon
Spencer
Stewart
Needham
Diane
Wensley
ApologiesApologiesRetiredRetiredRetired