Our Governors

Welcome to Highbury Primary School Governors’ page

We hope you find the information contained here useful

Our Chair of Governors is Pauline Jeffs who can be contacted via the school office at admin@highbury-prim.portsmouth.sch.uk

DUTIES OF THE GOVERNING BODY

Governors are elected to serve four years. Governors are like a Board of Directors who meet at least three times a term and make decisions about how the school is run.

The main duty of the governing body is to maintain and improve our school’s standards of education; our work can be divided into these key areas:

setting the school’s vision and strategic aims, agreeing plans and policies and making creative use of resources
monitoring and evaluating performance
acting as a critical friend to support and challenge in the management of the school
ensuring that the school is accountable to the children and parents it serves, to its local community, to those who fund and maintain it, as well as to the staff it employs

As a Governing Body we

Ensure a high standard of educational attainment
Ensure financial probity by overseeing the school budget, including staffing and pay levels
Give support, advice and help to the school
Take a real pride in the school and the achievements of its pupils and staff
Work on and agree general school policies and the school’s own Development Plan
Work in partnership with the staff and education advisers for the benefit of the school
Visit the school in order to gain a clear understanding of the working of the school
Accept and act on collective decisions of the governing body
Participate in school activities in particular those which promote the school
Participate in training sessions
Ensure the premises are well managed

You can read more about the role of a Governing Body in the DfE Governors Handbook.

Agreed minutes of all governing body meetings are held in the school office. You can contact the governors via the school office.

Meet our Governors

	Pauline Jeffs, Chair of Governors My name is Pauline Jeffs and I live locally to the school in Hilsea. I joined the Board of Governors in May 2014 as a Local Authority governor. I am qualified accountant with 30 years’ service in the Public Sector in the NHS and more recently at the University of Portsmouth. I have over the years worked with many youth organisations and am great believer in giving our children both the academic and social skills to enrich them for their future. The Education arena is constantly changing and I am looking forward to embracing the challenges ahead to ensure the School continues to provide an excellent teaching environment for the children and staff going forward.
	Jo Watson- Headteacher Hello, I have been teaching in Portsmouth for almost thirty years and joined the Highbury team in September 2022. I love being a teacher and those values remain within me in my role as Headteacher. I am passionate about ensuring all children experience a fulfilling education and enjoy the learning opportunities that come through a Primary School journey. I am proud to be part of the Highbury community, working alongside a dedicated team of staff, committed parents and governors. Living on the south coast, I enjoy spending time with my family at the beach as it always leaves me feeling happy.

	Tom Lloyd – Parent Governor Hi, my name is Tom Lloyd and I am a Governor at Highbury, I also have a daughter and son who attend the school. My main motivation for becoming a Governor is to actively support the school to ensure that it's as effective as possible at delivering the best education for all of the children that we, as parents, have entrusted to its care. I have a particular passion for sport, that led to be establishing my own sports coaching consultancy 10 years ago, and I'm delighted to see that sport and physical activity is such an integral part of the Highbury Primary curriculum. I'm also the Director of New Business, Enterprise and Employability @ Portsmouth College and hope to use my experience and network within academia to support our pupils in becoming global citizens'.
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	Bob Griffin – Co-Opted Governor I am Bob Griffin and was appointed as a Co-Opted Governor in December 2018.
	Ria - Parent Governor I'm really excited to have joined the school Governors at Highbury Primary School and Nursery. I have two children who attend the school and nursery. In 2012, I qualified as a social worker, working in both child protection and adoption. In my role, I get to work closely with lots of schools to ensure that the children I work with are well supported and cared for within school. I am looking forward to continuing to work with team at Highbury, striving to achieve the best for our children.

	Lyndsey Knight - Inclusion Lead