Our Governors

Structure

The Sunnyhill Governing body is made up of twelve governors plus the school’s Head Teacher.  

• one governor is appointed by the local authority,
• two governors are elected by parents,
• one governor is a staff governor
• nine are co-opted governors.

Each year we hold four full governors meetings, over the course of the year.

The role of Chair of Governors is currently held by co-opted governor, Tom Veness.

The role of Vice Chair is currently held by co-opted governor, James Canvin.

Governance Responsibilities

The school governing body has specific responsibilities which are defined by the Department for Education as:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

These duties are reflected in the agendas for our termly meetings. Governors also carry out duties as part of working parties and make visits to school to carry out their duties.

The Sunnyhill governing body has two subcommittees, Resources Committee which meets monthly and the Curriculum & Standards Committee which meets each half term. 

Governor’s individual link topics

To hello the governing body carry out its duties effectively, individual governors take responsibility for building up in-depth knowledge and additional duties related to specific areas of school life and the required policy areas. The current distribution of specialist topics is:

Sunnyhill Governing Body Annual Statement 2023-24

The Sunnyhill Governing Body is made up of 12 governor posts plus the school’s head teacher. We have two governors elected by parents, one staff governor, five co-opted governors (and three co-opted governor vacancies) and a local authority governor. We also currently have one associate governor.  

The core functions of the Governing Body are to:  

Over the year, we have held a series of Governing Board meetings, committee meetings and a governors’ away day. In October 2023, governors spent a day at Sunnyhill to focus on our strategic priorities as a governing board.

Governors agreed priority areas of focus for 2023-2026 to enable us to take a longer-term view of how best to support the School through a range of challenges and opportunities. These include focusing on our resources (people, financial and physical), our school brand and horizon scanning for future risks and opportunities. These priorities sit alongside the important School Development Plan which the school leadership are responsible for delivering. 

At our Full Governing Board meetings, we have received regular updates from the school leadership team on the development of our curriculum and standards at the school. Governors have also received training and presentations on safeguarding and phonics which bring to life key areas of responsibility and strategic oversight for the Board. Our two sub-committees (Resources Committee and Curriculum and Standards Committee) continued to meet to support the overall role of the Governing Board: 

• The Resources Committee remit covers finance, premises and people-related matters. As well as regular monitoring of the budget, a focus of this year was implementing targeted investments in our resources. We are pleased to see the installation of new LCD screens in classrooms, a WiFi upgrade, LED lighting upgrade, new playground equipment and much needed fence repairs. We also invested in the launch of the new school website and app for parents which will promote the school and act as a key information point for the school community.

• The Curriculum and Standards Committee remit covers curriculum planning and delivery, standards assessment and improvement, and community engagement. Over the past year, we have focused on key areas of curriculum development with deep dive reviews of the arts, initiatives to improve attainment across key areas such as writing - for example the Literacy Tree, and analysing results by subject to inform areas of focus for the school. Another key area of focus has been our SEND support and attendance which has shown improvement but continues to be a priority focus. 

Governors carried out multiple visits to the school over the year – this remains a critical aspect of the governors’ roles in order to observe the school’s environment and development in person. Some of these visits were focused on governor ‘link’ roles (areas of assigned responsibility. For example, the data governor met the deputy head teachers in January this year to discuss the recent performance of the pupils at the school, where results showed improvement, as well as discussing focus areas for the remainder of the year. Another governor visited a science class for Year 6 and described experiencing pupils’ ‘joy of science’. Governors also visited to assess the school’s Pupil Premium strategy, observing the school’s thorough plan for ensuring a culture of support which allowed all pupils to thrive, regardless of their circumstances.   

Governors have been working closely with the whole school community to support and monitor the areas of focus in our School Development Plan which are essential in supporting the development of our curriculum and standards. Since the July 2023 Ofsted visit, governors have been pleased to observe good progress against all areas highlighted and that Sunnyhill is continuing to build on its strengths. This was rightly recognised by Ofsted in the return July 2024 visit where Sunnyhill was assessed as ‘Good’ against all categories. Governors have observed and are grateful for the commitment and efforts of all staff to achieve this outcome.  

That our young people’s pride in Sunnyhill and the school’s inclusive culture stood out so clearly to inspectors during the visit is an achievement that makes us all proud to be part of the Sunnyhill community. 

Sunnyhill Governing Body Annual Statement 2022-23

The Sunnyhill Governing Body is made up of 12 governor posts plus the school’s head teacher. We have two governors elected by parents, one staff governor, seven co-opted governors (and one co-opted governor vacancy) and a local authority governor vacancy. We also currently have one associate governor.

The core functions of the Governing Body are to:
● ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school;
● hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and
● oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

This year we have had three full governing body meetings, one per term. We would like to thank the head teacher and the deputies for the work they do to prepare for these meetings. An example of one really interesting session was seeing feedback from staff about the school’s progress on the School Development Plan. We enjoyed hearing about the Little Wandle Phonics programme, progress on developing ‘character strengths’ and how staff were making the most of opportunities to develop expertise through professional
development. Their reflections on how to improve even further were also really insightful.

In the summer meeting, we had the privilege of judging the finalists of the ‘Presentation Competition’. It was a pleasure to review the workbooks of students across year groups who had clearly been putting a lot of hard work into improving the neatness and presentation of their work.  We can’t wait to be involved again next year!

As in previous years, we have also had a separate ‘business meeting’ in September, which is really useful in covering off vital Governing Board administration, and an away-day in October. The away day was an opportunity for us to review the skills profile of the board and the key risks facing the school, as well as getting to see teaching first hand across different year groups. This year, we will be using our away day to reset our governors’ priorities for the next three years – our priority plan acts as a strategic framework through which governors support and shape the development of the school.

In general, visits to the school remain a critical aspect of Governors’ roles.  Sometimes these visits are focussed on specific areas such as reviewing safeguarding procedures or pupil voice, and other times they are an opportunity to get involved in key calendar dates such as the Year 6 leavers play. We were so impressed with the confidence of actors, great singing and seamless production of Olivia!

Throughout the year two sub-committees have supported the Governing Board:

● The Resources Committee remit covers finance, site and premises, and personnel. As well as regular monitoring of the budget, a focus of this year was agreeing a targeted investment plan for the school. We are really pleased to see underway the installation of the new LCD screens in classrooms, new playground equipment and some much-needed fence repairs.  We have reviewed a number of policies such as the before and after school club policy and the supporting pupils with
medical conditions at school policy.

● The Curriculum and Standards Committee remit covers curriculum planning and delivery, standards assessment and improvement, and community engagement. The main focuses in the last year have been how the school provides for children receiving pupil premium and vulnerable pupils, reviewing the SEN (special educational needs) curriculum, as well as a review of the STEM (maths, computing, design & technology, science and gardening) curriculum. The committee also continually monitored the post-lockdown recovery, provision and curriculum for and of all pupils across the school.

As a result of the Full Committee Meetings, the visits, and the sub-committee  structure outlined above, Governors felt confident talking about the school to Ofsted inspectors in June. We were pleased to see that the Inspector clearly recognised the school’s positive culture, its commitment to developing well-rounded and happy children, as well as its strong safeguarding arrangements.  Next year, Governors will want to work with school leaders to ensure a continued focus on the suggested areas for development.

As ever, we extend our thanks to all the staff and wider community at Sunnyhill Primary School for the work they do to create such a positive learning environment for the pupils.

Sunnyhill Governing Body Annual Statement 2021-22

The Sunnyhill Governing Body is made up of thirteen governors plus the school’s head teacher. We have two governors elected by parents, one staff governor and seven co-opted governors. At the time of writing this report we have two co-opted governor vacancies and a local authority governor vacancy.

In 2021/22, the Governing Body agreed to trial the use of associate board members to bring additional skills and experience to the group, and also create opportunities for prospective governors – particularly parents – to understand the role of the board without committing to a full 4-year term. We welcomed two associate governors in spring 2022, and so far have found this to be a positive addition in helping us achieve our core functions to:

• ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school;
• hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and
• oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

This year we have had three full governing body meetings, one per term, plus a September business meeting. At each full governing body meeting we receive a report from the head teacher that covers the school context, a progress update on the school priorities, and updates on finance, premises and statutory reporting.  

Since September, we have also received ‘spotlights’ focussing on quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This format of reporting has led to really effective discussions about the school’s progress, and we would like to thank Sarah Wilson, the Head Teacher, for her work compiling these reports. For example, Governors have been particularly interested in hearing about teacher and parental experiences of gaining an EHCP, the school’s strategic plan for professional development, and seeing examples of pupil leadership. We were also pleased to see the results of the school’s annual safeguarding survey, with children having a much clearer understanding of who they can speak to if they have concerns.   

Although students have been able to return to school in person for this full academic year, the ongoing impacts of COVID were still a frequent topic of discussion. Governors received information on the impact on pupil attendance, staffing and cover costs, and school catch-up policies.

School finances also continued to be a focus. The Governors recognised that actions that have been taken over the last two years have already had a positive impact on the school’s sustainability. The Local Authority have outlined to leadership teams across Lambeth, including at Sunnyhill, the ways that a forecast borough-wide fall in pupil numbers may affect Lambeth schools in coming years. Governors have carefully assimilated these presentations and updates as they have arrived, and been using them to inform our planning and discussions to best serve our school community for the years to come.

As with the previous year, two sub-committees have supported the Governing Board:

• The Resources Committee remit covers finance, site and premises, and personnel. Throughout the year, committee members scrutinised the budget monitoring report to understand and challenge any deviation from the forecast at the beginning of the school year. They signed off policies such as the health and safety policy and CCTV policy. The committee also worked with the head teacher to review the school’s nursery provision.
• The Curriculum and Standards Committee remit covers curriculum planning and delivery, standards assessment and improvement, and community engagement. Throughout the year, committee members looked in depth at achievement data, supporting the school to maintain high expectations for all children. They also conducted ‘deep dive’ sessions into different areas, for example, early years and support for disadvantaged pupils.

Training that has taken place this year has often been linked to sub-committee roles, for example, training to understand the Department for Education’s financial insights tool, although every Governor has also refreshed their Prevent Duty and safeguarding training. Each Governor has been assigned a ‘link’ role as well to help shape our visits to the school – which we have enjoyed being able to do in person again.

Overall, the Governing Body has evolved its structures and processes over the past few years so members have a much stronger understanding of the detail of school life. It is part of what makes being a Governor so rewarding to see the Sunnyhill values translate into practice, through the data, through feedback from staff and parent members, through school visits, and embedded in the policies we sign off. The Governing Body would like to extend its thanks to the staff and parent community that support those school values every day. 

Sunnyhill Governing Body Annual Statement 2019-20 and 2020-21

The Sunnyhill Governing body is made up of thirteen governors plus the school’s Head Teacher. We have one governor appointed by the local authority, two parent governors (elected by parents), one staff governor and nine co-opted governors. At the time of writing this report we have two vacancies for co-opted governors.

The core functions of the Governing Body are to:

• ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school;
• hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and
• oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

This statement covers the two academic years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.

In 2019/20, six full Governing body meetings were held with good attendance. The Governing body was delighted to be working with new headteacher Sarah Wilson and to collaborate with her and the senior team to confirm the vision for the school.

We are proud to endorse and, as part of the school community, aspire to Sunnyhill’s vision statement that Learning together, we will all be exceptional.

The Covid pandemic impacted school life profoundly from the spring of 2020 with lockdown meaning a move to online learning for the majority of pupils for most of the summer term. As governors, we kept in close contact with school leaders, supporting the implementation of national and local policies so that the school community could be kept as safe as possible. We also attended regular virtual briefings provided by Lambeth’s education and public health teams to inform best practice within schools across the borough. The pandemic has been the most challenging possible time for leaders and staff right across the school and we are extremely grateful for their determination to do the best for Sunnyhill’s pupils.

We also introduced a new sub-committee structure to ensure all Governor matters get the scrutiny they deserve. This was implemented at the start of the pandemic through the use of online meetings. The Resources Committee focus on financial, staffing and premises issues whilst the Curriculum and Standards Committee’s remit includes delivery of the curriculum, review of pupil progress data and covid ‘catch up’ strategies.

As pupil numbers across Lambeth are reducing, Governors focused on the financial impact that this would have on the school and what could be done to promote the school to the local community. As part of our response to the reduced number of pupils, Governors supported a full leadership restructure, scrutinising the plans and participating in the recruitment of the two deputy head positions that were established by the changes.

In 2020/21, three full Governing body meetings were held, one in each term. Although all of the full Governing Body meetings this year have taken place virtually, owing to COVID restrictions, we have continued to have good attendance with any absences explained and accepted by the board.

Governors have also continued to undergo training during the pandemic, including induction training, training on equality, diversity, and inclusion, and safer recruitment processes. Some school visits were able to take place but, in the main, discussions with staff members were arranged virtually. These visits and meetings help Governors understand elements of the school’s business from different perspectives. It is clear that Sunnyhill Primary is lucky to have so many creative and dedicated staff. We are looking forward to more face-to-face engagement next year, including once again attending student events.

One of the key issues for the Governing Body in 2020-21 was the reorganisation of school support staff. The reorganisation was designed to be more financially viable, to better meet the needs of pupils, and to reflect the reduction in pupil numbers. The Governing Body’s role in this process was to provide challenge, agree a final proposal and then provide support during implementation.

In our role we have continued to receive regular updates on how the school was responding to the impact of COVID, provided scrutiny to decisions about where to target additional support and ensured plans are in place to assess progress in the absence of national testing. We have also been pleased to see that previously planned changes have still been able to be implemented such as the new, clearer, behaviour policy with greater focus on rewards and motivation. This included hearing about how staff have been supported to use the behaviour principles consistently.

Throughout the year we have reviewed and signed-off school policies to ensure they remain up to date and in line with Lambeth guidance. Members of the Governing Body supported Sunnyhill in completing a website review and compliance check.

We have continued to use a sub-committee structure to support school governance. These sub-committees meet at minimum once per term.  

• The Curriculum and Standards Committee focussed in particular on expectations for pupils, and how reading and maths were being taught and assessed.  
• The work of the Resources Committee included reviewing the school budget for 2021-22, carrying out the annual assessment against the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) and refreshing the school recruitment principles.

The last year has been extremely challenging for all schools as they were asked to deliver a combination of in person and remote learning during ongoing COVID restrictions. We are very grateful for all the staff at Sunnyhill for their incredible work to keep the school going and support the students – and for the support they have offered to each other.

Sunnyhill Governing Body Annual Statement 2018-19

The Sunnyhill Governing body is made up of nine governors plus the school’s Head Teacher. We have one governor appointed by the local authority, four parent governors, one staff governor and three co-opted governors.

This year we have had six full Governing body meetings, one in each half term. During these meetings we have the chance to hear about how the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) have been delivering our school improvement plan and keeping the school running as normal whilst we made arrangements to recruit a new permanent Head Teacher. We are very grateful for all they have done, particularly Ms Condron, to ensure that children at Sunnyhill had an excellent and stimulating educational year.

Recruiting a new Head Teacher is the most important task that a Governing body has to undertake and  all the governors took part in some aspect of the process, from writing the advertising pack, to planning the recruitment tasks and serving on the interview panel. A panel of five governors spent two days interviewing candidates and Sunnyhill pupils were also involved, represented by members of the school council who interviewed the final candidates. After putting candidates through their paces, Governors were unanimous in our decision. We very much look forward to welcoming Mrs Wilson to the staff team in September and working alongside her in the years ahead.

Another decision that we took part in, which has already taken very visible shape around the school, was the idea of changing the school uniform, following feedback from pupils. We were very pleased to see the children propose their own ideas and lead development of the new school emblem and the full uniform design.

A very important part of our role this year has been to monitor the school’s finances as, like so many schools, Sunnyhill has had a significant cut to their budget. With the support of parents, teachers and the whole school community we are pleased to have had a positive end to the financial year, however the times ahead will continue to be challenging. We will be making the financial stability of the school a major priority in the coming year.

To help us undertake our duties, Governors attend training and development events. The courses attended this year have included training on Effective Governance, Parent and Pupil Engagement, Financial Governance, Safer Recruitment Training and Induction for new governors.

Governors have visited school throughout the year, sometimes coinciding with our school celebrations or special occasions such as Careers Day, performances and end of term celebration exhibitions. Behind the scenes, we have also spent time in school with other duties, such as checking that arrangements for safeguarding are all in place and in order, and hearing about how the school site is being maintained in a safe and appropriate manner.

We reviewed a long list of school policies this year and are looking forward to seeing them made available for all through our new school website which will go live from September.

At the last meeting of the year we had a detailed look at the progress and achievement of all pupils at Sunnyhill and we were very pleased that the overall achievement of our pupils is good. We know from our discussions with the SLT that all staff at Sunnyhill work very hard to make sure that every individual pupil has the teaching, opportunities and the challenge that they need in order to achieve their best and we are very proud of all the hard work that they and the students put in.

Early in the new Autumn term 2019, we will be taking the opportunity to review the vision and plans for Sunnyhill Primary. We will focus on making sure that we can adapt to the new financial challenges that all schools are facing, so that pupils at Sunnyhill will continue to have an enjoyable, nurturing and stimulating learning experience at our school.

You can read more about individual Governors and see a copy of our constitution on the Governance page of this website.

Sunnyhill School Governors                                                                                                                    July 2019

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