We are delighted to have a Governing Body, with an appropriate mix of experience and a wide range of relevant skills. Our Chair of the Governors is Anne Bajorek.
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Anne Bajorek – Anne is a Parent Governor and took on the role of Chair of the Governors in October 2021. She has two daughters at the school. Anne has worked in the charity sector for 25 years, the last 15 years in a senior charity management role. Her professional expertise is in fundraising, communications and organisational and strategic management. |
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Linda Glithro – Linda has extensive experience of primary education and school management, having taught in the local area for more than 30 years and been an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Since retiring from full-time working, she has co-authored a number of primary maths text books for various leading publishers. She has been a governor since the school opened in 2014. |
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Yang Cao– Yang was elected as a Parent Governor in June 2024. Her daughter is a pupil at The Heights. Yang has been working in business and global marketing roles for 15 years, with a multicultural background. She is keen to contribute to the school community to represent the views of the Heights parents and to ensure the best possible educational environment. |
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Esme Tiplady – Before children Esme was a primary school teacher, going on to lead a team providing support to children with emotional and behavioural problems across an education authority: She learned a lot about what makes a well-run school. She is passionate about high standards but equally about school as a community and a place for children to develop emotionally and socially. Esme now teaches in a specialist SEND school. She enjoys supporting the school and representing Heights parents. |
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Sumit Thapliyal –Sumit has been elected as a Parent Governor in Sep,2024 and his son is studying at the school since 2023. Sumit works in a global technology company and has extensive experience of creating and managing large, complex, international business engagements. In his role as a Parent Governor, Sumit is committed to support the students, parents, the Heights Primary School and the local Caversham community. |
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Daniel Pagella – Dan is a Chartered Surveyor with extensive experience in commercial property development projects from warehouses to hospitals. He was appointed to the Governing Body (now LAB) in January 2021, having been a Trust Member and passionate supporter of the school since its inception in 2013. |
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Laura Tudor – Laura was appointed as a Community Local Advisory Board Member in November 2023. She is a lawyer specialising in commercial and corporate transactions, working with private entities and public bodies in the telecommunications sector. Having lived in Caversham for most of her life, Laura is keen to support the school and contribute to the local community.
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Jess Tyrrel – Jess manages an alternative education provision for post-16’s having helped set up the social enterprise in 2015. Jess is a trained coach and is currently studying an MSc in Coaching and Behaviour Change. She specialises in working with teenagers and the adults in their lives and has a deep passion for wellbeing. Jess is used to working in a small education start-up and understands what is needed to scale it. |
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Lieutenant Colonel Nigel Anderson MBA RLC – Nigel is a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army and has served within the Royal Logistic Corps for over 25 years. He is a logistic specialist, has extensive leadership experience, and is happiest when driving organisational change and team building. A keen student, he actively promotes life long learning and lives by this ethos himself. |
| Aimee Crofts – Aimee is a Parent Governor, who is also a Headteacher at another Reading primary school. Through her roles of ‘Leading Practitioner’ and ‘Literacy Network Leader’, Aimee has worked extensively in leading and developing teachers across the Borough. With a Chemical Engineering degree as her background, Aimee has also worked with the Department for Education as an expert panelist for assessing both primary mathematics and science.
Elena Cook – Elena was appointed as Staff Governor in January 2021. She has been teaching in Reading primary schools since 2016 and joined the Heights in September 2020. Elena received her Masters degree in Education from the University of Reading in 2022 and has recently published a research article linked to classroom tools and strategies to support autistic students in Early Child Development and Care (Taylor and Francis Journal), Volume 19, 2023, Issue 13-14. She also has completed a National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership in 2023 which led to a whole school improvement project linked to UNICEF rights respecting schools, resulting in the school receiving a gold award in October 2023. Elena leads the school and eco council and has an interest in the importance of pupil voice, diversity and SEND support in schools. |
School Governors will play a key role in the future success of The Heights Primary. Ofsted (the national body that inspects schools) has stated:
Good governance at a school is of huge importance and can have a considerable impact on the success of a school. Governors play a critical role in guiding, supporting and challenging schools.
What are a school Board of Governors?
The National Governors Association describes school governors as ‘individuals who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education’. They give up their own time on a voluntary basis (i.e. unpaid) to help provide a high standard of education.
What is a Governing Body?
The Governing Body is made up of the individual Local Advisors and is established, in law, as a corporate body. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the Governing Body, and individuals do not have the power to act independently. The Governing Body usually meets at least three times a year.
What are the responsibilities of the Governing Body?
The Governing Body sets the strategic aims and objectives of the school, and monitors progress made towards achieving those. The Headteacher will be responsible for implementing the strategic plan of the Governing, as well as the operational issues involved in running a school.
The Governing Body’s responsibilities include the following:
- setting targets for pupil achievement
- making sure the curriculum is balanced and broadly based
More information on the role of school Governors can be found at the following sites:
http://www.education.gov.uk/a0056694/categories-and-roles-of-school-governors