The Governing Body comprises 5 parent representatives, 2 local authority, 3 partnership, 3 staff, 2 community, 2 LA seconded and 2 associate members.
The role of the governing body is a strategic one, working closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team to lead the school, setting the vision and establishing the right culture in which to drive forward improvement.
We meet as a governing body six times a year. In order to work effectively we delegate some responsibilities to the following sub committees; Curriculum; Finance, Pay & Personnel and Community & Premises. These committees also meet six times a year and a member of the Senior Leadership Team attends these meetings.
The three committee chairs form a co-ordinating group which meets regularly to monitor the progress of the school’s Raising Achievement Plan, the Local Authority Statement of Action and the governing body’s own Improving Governance Action Plan. The group co-ordinates and plans the work of the whole governing body.
As you will see from our pen portraits we are a diverse group of individuals who bring a wide range of knowledge and experiences to the Governing Body. We are committed to raising standards and providing the very best educational experience for every student.
Lorraine Doyle
Lorraine is Chair of governors and also chairs the finance, personnel and pay committee. She has three children and her eldest daughter is in key stage 3. Lorraine's other children attend a local primary school where she is also Chair of Governors. Lorraine is a Chartered Accountant with a background in company taxation and looks forward to playing an active role on the governing body at Denefield".
Sarah Shortt
Sarah Shortt has been a parent governor at Denefield for three years, sitting on the Curriculum Committee and for the last year as Chair of the Community & Premises Committee. Sarah works as a teaching assistant in a local primary school and has two children in Key Stages 4. She also acts as the Governor Liaison with the newly formed Parents Council, so has been delighted to meet many of you already.
Carol Fuller
Carol has two daughters in year 7 and also has an older son at college. She currently works at the Institute of Education, at The University
of Reading, where she teaches and conducts research on educational issues. She recently completed a PhD exploring educational aspirations.
Adam Graves
Adam is married with 3 children and works for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which mostly involves working with Information Technology, including brainstorming software. Adam's interests include swimming, cycling and gardening (he has 2 chickens). Adam once represented England at flat green bowls, but has now retired!
Joe Doak
Joe is a Parent Governor, Chair of the Curriculum Committee and takes an interest in special educational needs. He is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning & Development at the University of Reading, where he has taught since 1992. He is also a member of the Reading Green City, Waterways and Open Spaces Forum and the Reading 2020 Forum. He originally comes from Devon but prefers the hustle and bustle of Reading!
Lin Jenkins
Lin has worked at Denefield School for 10 years as part of the Admin team and has been a governor for most of that time. Lin spent the previous 5 years as an active member of the PTA. Lin supports many of the social and fund raising events at the school, often helping on reception at Parent Evenings etc.
Debbie Henderson
Debbie a Parent Governor and a member of the Finance Committee. This seemed to be a natural seat for her as all of her career life has been one way or another in Finance. She currently works at Westwood Farm Junior School as the Finance Officer, where she believes she has found her niche. Debbie has been a Governor for just over a year and her reason for joining was to achieve a better understanding of how the school is run and to achieve the best she could for her own children and all of the pupils. She is a mother of three and two of her children are currently at Denefield. One of her daughters has been elected Deputy Head Girl and Debbie is very proud of her. Debbie's son has represented Denefield School in numerous sporting events and last term played for Berkshire Schools Football Association.
Sheila Loy
Sheila became a governor this year. She is representing the LA on the governing body. Sheila is a Secondary School Improvement Adviser and has been involved with and supporting Denefield since she came to her role in 2003. Sheila enjoys singing and acting and as a spectator loves the theatre, especially the theatre of cricket!
Sue Cantwell
Sue is currently in her 6th year as Headteacher of Downsway Primary School. Quite a few of her children already choose Denefield as their first option choice of a secondary school, and she would like to see this number increase. She chose to become a Governor as she felt it was a wonderful opportunity to lend support, foster a good working partnership with Denefield and to understand the workings of a secondary school that her children would be moving on to.
Maxine Slade
Maxine has been a School Improvement Adviser for West Berkshire District Council for 8 years and is a local resident living in Calcot. She is an additional governor placed on the Governing Body by West Berks Council to support the school through the current work to address the issues from the OfSTED inspection. She has a particular interest in meeting the needs of vulnerable pupils in education so that they can achieve the very best that they can.
Roz Doctor
Roz Doctor has joined as a local authority governor at Denefield from September 2009 and has joined the Finance Committee. Roz works as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Reading office. Roz has one daughter at another secondary school in Reading and enjoys gardening and walking her new cockerpoo puppy! (a cross between a cocker spaniel and a minature poodle).