Heptonstall School Governors

What does a school governor do?

The Governing Body meets regularly and works with the Headteacher and the staff to decide the school's aims and policies and to oversee the efficient running of the school.

• Setting aims and planning for the future of the school
• Agreeing targets to raise standards of achievement
• Ensuring the curriculum for the school promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of the pupils
• Managing the school budget by providing the Headteacher with guidance, setting priorities and budget monitoring
• Staffing issues including appointing the Headteacher and other staff and determining salaries
• Deciding the school's policies on issues including admission and the length of the school day
• Making sure all pupils have equal opportunities within the school and providing for pupils with special educational needs
• Ensuring there is a high standard of maintenance of the school's premises
• Dealing with complaints about the school

Who can be a school governor?

Governors are usually appointed for 4 years.

Some governors represent the Local Authority, some are parents of children at the school elected by other parents. Other governors, known as Co-opted Governors, are people from different walks of life who may have business or other skills. Often just by asking straightforward critical questions of the school on behalf of the community they can have as valuable an influence as the education professionals with whom they work.

Contact the school governors

You can contact members of the Governing Body by email:

governors@heptonstall.calderdale.sch.uk

Meet the Heptonstall School Governing Body

Tim Machin, Chair of Governors

Tim Machin is a parent governor, elected in 2016. He has two children in the school, Elsie and Ira. Tim is an artist and curator and runs the art gallery at Sheffield Hallam University. He's lived in the Calder Valley for more than a decade and (when he has a minute) enjoys walking and pottering in the garden.   

Jennie Clark Gourley, Vice Chair of Governors

Jennie is a parent governor, elected in July 2017 and serves as the Health & Safety Governor. Jennie has 3 children at the school and works in Financial Services.

Carley Stansfield

Carley Stansfield is the mother of Isobel who began her educational journey at Heptonstall J, I & N School in September 2015 and Finn who recently joined Class One.
Seeing how much her children thrived and loved their school inspired her to become a parent governor when the position became available.
She has been a professional photographer for over 10 years specialising in photographing children, her other passions include walking in the beautiful countryside surrounding Heptonstall, travel and editing.

Canon Rev. Peter Calvert

Sophia Bourne 

Judith Parish

Judith was brought up in Manchester but has lived in Heptonstall since 1982.  She has had a long association with the school.  Her children, and several of her grandchildren, have been pupils here and have benefited enormously from the family atmosphere and the support and encouragement of the staff.

She ran the village Post Office until 2000 and continues to work there occasionally and thus keep in touch with village life.

She is an active member of St Thomas' Parish Church and values the connections between church and school.

Helen Starmer

Helen is a family solicitor and her children had a happy time at Heptonstall school which gave them a grounding to go on to senior school and university. Helen was parent governor a long time ago when she had children at the school and Helen has been a community governor for the past 2 years and has particular responsibility for safeguarding.