Governance

Governors support school leaders effectively and ensure that the work of the school leads to sustained improvements in students’ achievement.

Ofsted

Highdown’s governing body consists of a group of parents and other interested individuals who are committed to support the school continue to improve at every level.  We are ultimately responsible for the school’s strategic direction and vision and seek to do this by monitoring and evaluating Highdown's activities and results.  We are very encouraged with the close relationship we have with our School Leadership Team and work closely with them to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students.

Name	Governor type and Role*	Term started	Term ends	Date resigned	Att. FGB	Att. FSP	Att. L&T	Att. Audit	Overall attendance 2021-22
Ms R Cave	Ex-officio Trustee Executive Head	01/04/13	-	-	4/4	5/5	4/4	-	100%
Mr A Rajantie	Parent, Member Chair of Trustees	13/12/13	12/12/25	-	4/4	4/5	4/4	-	93%
Mr M Cuttin	Appointed Trustee Vice-Chair of Trustees	01/11/17	31/10/25	-	4/4	3/5	4/4	2/2	90%
Mrs S Siddiqui	Appointed Trustee Link - SEND	01/11/17	31/10/25	-	4/4	-	1/4	-	62%
Mr R Larsen	Staff Trustee	24/09/21	23/09/25	-	3/3	5/5	-	-	100%
Mrs M Miller	Parent Trustee Chair of Audit Committee Link – SEND	29/03/21	28/03/25	-	4/4	5/5	-	2/2	100%
Dr C Foulkes	Parent, Member Chair of L&T Committee Link – Curriculum	01/12/20	30/11/24	-	4/4	-	3/4	2/2	91%
Mr W Edwards	Appointed, Member Responsible Officer Chair of FSP Link – Safeguarding Link – Careers	01/09/20	31/08/24	-	2/4	4/5	4/4	-	77%
Mr S Lovelock	Appointed Trustee	06/10/17	05/10/21	05/10/21	0/1	-	-	-	0%
Mrs R Sadler	Staff Trustee	24/09/13	23/09/21	23/09/21	0/1	-	-	-	0%

 

Procedure for contacting the Governing Body

Our Governing Body has three core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its students; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

For queries / concerns related to these, please email the Chair of Governors, Mr A Rajantie, via the Clerk to the Governing Body, Mrs Rachel Entwistle, Clerk@highdown.reading.sch.uk. 

Copies of approved minutes plus agendas and appendices may be requested from the Clerk, please email clerk@highdown.reading.sch.uk with your request specifying which meetings you are interested in. Please note that confidential (part 2) minutes will not be disclosed for privacy reasons. The Academy is entitled to exclude from any minutes any material relating to a named staff member or student of the Academy.

Responsibility for the operational / day-to-day running of the school rests with the Headteacher, Ms R Cave. For issues related to this, there are established procedures and policies for making contact with the school.

Remuneration of employees whose benefits exceed £100,000

Remuneration of employees whose benefits exceed £100,000. 

The Academies Financial Handbook 2021 requires that trusts must publish on their website the number of employees whose benefits exceed £100k, in £10k bandings. The Schools’ financial statements for 2020/21 show that one employee received total benefits of between £130,000 and £140,000. No other employees received benefits above £100,000.