Rathfern Primary School has a dynamic and engaged Governing Body who oversee the strategic direction for the school. The Governing Body is made up of parents, community volunteers, staff (including the Head) and representatives from the Local Education Authority.
Offering advice and guidance
Our parent and community governors have a range of different backgrounds and experience and bring many beneficial persepctives to the life of the school. The role of the Governing Body is to act as a supportive but ‘critical friend’ offering advice and guidance to ensure the school:
- has clear aims and objectives
- teaches the key objectives of the curriculum
- reports National Curriculum assessment results to parents
- strives to reach performance targets
- plans the repair and maintenance of school buildings
- manages the school budget
The Governing Body also appoints the Head Teacher and Deputy Head and approves and monitors the School Improvement Plan. The Governing Body meet at least once a term and has a Chair, Vice Chair and various sub committees. The Chair of Governors can be contacted by using our contact form.
Chair of Governors
Rosemary Benson
SEN Governor
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I am a Parent Governor, co-Vice Chair of Governors, Chair of Learning, Achievement and Community Committee and a Training Link Governor. My daughter is in Year 3 and really enjoys her time at Rathfern learning with her classmates and spending time with friends from across the school. My particular interest is helping to ensure that the Governing Body supports the schools management and teaching teams to ensure that Rathfern becomes an Outstanding School for each one of the children. In my role as Governor I draw on skills from my work life, where I am a Staff Development Adviser at a University, such as Learning & Development, Equality & Diversity, Health & Wellbeing and Performance Management. I am also keen to ensure that the whole parent body can be involved in the school.
- Appointed by which body? Parent body
- Term of office: 4 years to 16th December 2018
- Names of any committees served on:
- Details of any associate members - None
- Connections to any other educational establishments or governing bodies you may have: London Metropolitan University
- Relationships with any governors or school staff: None
Vice Chair of Governors
Rhian Douglas
Safeguarding Governor
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I have been a Governor at Rathfern in January 2013, having previously served as an LA Governor in a primary school in Wandsworth. I have worked in variety of education management roles for nearly 20 years and am currently based at Goldsmiths, University of London. I am very interested in education policy in England and internationally and keen to look at the journey from policy goal to classroom practice, keeping the child as the focus of this journey. I have a big interest in the role of the Arts and Sport in formal education. My interests are politics and current affairs and running but I am mainly kept busy by my two children!
Staff Governors
Naheeda Maharasingam
Headteacher
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I have been the Headteacher of Rathfern since 2007 and am delighted at the positive changes that have taken place. Children are at the heart of all our efforts to ensure they are safe, happy and effective learners. We believe that when children learn to learn they will achieve highly and not fear learning struggles. We have a growth mindset believing all children are capable of succeeding.
Co-Opted Governors
Carley Eaton
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I am a chartered accountant and I currently work as an Internal Audit Director at a bank based in Canary Wharf. I am also a mum of two boys aged 4 and 1. I will bring my finance skills and experience to the Governing Body to help ensure the school is operated in a financially responsible manner.
I am passionate about learning and especially about making learning fun and engaging for all ages. My hope is that Rathfern children will have a ‘love of learning’ that stays with them for a lifetime.
Janet Benefo
Health & Safety
Details of the Governing Body
Governing Body Structure
| Reconstituted |
1-Feb-17 updated July 2019 |
| Governor places | 12 |
| Headteacher | 1 |
| Staff | 1 |
| Appointed by the London Borough of Lewisham | 1 |
| Elected parents of pupils attending the school | 3 |
| Co-opted | 6 |
Chair Of The Governing Body
Rosemary Benson
Committee Structure
The Governing Body operates a Finance Committee Chair: Carley Eaton .
Pupil Discipline / Staff Grievance / Staff Discipline / Staff Discipline Appeal / Pay Appeal / Complaints Panels
These meet as and when required, with a minimum of three eligible governors, who are selected according to the following criteria:
The three members can be selected based on:
- Availability.
- Fair representation as far as possible in terms of balance (gender, race).
- No previous knowledge of the case.
- If it was regarding a staff member no staff member on the committee.
- If more than three members were available then they would be chosen in alphabetical order by the Chair and with the advice of the Headteacher.
Governor’s Details
(for each governor who has served at any point over the past 12 months)
| Full Name | Category | Appointed by | Date of Appointment | Term of Office | Date Resigned | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. Years | End Date | ||||||
| Rosemary Benson |
Co opted | GB | 13/12/18 | 4 | 12/12/22 | Chair | |
| Rhian Douglas | Local authority | GB | 5/12/16 | 4 | 6/12/20 | Vice Chair | |
| Janet Benefo | Co opted | GB | 19/7/17 | 4 | 18/7/21 | Health & Safety | |
| Magda Branker | Co opted | GB | 19/7/17 | 4 | 18/7/21 | Looked After Children and Safeguarding | |
| Joanna Eyeson |
Co opted | GB | 25/03/15 | N/a | N/a | 13 March 2018 | |
| Kate Burls | Parent | Parents | 1/03/19 | 4 | 28/2/23 | ||
| Linda Fuller |
Co opted | GB | 10/02/15 | 4 | 9/02/19 | 09 February 2019 | |
| Chantelle Daley | Staff | Staff | 16/10/18 | 4 | 15/10/22 | Assistant Head | |
| Cheryl Greene | Parent | Parents | 5/12/17 | 4 | 4/12/21 | ||
| Julia Lannary |
Staff | Staff | 9/2/16 | N/A | N/A | 31 August 2018 | Deputy Headteacher |
| Vaishali Londhe |
Parent | Parents | 16/12/14 | 4 | 15/12/18 | 15 December 2018 | |
| Naheeda Maharasingam |
Headteacher | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Headteacher | |
| Jane Temple | Parent | Parents | 5/12/17 | 4 | 4/12/21 | ||
| Carley Eaton | Co-opted | GB | 16/10/18 | 4 | 15/10/22 | Chair of Finance Committee | |
| Colum Mackey | Co opted | GB | 16/10/18 | N/A | 15/10/22 | Vice – Chair of Finance Committee | |
| Seonaidh McIntyre-Stephen | Co-opted | GB | 18/7/18 | 4 | 17/7/22 | Special Educational Needs & Disability | |
* N/A means ‘not applicable’ because the person is a member of the senior leadership team and therefore the information does not apply.
Governors’ Attendance At Governing Body Meetings 2016/17
| Name | Governing body meetings attended |
|---|---|
| Rosemary Benson | 6 of 6 |
| Cheryl Greene | 3 of 6 |
| Janet Benefo | 6 of 6 |
| Seonaidh McIntyre-Stephen | 3 of 6 |
| Rhian Douglas | 6 of 6 |
| Kate Burls | 3 of 3 appointed 01/03/2019 |
| Carley Eaton | 6 of 6 |
| Colum Mackay | 6 of 6 |
| Magda Branker-Olojugba | 5 of 6 |
| Chantelle Daley | 6 of 6 |
| Vaishali Londhe | 2 of 6 . Term ended 15/12/2018 |
| Naheeda Maharasingam | 6 of 6 |
| Jane Temple | 3 of 6 |
Finance Committee Meetings 2018/19
| Name | 16 Oct 2018 | 18 Dec 2018 | 12 Feb 2019 | 02 Apr 2019 | 23 Apr 2019 | 17 July 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemary Benson | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rhian Douglas | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Carley Eaton | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Colum Mackey | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | N | ✔ |
| Naheeda Maharasingam | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Y = attended N = did not attend A = did not attend apologies accepted
Learning and Achievement Committee (abolished 10 February 2015)
| Name | 09-Oct-14 |
|---|---|
| Rosemary Benson | ✔ |
| James Hasler | ✔ |
| Naheeda Maharasingam | ✔ |
| Sarah-Jane Pendleton | ✔ |
