Governance at High Street Primary Academy

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Chair of Governor Statement

The Governing Body work with the school to ensure that the school provides the very best it can for your child. The school is a caring school with a focus on achievement. We are fortunate in having a well qualified, dedicated and caring staff that take pride in their pupils and expect high standards in both work and behaviour. There is a strong commitment by all staff to work extremely hard to help each child reach their full potential. We also appreciate the role that parents play in supporting the children and the staff during their time at the school. This is an important factor in how your child does at school.

I assure you that we will take the utmost care to provide a safe and stimulating environment for your child.

 
Please read our pen portraits for the Governing Body. If you would like an appointment with our Chair of Governors, please contact the school office on 01752 225649
 
Annie McGee

I have worked across all phases of education with children and young people from the ages of 0-16.   Mostly within the area of learning needs. Working in collaboration with a range of agencies has always been vital to me as has respecting both the views of child and parent.

I have been fortunate enough to visit schools across the world and observe how education is taught and delivered in a variety of contexts.   The Reggio Emilia early years’ centres in Northern Italy were an inspiration to observe and take away important lessons on education in general. I have worked for a number of local authorities as well as the private sector and was seconded to the National Children’s’ Bureau for Research funded by the Gatsby foundation.  

Children learn through feeling safe and secure and being valued and respected. Allowing children to explore their own creativity should be at the heart of any learning activities. The skilled teacher/early years worker should be able to observe these activities and gently guide the child forward.   Listening to children is imperative throughout this process.

I run a small business where I design and make jewellery using Venetian glass. I enjoy dance classes at the gym. I sing in a local choir. I am also a volunteer for the Foodbank.

I am allergic to housework.

 

Eunice Halliday

For the last 9 years I have worked for the Methodist Church co-ordinating the Oasis Project and Plymouth Foodbank in our centre in Manor Street, Stonehouse.

I have known many parents of High Street school pupils over the years who have visited our projects for help or to attend a training course.

I have been a governor at High Street for 6 years and one of the highlights of my week is to listen to children in Year 1 read (when I can escape from the centre). Also a team from Oasis dramatise a Bible story every month in the Junior assemblies and we are always ably assisted by the children.  I am now usually greeted in local shops by children calling me the "Open the Book"  woman.

The Oasis Project combines the community cafe with training and spiritual and pastoral support.  Lots of adults who struggled at school come to the centre to learn maths and english. We have art groups, computer training at various levels, dyslexia screening, English for people who know lots of other languages but need help with English, a Celtic inspired prayer group and healthy cooking classes.  We also help with form filling and all sorts of practical or emotional difficulties. 

I was fortunate to find learning at school a good experience but my work at Oasis has shown me that there can be  a variety of barriers to learning. I am proud to be associated with a school that promotes a sense of community but has always treated each child as an individual and fostered their interests and aspirations and also provided extra help where needed so that children can achieve a good grounding for a successful and fulfilled life.

Bronwen Lacey
 

Bronwen joined the Governor Board in January 2016. I have worked in Education and Children's Services for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2014.Bronwen has a wealth of experience of front line service delivery and strategic leadership to the Board. Bronwen says " I joined the Governor Board because I wanted to continue to contribute to improving the life chances of children, giving them the best possible start. Joining the hard working team of staff and governors at High Street Primary School seemed the perfect way to do that."

Leah Nail 
 

I have recently become a parent governor. I work as a customer service rep and have got three children. They are all High Street educated, one of which is currently in year seven having left last year, and the other two are year four and reception.

I decided to get involved with the governing body to better understand the way the school works, so that I might be more able to speak to fellow parents about school matters, and be in a position to pass on views of them to the other governors. I would like to see the best outcomes for the children at the school, so that they can have an enjoyable and fruitful education here that will aid them in moving on to the next stages of school life.

 Heather Hunter

 I am a Teaching Assistant within Year 6. I have had a varied career ranging from a Shop Assistant in a Newsagents, 7 years in Humberside Police as an Administration Clerk and 17 years ago when my son was in Primary school I decided to go into the Teaching sector. I am a qualified Teaching Assistant with training in Emotional Behaviour Difficulties and Mental Health within children and English as a Foreign Language. At the moment, I am in the process of trying to finish off a Degree in Childhood and Youth Studies. I worked at Hillside EBD School for 6 months as a Learning Support Assistant, before moving to Norway. I worked in the British School of Stavanger, Norway for nearly 4 years, teaching children English as a Foreign Language and assisting with learning support. I came to High Street Primary School in December 2004 as a General Teaching Assistant and have worked in Key Stage 2 since then.

 My aim is to make sure that the children in this school have an outstanding, caring educational environment to work in and to help them through any difficulties they may have within their learning life. I am always around at the end of the school day where you can find me leading the children out after their time in school.

Mandy Precious
 
I have worked in Theatre and Arts Education for 30 years. I began my working life as a teacher including a stint as Head of Drama in a secondary school in Buxton. In 1993 I became a freelance practitioner working as a theatre writer, director and drama practitioner in a variety of settings including schools (probably about 400 over the 18 years of this part of my work!) My freelance work also included project managing a number of large scale creative and theatre projects in schools across the North West, as well as the creation of community theatre with groups unaccustomed to participation in the arts. In 2009, I was persuaded to step in temporarily to run one of the largest and most dynamic youth theatres in the UK, as well as the state of the art building it was housed in. This turned into a six year job! In January 2015, I became Head of Creative Learning at Theatre Royal Plymouth – leading a very dynamic department who work directly with more than 5000 people a year. 

I have also spent far too much time studying – completing a PhD in Education in 2013. I am really looking forward to contributing to the Governor Board where I can with a particular ambition to improve children’s outcomes.

I like to swim a long way: in rivers, the sea and in swimming pools.
 
High Street Local Governing Body meeting dates 2018-19 
 

Monday 17.09.18             

Monday 15.10.18             

Monday 19.11.19             

Monday 21.01.19            

Monday 25.02.19  

Monday 18.03.19     

Monday 20.05.19

Monday 17.06.19

Monday 15.07.19