Governance
The Governing Body have a key role to play in supporting the school. The Body meets regularly during the year and ensures the school is doing everything that is required to ensure the children are kept healthy and safe, are taught well and make progress and are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum. The Governing Body also ensures all legal responsibilities of the school are followed properly and that future plans are clear and well thought out. The Governing Body is also involved with all new school appointments and ensures the school uses its budget effectively too.
The Governing Body are volunteers from the community - some are parents, some are staff, some work within the area and some come from farther afield! They also visit the school outside of more formal meetings and help to evaluate how well the school is doing in supporting the children.
We have reconstituted our Governing Body to meet the needs of the Federation..
We are also now working even more collaboratively with our Cluster - which is named PEGS (Peak Edge Group of Schools). Governors are now meeting with colleagues from other schools to tackle issues together, offer support and find common goals. Initial meetings have made some significant steps towards the common vision of better outcomes for the children.
The Governing Body ensures the school monitors closely all aspects of provision. The Governors support the schools yearly monitoring process. The school carries out a monitoring schedule and detailed evidence, findings and reports are produced. These are published for all Governors to share on the secure area of the Governing Body area of the website.
We are further developing our skills and have secured funding to engage with a National Governor Association mentor as part of a development programme.
Our Governing Body
Executive Head Teacher:
A Parry
I have been Executive Head teacher at Thornsett since September 2010 and am also Executive Head teacher at Newtown Primary School too. My recent appointments have been in small schools and I understand clearly the many benefits, and also challenges, that result. The collaboration between the two schools has been a very positive experience. The knowledge, support and passion to improve outcomes the governing body has demonstrated, is a key to providing positive learning experiences for our school community.
Staff Governors:
P Senior
I am an experienced Y5/6 Teacher and also English Co-ordinator.
L Holt
I am Assistant Head Teacher, SENCO, Deputy DSL and an experienced teacher in Early Years and key stage One.
Parents Governors:
S Lind (Chair of governors)
I have children at Thornsett Primary School.
N Boyle
I have two children at Thornsett, one at each end of the school. Having observed the operation of the school for some time, and being impressed by its actions, I welcomed the opportunity to take on the role of Parent Governor, in order to support the future work of the school. My background is largely focussed around science and engineering, but since the birth of our first child I have taken on the role of househusband, carrying out the bulk of the daytime childcare, and enabling my wife to pursue a full time career as a high school teacher. Alongside this task, I have been carrying out a barn conversion, completing a significant proportion of the building work myself. We have recently moved into this, despite it not really being finished! I am a very practical person and when not building can usually be found mending or making things, and can turn my hand to most practical tasks. The remainder of my time is spent looking after our menagerie of livestock on our small farm, which includes; local rare breed sheep, ponies, chickens, geese and dogs, and occasionally lending a hand with my fathers cows.
R McKeown
I have a child at Newtown Primary School.
Co-opted Governors:
L O'Keefe
“I am the Local authority Governor appointed by Derbyshire County Council. I have a PhD in consumer behaviour and spent 8 years working at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research at The University of Manchester before moving to The University of Sheffield in June 2019 where I manage a research hub looking at electrical machines. I am committed to making a positive difference to the education of children across the Federation and feel the skills gained while working in the education sector will help me achieve this.”
T Robertson
I am currently Second in Science at New Mills [Secondary] School and have been there for over three years. Before moving into education, I spent many years working in the environmental and aerospace industries. At New Mills School, I am responsible for KS3 curriculum and extra-curricular activities regarding STEM. Outside of school, I am an avid cyclist, rock climber and clarinetist.
Z Cooke
I have two young children and have recently joined the FGB.