Meet the Governors
Welcome - Local Governing Body
Stanford Primary School is part of the PACE Academy Trust, a small multi-academy trust with five schools in Merton and Croydon. The Trust works to make a positive difference in all its schools and seeks greater educational opportunities for all of our children. Within PACE each individual school has its own local governing body which works to support the local school leaders. PACE also has an overall Trust Strategic Board that supports the Chief Executive, Zoe Harris, in leading the whole Trust.
Stanford Local Governing Body
At Stanford we have a local governing body which is made up of the Head of School, Francine David, up to eight Trust appointed governors, two staff governors and two parent governors. Local governing body governors play an important role in making key strategic decisions, in support of the Head of School who is the operational leader of the school. The governing body works to support the Head of School by collective decision-making and responsibility. Governors do not represent the individual interests of parents, staff or any particular group within the school or wider community, rather their focus is on the overall outcomes and direction of the school. We are always interested in hearing from members of our local community who think they could play a role in developing Stanford Primary School.
What is the commitment expected at Stanford from our governors?
Our local governing body meets twice per term in order to monitor and evaluate the progress against the Stanford’s ‘Development Plan’ which sets out all of the areas for development across the school. We also hold a ‘Standards Meeting’ once per term which looks at the academic performance of pupils.
We encourage governors to visit school during the school day to experience school life. A comprehensive training programme is provided which includes a two-part course for new governors – this is held in the early evening in Merton or Sutton and is run by Merton and Sutton Local Authority. Our governors have online access to the National Governance Association portal which is an excellent source of advice and guidance.
The local governing body strives to provide support and challenge to the leadership team of the school and to address issues that affect the teaching, learning and welfare of our children in order that they achieve the best possible outcomes. We are growing the capacity of our governing body. Above all, we seek governors with enthusiasm for positively supporting Stanford in its development. As a school, there is much to do and our governors play an important role in encouraging and taking forward our plans for Stanford.
The local governing body fulfils its statutory duties to ensure the school is safe, healthy and an inclusive environment. We have a dedicated governor who has a focus on Safeguarding and another who has a focus on Special Educational Needs and Disability.
What are the rewards of being a governor at Stanford?
Being a governor is a position of influence in our school and governors take their responsibilities seriously, generously giving their time to make a genuine commitment in their local community. Governors feel a special connection to the school, understanding how it works from within and how considerable the challenges are for school leaders. We support our school leaders in fulfilling that leadership responsibility. It is rewarding to be involved in an organisation which is shaping children’s lives.
| Current Governors |
Governor Category |
Attendance 2020/21 |
Attendance 2021/22 |
Attendance 2022/23 |
Interest Declared |
|
Ben Cranham
|
Chair
28/09/2021 - 08/07/2024 |
7/7 |
8/8
|
8/8 |
None declared |
| Elizabeth Parrish |
Vice-Chair 28/05/2021 - 27/05/2025 |
1/1 | 6/8 | 7/8 | None declared |
| Francine David |
Ex-officio HT |
7/7 | 7/8 | 8/8 | Head of School |
| Atalanta Fitzgerald |
Trust Governor 14/06/2022 - 13/06/2026 |
n/a | n/a | 8/8 | None declared |
| Nicole Nyamwiza |
Trust Governor 27/09/2022 - 26/09/2026 |
n/a | n/a | 6/8 | None declared |
|
Danny Jeyasingham |
Parent Governor 18/10/2021 - 17/10/2025 |
n/a | 5/8 | 8/8 |
None declared |
|
Helen Gilroy |
Staff Governor 27/09/2022 - 26/09/2026 |
n/a | n/a | 7/8 |
None declared |
|
Sobia Irfan |
Parent Governor 02/03/2023 - 01/03/2027 |
n/a | n/a | 3/4 |
None declared |
| Gemma Brusadelli | Clerk |
No Governor has declared an interest arising from a relationship with a staff member or relative
Left the Governing Board within 12 months
| Name | Role | Attendance |
| Paulina Kozub | Parent Governor | 4/4 |
| Jo Grinter | Associate Governor | 2/2 |
| Becki Hemming | Trust Governor | 5/8 |
| Esmeralda Nolan | Trust Governor | 5/8 |
Governor Pen Portraits 2023/24
Please click on the links below for the following statutory documents.
Articles of Association and Funding Agreements for PACE Trust