Governance

In partnership with the school staff and yourselves, school governors have a shared responsibility for providing your children with the best education we can in terms of skills, knowledge, values and relationships. This school year, we have a number of newly appointed governors and we are delighted to introduce ourselves to you. So what do the governors do? But, first, what exactly do the governors do, and what is the make-up of the Governing Body? The most important thing to understand is that governors are not involved in the day to day management of the school. This is the responsibility of the Head Teacher and senior school leaders. Rather, our function is to concentrate on matters relating to strategy, finance and school improvement. Specifically, our job as governors is to:

• Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• Hold the Head Teacher and senior school leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
• Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure that its money is well spent.

The membership of the Governing Body is based on a ‘stakeholder’ model of governance with five categories of governors, each with a particular stake in the school. As presently constituted, the governing body consists of:

• Four parent governors, elected by the wider parent body

• One local authority (Hampshire County Council)-nominated governor

• One staff governor, elected by school staff.

• The Head Teacher

• Four co-opted governors drawn from the local community and appointed on the basis of relevant skills and experience

• Three foundation governors appointed by the Winchester Diocesan Board of Education. Nursling is a Church of England School and the Church is represented on the Governing Body by this category of governors. They have the same responsibilities as all the other governors but, in addition, are responsible for making sure that Christian values underpin the life and work of the school and that RE is taught according to the agreed syllabus.

The Clerk to Governors is Lindsay Manning

Governor profiles

Parent governors  

  Vicky Dixon joined the Governing Board in July 2017 as a parent governor. Vicky is also the Development and Training Governor. Her eldest daughter has now left Nursling School, and her youngest daughter is a current pupil. Vicky is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant in a Hampshire secondary school. Previously Vicky worked as a registered nurse, and specialised in supporting children, families and young people.

<Place Holder for Gary Singh>

Steve Duncan joined as a parent governor in 2021. He works for a national company as a Lead Software Engineer, as such has experience in Information Technology as well as managing people and risks. As a governor, he is particularly interested in digital literacy, including being knowledgeable, safeguarding, and critically assessing content in an increasingly digital world.

Claire Davies joined the Governing Body in November 2022 as a parent governor. Claire previously worked in Financial Services and brings her experience in leadership, strategic change management, people management and governance. Claire has a daughter at the school and is currently enjoying a career break.

Local authority governor

<Place Holder for vacancy>

Co-opted governors

Jackie Barker was appointed to the Governing Body in May 2017. She is Director of Finance at a secondary school academy on the edge of the New Forest, and has expertise in all aspects of school administration and management.  Jackie is chair of the Pay and Human Resources sub-committee and the school’s safeguarding governor.

<Place Holder for Simon Arthur>

Dave Cubbon has been retired from the NHS for nearly 9 years after a career spanning 38 years. He worked in the learning disabilities area and also in psychiatry for a number of years in his early career and spent the last 20 years in various management positions. After retiring from the NHS in 2015, Dave worked as a teaching assistant in a special school for 8 years and loved it as he loved his time in the NHS. Dave was also a staff governor with southern health right up to his retirement. He has a vested interest in the school given that both of my children were educated at Nursling and have now gone on to have successful careers, and the school remains a huge part of his local community. 

Jonathan Howells  joined the Governing Body in February 2019 as a Co-Opted Governor.
Recently retired as a Headteacher of a Special School, Jonathan hopes he can support the Governing Body in relation to leadership and management, school vision and strategic planning.
With a passion for children and their overall holistic success and with a particular interest in pupils with Special Educational Needs, Jonathan is delighted to lead on SEND, Pupil Premium, Health and Safety and to be Vice Chair of the Standards and Performance Committee.

Foundation governors

Rev Graeme Dixon became a Foundation Governor when he became Vicar of Nursling and Rownhams churches in 2019. He has worked in pharmaceuticals and the health care sector before training for the ministry.

<Place Holder for Ewan Brown>

<space for Foundation Vacancy>

Application form for becoming a school Governor. For parent governors completed forms must be brought into school when you are notified of a vacancy.

Role of governor March 2022

Governor Application form (word)

Governor Application form (pdf)