School Governors
The governors are appointed by the Dunraven Educational Trust, the charitable company and Multi Academy Trust which runs the school. The governing board has a wide range of responsibilities - clearly defined by the scheme of delegation and by law. The governing board provides strategic leadership and accountability in schools. It has three key functions:
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Governors or Trustees set the aims and objectives for the school and set the policies and targets for achieving those aims and objectives. They monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making and act as a source of challenge and support to the headteacher. In action, this means:
- Appointing and performance reviewing the head teacher and senior leaders, including making decisions about pay
- Managing budgets and deciding how money is spent
- Engaging with pupils, staff, parents and the school community
- Sitting on panels and making decisions about things like pupil exclusions and staff disciplinaries
- Addressing a range of education issues within the school including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special needs, staff workload and teacher recruitment
- Looking at data and evidence to ask questions and have challenging conversations about the school
Governors and Trustees must be prepared to adopt the Nolan principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Governors and Trustees should also be committed to their role and to young people; confident in having courageous conversations; curious with an enquiring mind; able to challenge the status quo to improve things; collaborative to build strong relationships; critical to improve their own work and that of the board; and creative in problem solving and being innovative.*
For details about the Trust's Governance, please view the website HERE.
The Annual General Meeting of the Dunraven Educational Trust is being held on Friday 15 December 2023 at 8.00am. The notice, agenda and how to register for the AGM are on the Trust's website here.
We are always happy to hear from anyone who may be interested in the role of the Governor either for Van Gogh or one of our Trust's schools. If you would like to find out more, please contact governance@det.org.uk
Meeting minutes are available by request. If you wish to request minutes for the Local Governing Board, please email governance@det.org.uk
*Source: National Governance Association
Meet the Governors
Kirsty Pearce
Chair of the Local Governing Board
Safeguarding Link
Kirsty is a Qualified Accountant who spent most of her employed career in the banking sector- in Regulation, Capital and Risk. More recently she has been working with local small businesses and charities as a sole practitioner. She is an experienced school governor having been a governor of local schools for 12 years and has been on the Van Gogh board since the school opened. She is committed to working with trustees, governors, staff and parents to ensure the best possible experience for Van Gogh’s children.
Term of office: Nov 2022 - Nov 2026 (second term)
Sarah Baker
Health & Safety Link
Sarah grew up and attended school in South London and has subsequently had a career teaching English in a range of secondary schools in the area. Having previously served as a staff governor, she is keen to bring her experience to Van Gogh Primary and work collaboratively with the school community.
Term of office: June 2020 - June 2024
Sarah Botchway
Sarah is the Associate Headteacher at the Wyvern Federation and leads the Lambeth Training Support Alliance there. Her experience encompasses both primary and secondary education and includes leading initial teacher training and professional development for school leaders. She has over 15 years experience of being a governor and joined the Van Gogh board when the school opened.
Term of office: Nov 2022 - Nov 2026 (second term)
Sandy Brooks
Sandy has lengthy experience of working with young people in Lambeth in many capacities including social worker, mentor, youth worker and Leaving Care Personal Adviser. Sandy believes that all children can have a positive experience of school regardless of race, disability and sexuality; she brings her experience of advocating for young people to the Board along with insights about the barriers young people face and the difficulties they have in sharing their views, in particular children who lack family support.
Term of office: Sept 2022 - Aug 2026
Kimberlin Dunkley
Parent Governor
Kimberlin is a mother to a 5 year old daughter who attends Van Gogh. She currently works as a Volunteer Coordinator supporting local parents of children under 4 years. She is keen to share her views from a parent’s perspective as part of the board and hopes to use her experiences to contribute to the long-term success of the students and school.
Term of office: April 2022 - April 2026
Eleni Hack
Staff Governor
Originally from Australia, Eleni has spent the last five years teaching in South London schools. Having joined Van Gogh Primary in 2020, she currently teaches Year 4 and acts as the school’s Computing Lead. Eleni is looking forward to the experience of being a staff governor, representing both staff interests and gaining a greater understanding of the processes underpinning the school’s governance.
Term of office: June 2021 - May 2025
Kim Mezoui
Originally from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Kim moved to London to complete her Masters at Kings College London and then began her career in Banking at Barclays, where she has been for the last 10 years. Kim has also recently completed her MBA and specialises in strategy, change management, leadership and diversity & inclusion. Kim has been a school governor for 18 months and has recently welcomed her first child.
Term of office: Sept 2020 - Sept 2024
Alexander Ireland
Alex was appointed to the Local Governing Board in December 2022.
Term of office: Dec 2023 - Dec 2026
The Local Governing Board has one vacancy for a Parent Governor. For more information about the role, please contact the Returning Officer, Kylie Burgess, via governance@det.org.uk
