Whitchurch Combined School Governing Body

A welcome from the Chair of Governors - Joanne Dallas

As the new Chair of Governors, I am delighted to invite you to the Governors’ section of the website.

It is a privilege to have taken over as the Chair of Governors from the 1st September 2023 having been a governor at the school since February 2022. As a parent of two girls who are both pupils at the school, I am fully committed to both my role as governor and to ensuring the continued success of the school.

At Whitchurch Combined School we have an extremely active Governing Body who work very closely with the Headteacher and all the staff at the school. In broad terms, as a Governing Body we:

•    Take a strategic role in the running of Whitchurch Combined School.
•    Act as a critical friend to the School.
•    Ensure accountability to the school community. 

The Governing Body itself comprises a number of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing a unique set of skills and perspectives, but each with the same belief in the importance of providing an outstanding education to all the children in our school. Governors do not get involved with the day-to-day, operational running of the school but take a strategic overview of what the school is doing, helping to define its ethos and vision and providing guidance to ensure that they are realised and adhered to. The governors also perform a vital role in helping the school to meet its statutory legal obligations by providing checks and balances to ensure that the school is a safe, secure and happy environment in which our children can grow.
 
Whilst the role of a governor is purely strategic, we are all in the privileged position of having insight into the activities of the school which we get through talking with members of staff, parents and children on a regular basis. We are very fortunate that Whitchurch Combined Schools' staff are very open to governor involvement and we frequently take part in school events where we are able to see first-hand the effects of the work that the school is doing. This aids us enormously when making decisions and is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a governor here.

We are always keen to hear from anyone who is interested in becoming a governor and of course, if you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. 
 

Best regards,

Joanne Dallas, Chair of Governors at Whitchurch Combined School

Meet the Governors

Joanne Dallas - Chair of Governors

Local Authority Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Development Governor 

Date Appointed: 10/02/2022 

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 10/02/2022 – 09/02/2026 

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None 

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None 

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 90%

Joanne joined the Board of Governors in February 2022. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Hardwick, both who are pupils at Whitchurch School. Prior to starting her family, Joanne worked in IT Sales managing a number of global accounts. She hopes to bring these skills of setting goals and developing plans to execute them, for both performance and financial gain, to the role of a Governor. Joanne has not had any previous experience in the education sector, however, is passionate about children's physical and mental health and is keen to support the school and its children in its mission to be 'Ready for Tomorrow'. In her spare time Joanne enjoys running and spending time with her family and beloved dog, Molly.

Rachel Mobbs - Headteacher

Headteacher

Responsibilities / Committees: Safeguarding / Curriculum & Finance

Date Appointed: 01/09/2020

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 01/09/2020 to 01/09/2024

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 90%

Rachel has been Headteacher at Whitchurch since September 2016. Before that, Rachel worked at a number of Buckinghamshire School's as a Deputy Head Teacher, Advanced Skills Teacher for English and as a Class Teacher. Rachel loves being the Head Teacher at Whitchurch and can still often be found in classrooms whether that is 'playing shops' with the Reception children or helping the Year 6s with their arithmetic skills! In her spare time, Rachel enjoys socialising with her friends and has recently got married!

Michael Roberts

Parent Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Vice Chair of Governing Body; Finance Governor; Equalities Governor; Staff Dismissals & Pay Appeals Committee

Date Appointed: 18/06/2019

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 18/06/2023 - 17/06/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 100%

Michael has been a parent governor since June 2019.  He and his wife have lived happily in Whitchurch since 2011, and both their children attend the school.  Michael has worked on behalf of business for 30 years on a range of public policy and reputational issues, including as Chief Executive of two trade associations. He is currently Chief Executive of London TravelWatch, the statutory customer watchdog for transport users in the capital. He enjoys sport and is interested in architecture, history and the environment. As governor, he aims to work with his fellow governors, the highly dedicated team at WCS and the wider community to promote the continuous improvement of the school.

Jane Holliday

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Safeguarding, PSHE & HT Performance Management / Finance & Staff Dismissal & Pupil Discipline

Date Appointed: 31/10/2018

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 14/09/2022 - 13/09/2026

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: Trustee of Secondary School MAT

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 80%

Jane joined the Board of Governors in November 2019.  Jane lives in the village and both her children previously attended Whitchurch School in the late 1990s.  At that time Jane worked full time and had little involvement with the School and, now that she has retired (early!), she saw the vacancy for a Governor as the opportunity to contribute back into the school.  In Jane’s former career she was an HR Director for a global fmcg business and also ran her own consultancy for a number of years, and so she brings a knowledge of general management and a commercial perspective to her new role. Jane is a member of the Finance and Management Committee and her first impression of being a Governor is just how much reporting and data is involved in running a school!

Sam Rider

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Vice Chair of Governing Body; Health & Safety,  Numeracy, Swimming Governor, Curriculum

Date Appointed: 08/02/2022

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 08/02/2022 - 08/02/2026

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

 FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 60%

Sam (for over 50 years, officially Simon) had two daughters at WCS from April 1997- December 1998 before relocating them, their younger brother and his wife to The Hague for 4 years for his work as European CEO of a global US sports retailer. While in Holland, he spent 3 years as parent governor of the British School of the Netherlands, contributing to the committee responsible for the building of the extension to the senior school site as well as coaching rugby to the ‘Benjamins’ (as the 5-7 year olds were called). Returning to Whitchurch almost 20 years ago, Sam continued in international sports and fashion retail until retiring from corporate life in 2020. He continues to provide consultancy services to the sector and for the past 3 years has worked on a not-for-profit project which looks to raise funds for mental health improvements for emergency responders. He became a school governor to add his experiences to those of the current team and to provide support where appropriate in making the local school a better place for the whole community.

Emma Lawes

Co-opted Governor 

Responsibilities / Committees: Child Protection, Performance Management, Sustainability 

Date Appointed: 10/02/2022 

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 10/02/2022 – 09/02/2026 

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None 

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 90% 

Emma joined the Board of Governors in February 2022 and has recently moved to Whitchurch, having previously lived and worked in London. Her experience covers not-for-profit funding in a range of sectors including education, healthcare and local authority, with a focus on energy efficiency and climate change. More recently she has worked as a Grants Manager in a well-known scientific organisation supporting international research. Emma is keen to bring this experience to the governing body, while supporting the school and local community. Outside of work she enjoys exploring the local area, baking and travelling. 

Mark Soar

Staff Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Deputy Headteacher / Curriculum

Date Appointed: 09/10/2017

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 09/10/2021 - 08/10/2025

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 80%

Mark is the Deputy Head at Whitchurch Combined School and has been a Governor here since September 2017 upon his arrival at the school. He has worked as a teacher and governor across Buckinghamshire for the last 15 years. As part of his role as Governor, he enjoys supporting other colleagues in developing a strategic vision for the school. Outside of school, Mark runs a local Junior football team and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Kate Webster

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities/Committees: Pupil Premium Governor, SEND Responsibility / Curriculum

Date Appointed: 15/06/21

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 15/06/21 – 14/06/25

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: Governor of a Local Authority Primary School in Kent

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023: 90%

Kate joined the Board of Governors in June 2021, having moved to the local area from Kent earlier in the year.  Having been involved in Governance in two schools in Kent for over 8 years and with time on her hands, she was keen to continue in this voluntary role and share her expertise with a local Primary school.  Her granddaughter has recently started at Whitchurch Combined School so this is the ideal school to support.  Prior to retirement, Kate taught in a Primary School for 14 years, with Science and school productions being her specialisms. She enjoys exploring the Buckinghamshire countryside when not looking after her grandchildren and hopes to resume travelling abroad when restrictions allow this.

Jo Brant 

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: SEN Responsibility, Literacy and Early Years Governor 

Date Appointed: 29/03/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  29/03/2023 to 29/03/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023 (since April 2023): 100%

Jo joined the Board of Governors in April 2023 after moving to the village in the summer of 2021. She grew up in and attended schools in Buckinghamshire, so feels passionately about supporting the local education. Jo works as an equine vet in the local area and looks forward to bringing her professional and communication skills from this role to contribute to the governing body, as well as becoming more involved with the village community. Jo has a young son, currently at nursery, who will hopefully attend the school in the future. Outside of work and family life, Jo enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding and exploring the countryside with her partner, son and her dog, Hugo.

Aran Batth

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Data Protection and Digital Filtering Governor

Date Appointed: 29/03/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  29/03/2023 to 29/03/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2022/2023 (since April 2023): 75% 

Aran joins the Board of Governors with the new status of full-time inhabitant of the village. Along with his partner, he has been renovating a cottage in Whitchurch since the pandemic and hence had only been a part-timer until early 2023. With a background in Academic research, and having lectured, tutored and mentored students from 11+ to PhD level - he hopes to bring a zest for promoting the importance of Education to the Board. Working for the growth of KS1 and KS2 students will be a new and healthy challenge. Aside from strong interests in Education and welfare, Aran wishes to share skills gained in other sectors. He is currently a Senior Data Scientist in a FTSE-100 company coding up AI capabilities, and previously worked for the financial regulatory authority in the UK focussed on Capital Markets. Diverse skills means for passion towards topics including data, STEM, policy and conduct. Outside of work, Aran has a love for oil painting, exploring Bucks and connecting with family & friends, and sometimes cottage renovations.

School Governing Body

The instrument of government states that the governing body shall consist of:

• 1 Headteacher

• 1 LA Governor

• 1 Staff Governor

• 2 Parent Governors

• 6 Co-opted Governors

School's Financial Data

Please Click here to view our School's Financial Data

Please Note: We have no school employees earning in excess of £100,000