Governors
What do the governors do?
- Governors are responsible for ensuring clarity of the school’s vision and direction.
- They hold the headteacher (who is also a governor) to account for the performance of the school, its pupils and staff.
- The board also oversees the financial performance of the school and makes sure money is well spent.
- The governing body is responsible for supporting the school in providing a learning and teaching environment that safeguards children and encourages high achievement.
The role of individual school governors
Each school governor takes an interest in at least one area of the school’s work, such as special educational needs, safeguarding, premises, finance or curriculum areas. Governors visit the school three times a year to be updated on and monitor their areas, then they report back to the governing body.
Who are your governors?
- Chair: Joe Jardine - temp Chair for the remainder of the academic year: Parent governor at Fairlight since 2016. I have worked in the public and government sector for the past 10 years, focusing at various times on finance, child protection and national security. I currently work as the joint Premises Governor lead and the joint Finance Governor lead. I am passionate about child health and wellbeing and, after years of commuting to London, wanted to participate more in community life in Brighton.
- David Harvey: As Clerk to the Governors I provide advice and support to the Governing Body, which includes administrative work such as arranging meetings and taking the minutes.
- Damien Jordan: Teacher governor: Fairlight is the third school at which I have been a member of the governing body. My role as the Headteacher is to share and report information about the school but also to implement decisions made by the governing body. I meet directly with the Chair of Governors as my direct link as the Headteacher.
- Nicola Yuill: Governor at Fairlight since 1998, first as a parent of a child at the school and more recently as a member of the local community. I have 30 years’ experience of scientific research into child development and my governor responsibilities have included a focus on literacy and on quality of teaching and learning.
- Miguel Vanoostende: Co-opted Governor at Fairlight since 2013. I started being Governor at Whitehawk Primary School in 2012, when my son was attending the school. I am trained as an architect and I have been working since 2002, mainly focused on building sites, before coming to the UK. My role as a Governor is to supervise, alongside the joint Premises Governor, all aspects related to Premises and Health and Safety, ensuring we take all the affordable measures to provide a safe and enjoyable learning environment for the children.
- Victoria Southwell: biographical details to follow
- Joe Jardine: Parent governor at Fairlight since 2016. I have worked in the public and government sector for the past 10 years, focusing at various times on finance, child protection and national security. I currently work as the joint Premises Governor lead and the joint Finance Governor lead. I am passionate about child health and wellbeing and, after years of commuting to London, wanted to participate more in community life in Brighton.
- Glen Ferris: Parent governor at Fairlight since 2016. I have nearly 20 years’ journalistic experience working as a writer, editor and producer for various print titles and web sites. My role as communications governor is to make sure the school has great links with local news outlets and businesses.
- Joe Hilling: Parent Governor since 2019. I work for over 10 years as director of innovation for a communications research company. I currently work within the teaching and learning governors subgroup focusing primarily upon mathematics and monitoring.
- Alison Edwards: Governor at Fairlight since 2015. I have worked in education for more than 20 years, principally in the independent sector where I was also an inspector for nine years, but more recently in maintained schools locally. My role is to focus on outcomes for pupils, looking at the school's assessment data and meeting regularly with staff and pupils involved.
Copies of the Governors Minutes can be accessed via the Clerk to the Governors who can be contacted via the School Office.