Governors
.Our school governing body is an experienced group with representatives from the parent body, teaching staff and local community. Together they help set the strategic vision and direction for the school, support with the appointment of senior staff, keep an overview of finance and resources and act as a critical friend, ensuring that the highest standards are attained in all that the school does.
In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
Who are we?
The Governing Body consists of:
The Head teacher
One elected staff governor
One appointed local authority governor
Elected parent governors
Co-opted governors
The Full Governing Body meets twice each term. One meeting per term focuses on Progress and Achievement and the other meeting focuses on Finance and Ressources.
Message from The Chair of Governors
I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the work of the Governing Board to ensure that your children receive a sound primary school education.
The Governing Board has a range of powers and duties outlined above. In the main, our responsibilities relate to:
- Promoting high standards and expectations for the progress and educational achievement of all children.
- Setting the strategic framework within which the school operates.
- Management of the school's delegated budget.
- Ensuring that the curriculum for the school is balanced and broadly based.
Governors discharge the above responsibilities, together with many others, through Governing Body meetings twice each term and visits to the school. Additionally each governor has responsibilities for specific issues within the school.
Governors adopt, review and monitor a range of policies that govern the operation of the school including Health and Safety, Behaviour, Curriculum and Performance Management.
You can see the Govnernance Impact Statement for 2017/18 below.
The Topsham School draws a unique strength from its success in fostering a close knit family atmosphere where staff, pupils, parents and governors work together to ensure that all our pupils have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
The Governing Board is proud of the achievements of the school, not only in terms of results, but also in the solid foundations it provides in provides in preparing all our pupils for the remainder of their education.
Helen Crossfield
Chair of Governors
In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Who are we?
The Governing Body consists of:
The Head teacher
One elected staff governor
One appointed local authority governor
Elected parent governors
Co-opted governors
The Full Governing Body meets twice each term. One meeting per term focuses on Progress and Achievement and the other meeting focuses on Finance and Ressources.
Message from The Chair of Governors
I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the work of the Governing Board to ensure that your children receive a sound primary school education.
The Governing Board has a range of powers and duties outlined above. In the main, our responsibilities relate to:
- Promoting high standards and expectations for the progress and educational achievement of all children.
- Setting the strategic framework within which the school operates.
- Management of the school's delegated budget.
- Ensuring that the curriculum for the school is balanced and broadly based.
Governors discharge the above responsibilities, together with many others, through Governing Body meetings twice each term and visits to the school. Additionally each governor has responsibilities for specific issues within the school.
Governors adopt, review and monitor a range of policies that govern the operation of the school including Health and Safety, Behaviour, Curriculum and Performance Management.
You can see the Govnernance Impact Statement for 2017/18 below.
The Topsham School draws a unique strength from its success in fostering a close knit family atmosphere where staff, pupils, parents and governors work together to ensure that all our pupils have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
The Governing Board is proud of the achievements of the school, not only in terms of results, but also in the solid foundations it provides in provides in preparing all our pupils for the remainder of their education.
Helen Crossfield
Chair of Governors
Minutes of Meetings
Governor Information
Click on the button below for details of offices held, terms of office, roles and responsibilities and registered interests.
Governor Profiles
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Helen Crossfield - Chair of Governors
Co-opted Governor September 2015 Term of Office; September 2015 – September 2018 Sits on Resources committee Register of Interests: None “I qualified as a primary school teacher and taught in inner London for 8 years. After a break, I moved into education support services and into human resources working with schools and education services in London and Devon. I’ve been a governor at schools in London, St Albans and Devon in special, primary and secondary schools, and currently at an academy. As well as voluntary roles, I work as an associate for Babcock LDP undertaking governance healthchecks and headteacher appraisal training for governors. I live in Topsham and am committed to a primary school which serves all of the community and which enables all the children to achieve the very best they can and which prepares them for their future life.” |
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Sue Nunnery, Vice-Chair of Governing Body
Local authority governor until April 2021 Term of office: 25/4/17 - 25/4/21 Responsibility for SEN, Pupil Premium and Head teacher performance management Register of Interests: None "I am Sue Nunnery and I have been a Local Authority governor at Topsham School for almost three years. I retired from teaching in 2009 having been head of a large primary school in London for seventeen years. On moving to East Devon I wanted to make a contribution to this community and have found this role both interesting and rewarding. I hope that my skills and experience bring some benefits to the team of governors and to the quality of education for Topsham children." |
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Emma Pipe (Headteacher)
Elected staff governor. Term of Office: January 2019 – Register of Interest: Member of school staff Sharon Wannell
Elected staff governor Register of Interests: Member of school staff |
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Nasim Hartmann
Elected Staff Governor Register of interests: Member of school staff Lisa Bartram
Elected Parent Governor until November 2019 Term of Office: November 2015 – November 2019 Register of Interest: None "I started as a parent governor in November 2015, becoming a co-opted Governor recently when the Governing Board was re-structured. My daughter has now finished at Topsham, having been there since Little Acorns and my son is currently in key stage 1. I am lead governor for safeguarding and child protection and meet regularly with both senior teaching and administrative staff to ensure the safety of all our children is given top priority. I am also passionate about ensuring that all children at Topsham School get the well-rounded education that they deserve. I work as a medical consultant at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, working with older adults. Part of my role at work involves safeguarding issues with vulnerable older adults and I have found some of these skills to be transferable to my role as a governor." |
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Max Johnson
Parent Governor Term of office 25/05/2016 - 24/05/2020 Register of Interest: None "I became a parent governor in June 2016 and have two children at Topsham School, Leon in Year 6 and Anya in Year 1. I believe my IT and management professional background bring valuable experience to the school's governing body, especially in fulfilling my role of Parent and Community Lead Governor. I'm passionate that all children at Topsham School achieve the best they possibly can, leaving well prepared for the next stage of their education, with lasting and happy memories." |
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Bruce Traill
Co-opted Governor Register of interests: none “I have spent most of my career working at the other end of the educational ladder, as an economist at the Universities of Manchester and Reading where I was Professor of Food Economics and Head of the Department of Food Economics and Marketing. I also squeezed in 5 years with the European Commission in Brussels and 1 year with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. My recent academic research was into evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of Government healthy eating interventions and I was a member of the UK Government’s Council of Food Policy Advisors, established by PM Gordon Brown. Now retired and returned to Topsham (I’m a Devon boy and our two children attended Topsham first and middle schools as they were then) I welcome the opportunity to learn about and contribute to education in the local community.” |
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Helen Fisher
Co-opted Governor Register of interests: "I am a retired teacher of Spanish and French with management experience and continue to work for exam boards. I am an Exeter graduate and am very pleased to be living full time in Topsham. I hope that I will be able to make a full contribution as a governor of the school and look forward to being involved in this thriving community." |
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Emily McCarthy
Co-opted Governor "I have had the pleasure of working in the Third Sector since 2002 managing local, regional and national projects based around health and wellbeing, alongside managing and developing Exeter Volunteer Centre. Since November 2018, I have been employed by Estuary League of Friends as the Community and Services Development Manager, which has and is enabling me to make stronger and lasting links within the wider community. Throughout my career I have worked across all three sectors from delivering the Governments New Deal Contract, to delivering Theatre in Education workshops in London. At the age of 28, I made the decision to take a career break to further my education, achieving 3 A-levels and BA." |