North West SILC

The Role of the School Governors

What do we do?
The Governors work together to provide an independent oversight of the management and operation of the North West SILC, with the aim of improving the quality of education provided and raising standards. The Governors do not run the school; this is the job of the Headteachers and other senior staff.

Key Roles of the School Governors:
• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• To hold the Headteachers to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
• To hold the Headteachers to account for the performance management of staff
• To oversee the financial performance of the school

We also carry out a number of other important duties, which include:
• Determining how the school's budget is spent
• The appointment and dismissal of staff
• Hearing appeals and grievances
• Forming policy on the school's curriculum
• Setting standards for pupils' behaviour and discipline
• Making sure school buildings are safe and welcoming
• Setting and monitoring the school's aims and policies
• Ensuring Safeguarding procedures are effective.

In order to do this, our Governors gain knowledge of how the school operates through training, by attending meetings, and by getting to know the school community.  

Members of the School Governing Body:

Jon Hosegood - Chair of Governors

Jon was a member of the Interim Executive Board of the NWSILC since its inception.  He now chairs the Governing Body.

His career has been in education, mainly within the secondary sector in Leeds.  He has taught in six different High Schools and held various management positions including Headships.  He was seconded to work within the local education authority on a part time basis later in his career and following this was appointed to a full time position within the Education Leeds  Organisational Change Team, which managed and oversaw a range of developments across Leeds schools and the local authority.  He has now retired from this post.

One of the benefits of retirement is that it does leave time to try to take a relatively active governor role and as such he has been able to make a range of monitoring visits to school as well as serving on such as interview panels for appointments.  

Suzanne Akeroyd - Vice Chair of Governors

Suzanne has broad range of experience as a School Governor and joined the NW SILC as Vice Chair in September 2019.

Gavin Hosford

Gavin is the Headteacher of Green Meadows School and Partnerships.

Joan Kay

Joan was the Lead Officer for the Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) strategy in Leeds until her recent retirement.

Ken Hall

Ken is the former Headteacher of several secondary schools in Leeds and also in County Durham, and has extensive experience of school governance having supported schools in transition to Trust status.

Matt Cullen

Matt is our Staff Governor, alongside his role as Secondary Phase Leader at Green Meadows School, and he is also the NW SILC's  Maths specialist. 

Helen Burns

Helen is a Parent Governor, and her daughter attends Penny Field School.

Diane Reynard

Diane is Principal of the East SILC, and is also a National Leader of Education (NLE) and member of the National Teaching Council.

Erica Hiorns

Erica works as a School Improvement Adviser based at Leeds City Council, which involves working with senior teams to help schools raise attainment and provide better provision for their pupils.  Erica is an Associate Member of the School Governors.

Hannah Duffey

Hannah is the Headteacher of Penny Field School, and is an Associate Member of the School Governors.

Karamjeet Bhuhi

Karamjeet is Clerk to the Governors.​