The Governing Body

Working together to support pupils, staff, and families

What is the Governing Body?
At Machen Primary School, the Governing Body plays an important role in the life of the school. Our governors are volunteers who work closely with the Headteacher and staff to make sure the school is well-run, welcoming, and always focused on giving children the best possible education whilst championing the wellbeing of all the school community.

The Governing Body as a “Critical Friend”

You may sometimes hear the Governing Body described as a “critical friend” to the school. Both words are equally important - you can’t have one without the other.

  • Friend: Governors are here because we want the very best for the children, families, and staff of Machen Primary. We are partners in the life of the school, cheering on its successes and supporting its growth. Being a friend means we stand alongside the staff team, sharing the same goal which is to provide an excellent, nurturing education for every child.

  • Critical: This doesn’t mean being negative or fault-finding. “Critical” here means offering constructive challenge; asking the right questions, exploring ideas, and encouraging the school to think carefully about the decisions it makes. It’s the kind of challenge that helps things improve, rather than holding anyone back.

Put together, being a “critical friend” means governors support the school wholeheartedly, but also provide an independent perspective to make sure everything is as strong as it can be. If we were only “friends”, we might simply agree with everything and miss opportunities for improvement. If we were only “critical”, we would risk becoming unhelpful or discouraging. The balance is what matters.

The Governing Body’s role is to be both: a supportive friend who is invested in the success of the school, and a constructive challenger who helps ensure the school is always moving forward in the best interests of the children.

Our Committees
The Governing Body does its work in different ways to make sure the school is always supported and improving…

  • All governors meet together once every half term (six times a year). At these meetings, we look at the “big picture” of the school: its vision, priorities, progress, and how well we are meeting our responsibilities as governors.

  • Between full governing body meetings, three smaller committees meet more regularly to focus on particular areas in detail:

    • People & Culture Committee
      Focuses on staffing, wellbeing, equality, and community engagement.

    • Finance & Premises Committee
      Oversees the school budget, resources, buildings, and health & safety.

    • Curriculum & Standards Committee
      Focuses on teaching, learning, and pupil progress, including ALN (Additional Learning Needs).

  • Alongside committees, individual governors take responsibility for certain areas of school life – for example, safeguarding, additional learning needs, or wellbeing. These “link governors” visit the school, meet with staff, and then report back to the Governing Body so everyone is kept informed.

Who are the Governors?

Rev. Dean Aaron Roberts | Chair of Governors

Michelle Lewis | Vice Chair of Governors

Jonathan Preston | Headteacher

Jen Cox | Teacher Governor

Ruth Morgan | Staff Governor

Cllr. Amanda McConnell | Local Authority Governor

Katherine Hammond | Local Authority Governor

Claire Kulisa | Local Authority Governor

Cllr. Steve Aicheler | Community Governor (Minor Authority)

Sarah Precious | Parent Governor

Charlotte Neads | Parent Governor

Becci Ruck | Community Governor

Vacancy | Parent Governor

Vacancy | Parent Governor