The Governing Body

Governor's Statement

The governors of Knebworth School take pride in supporting the staff and children to deliver our vision. We engage in all aspects of school life with care and attention and are always pleased to hear from parents and stakeholders with views, questions and issues. Parents and guardians may contact us by emailing the school office. The statutory information for our governors can be viewed by downloading the files below.

What the Governors Do

The Governing Board of Knebworth Primary School has overall legal and strategic responsibility for the school and is made up of four categories:

Parent Governors (2) elected by parents
LA Governor (1) appointed by Hertfordshire County Council
Co-opted Governors (9) co-opted by the governing body to maintain and develop the school’s links with its community
Staff Governors (2) including the Headteacher

Governors work collectively as a ‘whole team’, meeting once in each half-term, without any separate committees. The Board meets at least six times a year, considers monitoring reports and recommendations, makes decisions and conducts routine business. In addition to this, the Board receive regular written reports from the Headteacher. Governors work in partnership with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, supporting the delivery of the school’s vision and values.

An annual planner and agenda for each meeting contains all the tasks which the Board is required to consider, and the Board may commission working groups or other activities arising from the business of the meeting. Any commissioned working groups will have agreed terms of reference and will report any findings, actions or recommended decisions to the Board at its next meeting.

In addition to commissioning activities or actions on their behalf, the Board, to ensure its core functions are fulfilled, will delegate monitoring responsibilities to monitoring pairs or individuals. The Board recognises that the delegated monitoring individuals/pairs are replacing committees in terms of responsibility when undertaking their monitoring and reporting back to the Board. The Board recognises that all decisions are made by the full Board and no financial delegated authority is given to monitoring pairs. In each case where a function has been delegated, there is a statutory duty for the delegated governor/s to report, by written monitoring reports, any findings, actions or recommended decisions to the Board in time for its next meeting to enable informed collective strategic decision-making.

In addition to monitoring specific subjects and priorities within the School Development Plan, individual governors are responsible for the following areas:

Safeguarding
Inclusion/SEND/PPG
Headteacher’s performance review
Finance
Premises, Health & Safety
Risk register
Wellbeing & Mental Health
Equalities

Governors at Knebworth Primary School are recruited based on skills and are required to attend mandatory induction and safeguarding training upon appointment. The board subscribes to the Herts for Learning Governor Training package, to which all governors have access to.

We currently have vacancies on our Governing Body. Scroll to the bottom of this page for further information.

The Knebworth School Governing Body

James Lawson (Acting Chair)

I am delighted to join the governing body at Knebworth Primary School. I have worked in the education sector for 5 years with a background in finance and health and safety. Within this time, I have gained experience of governance and look forward to sharing my knowledge with Knebworth. I am also the chair of governors at another local school and a school business manager at a voluntary aided church of England school. When time allows, I enjoy walking, cooking and playing sports!

Sim Bains (Headteacher)

I have been a part of the staff at Knebworth School for over 15 years and in this time I have been fortunate enough to hold many different roles and responsibilities. As of September 2024, I feel incredibly privileged and proud to be taking on the role of Headteacher at such an inspirational school. As Headteacher, I work closely with The Governing Body to ensure the school has a strong, strategic vision and that the school continues to be the very best it can be for the children and the community we serve. I am so excited about leading the school into its next magical chapter.

Sarah Aggrey (Co-opted Governor)

I'm thrilled to be joining the school governing body through the NHS Ambassadors volunteer programme. As an NHS professional with 18 years of experience under my belt, I'm passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of others. In my role, I've spearheaded the rollout of several high-profile national programmes that have transformed the NHS for healthcare organisations, professionals, and patients. I've seen firsthand the power of collaboration, innovation, and dedication to achieving remarkable results. Now, I'm eager to channel that same energy and expertise into supporting our school and its amazing students. I believe my experience in leadership, project management, and communication can be invaluable assets to the governing body. I'm eager to learn, collaborate, and be a part of shaping a bright future for our students.

Aanchel Bhabuta (Co-opted Governor)

I have lived in Hertfordshire since 2021 and am looking forward to supporting my new and amazing local community. I have a background in accounting and finance, with a focus on technology automation. I am keen to utilise these skills to support financial reviews, find ways to bring efficiencies with technology and work with a fantastic team of people to make Knebworth even more amazing for the children of this great school. Having been blessed with a wonderful education, pushing me to explore STEM, I would love to give back and help the Knebworth children have all the best opportunities. As part of this, I am keen to continue to push for an inclusive and warm culture, where every child and teacher can come to school feeling happy, safe and supported.

Katherine Day (Staff Governor)

I trained and gained my Nursery Nurse qualification and a HNC in Childcare during my time at Knebworth Primary School over 20 years ago. At this time, I worked with both EYFS and KS1 and acquired broad knowledge and experience within the school. After 7 years of being at the school, I took some time out to have a family, in which all three of my children have been very privileged to attend Knebworth Primary. The school has always held a huge place in my heart and in 2020 I was very lucky to be back working here as an Inclusion Assistant within a great team. I took on the role as school governor to learn and take an interest in what goes on behind the ‘scenes’ of a school day to help build and maintain the excellence we always strive to achieve for our pupils and take our school into the future for our next generation.

Aubrey Holt (Co-opted Governor)

I'm thrilled to become a Co-opted Governor on the Schools Governing Body. My journey with dyslexia has given me profound insights into the transformative power of effective school management, sparking my desire to support others. With a background rooted in sustainability and local governance, I bring a unique perspective to the table. My experiences have fuelled my passion for creating supportive environments where every student can thrive. I am eager to leverage my skills and expertise to contribute to the school's growth and success. On a personal level, I am sociable and enjoy indulging in history and travelling with loved ones.

Pam Jardine (Co-opted Governor)

I have recently retired from the NHS Integrated Care Board in Hertfordshire in May 2023. Prior to that, I had a career in Economic Regeneration and Business Development in Nottingham and have also spent 4 years volunteering abroad on VSO’s Secure Livelihood Programme in Guyana.
I feel that this role will provide me with a good opportunity to remain active in the community where I have lived for the last 10 years, close by my son and daughter-in-law, whose children attend Knebworth Primary School. I have also previously served as a co-opted school governor in Nottingham at a large secondary school whilst my children were at school and have served on Sport England’s Regional Board and Sport Nottinghamshire’s Board. I now look forward to doing my best as a School Governor for Knebworth Primary School.

Nicola Watson (Parent Governor)

I have lived in Knebworth for nearly 20 years and am committed to being involved in the local community. I'm now in my second term of office as a parent governor and have enjoyed being part of a team that supports and challenges Knebworth school's passionate and committed staff and students. I have worked for many years in a management role in local government and charitable organisations and now work as operations director for an occupational health provider. I believe that primary education sets the tone for a lifetime of learning and if children have a positive experience at an early age, they will continue to embrace opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills into adulthood and beyond. As a parent governor, I want to ensure that Knebworth offers a learning environment that is inclusive for all children, and helps to develop young people who are knowledgeable, creative, responsible individuals who will make a positive contribution to our society.

Ann Whelan (LA appointed Governor)

I am delighted to join the Governing Body of Knebworth School. My 2 children have previously attended the school and, as a result, I wanted to give something back to the school. My background is in Human Resources and, most recently, in safeguarding. I hope to be able to support and learn more about our village school. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, walking and cooking.

Minutes from governor meetings are available on request by emailing the Clerk to the Governing Body. They can be emailed at: clerk@knebworth.herts.sch.uk

Interested in becoming a school governor?

There are over 250,000 volunteers governing in schools in England. By joining them, you can make a valuable contribution to school leadership. The National Governors Association have put together this short film about the role which gives an insight in being a school governor:

The role of school governors and trustees - YouTube

Knebworth School currently has vacancies on its Governing Body. Please contact the Clerk (clerk@knebworth.herts.sch.uk) if you are interested and would like more information.