Governors

Welcome from our Chairs of Governors

On behalf of the Governing Body, may we welcome you to information about our school governors that you may find useful. Our aim and the focus of all our work is to ensure each child receives a good education through effective teaching and the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Presently Middle Barton Primary School has governors who have been voted for by the parents of the school or recruited from the community because of skills they are able to offer to the Governing Body. We also have staff governors.

Chairs of Governors

Alison Umney aumney@middlebartonschool.org

Rachel Houghton rhoughton@middlebartonschool.org

School Governors

The village school is a vital part of the local community and the Governing Body plays an important role in ensuring the school continues to build on the success that the Headteacher and her staff have worked so hard to achieve.

The formal role of the Governing Body is to play an important part in the strategic leadership of the school, working with the Headteacher, and to hold the Head to account. In this section you will find a number of pages with more information about the membership and work of the Governing Body.

If you have Comments, Concerns or Compliments (CCC) you would like to pass on to the school and the Governing Body, please do pass on your feedback. If you have any matters you wish to raise with the Chair of Governors, please post a letter (addressed to the Chair of Governors) to the school office or email rhoughton@middlebartonschool.org or aumney@middlebartonschool.org marking it for the attention of the Chair of Governors. Thank you.

What is the Core Function of the Governing Body?

The Governing Body is the strategic leader of the school. The main focus of our work is to promote high standards of educational achievement in our school. We aim to build a co-operative, productive and supportive relationship with the head teacher- to ensure that every child gets the best possible education according to their own specific needs. We want the children to achieve their potential through a rich and varied curriculum that develops them as confident, hardworking and creative pupils. We ensure that the school is accountable to the children and parents and to the local community for the quality of the education provided, as well as caring for the professional development of all the staff who work in the school.

We focus upon three core functions:

Firstly, to ensure the school has a clear vision of what it wants to achieve for the children and where the curriculum is appropriate and relevant to all the children’s different needs. We work with the head teacher to ensure that a clear message about the ethos of the work of the school is shared with all who work and learn there, together with its parents and carers and that it is an ethos that is positive, hardworking, caring and inclusive. Most importantly we set the strategic direction in all actions of the school.

Secondly, to hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and all the pupils. This also includes the performance management of the staff.

Thirdly, to oversee the financial performance of the school to make sure its money is spent wisely and well.

Rachel Houghton, Joint Chair of Governors

My name is Rachel Houghton and I am Joint Chair of Governors. I have experience of primary education both as a parent and in my career as a publisher and learning specialist. I have worked for many years in educational publishing, including over a decade in primary. I have worked with many primary teachers and pupils while developing reading, literacy and intervention resources.

Alison Umney, Joint Chair of Governors

My name is Alison Umney and I am Joint Chair of Governors. During my career as a primary school teacher in Oxfordshire, I worked as a Key Stage One coordinator, SENDco and Senior leader and have always been interested in working to improve the educational experiences of young children. As a governor, I welcome the opportunity to support the continued growth and success of Middle Barton Primary school.

Steve Bryan, Parent Governor

My name is Steve Bryan and I am a Parent Governor. Both my children attend Middle Barton School and I hope to help the school, children and staff work and play in a safe environment. I have many years’ experience in Schools Estate Management and Health & Safety and I hope to be able to share this in my role as a governor.

Patrick Hunter, Parent Governor

My name is Patrick Hunter and I am a Parent Governor. I have been a Police Officer for over 10 years and have previously worked in the music industry. My Governor link role is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and I feel strongly about supporting this in Middle Barton School.

Claire Hague, Parent Governor

My name is Claire Hague and I am a Parent Governor. Both my children attend Middle Barton School and my niece has also just started in Acorns class, so we are a family that are closely connected to MBPS. I have been a primary school teacher for 16 years and have taught in Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Scotland and Oxfordshire. As a service family, we moved around before settling in Middle Barton six years ago. As well as teaching, I have a pastoral responsibility in my current professional role. Mental Health and Wellbeing of the children and staff in our school community is something that I am invested in supporting as a governor.

Fiona Probert, Community Governor

I am a Community governor, with particular responsibility for safe guarding and attendance, and I am a full-time school teacher. Having previously been Head of Years 5 and 6, I am currently Head of Extension at Dragon School, a large independent prep school in Oxford, where I also teach Modern Languages to pupils in Years 4 to 8. I thoroughly enjoy coming in to visit the school and meeting the pupils and teachers; there is always something exciting going on which the children are keen to talk about!

Emma Merry, Staff Governor

My name is Emma Merry and I am a Staff governor.

Bex White, Parent Governor

My name is Bex White and I am a Parent Governor. I have two children at Middle Barton School. I am an environmental consultant working on responsible sourcing of high-risk deforestation commodities. Environmental sustainability is very important to me in my home and working life, so, I am excited to now be supporting the fantastic staff at Middle Barton School as the link governor on outdoor learning and sustainability.