Governors
SEVEN HILLS PRIMARY SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY
Seven Hills Primary School is a community school.
The name of the governing body is ‘The governing body of Seven Hills Primary School’.
The Governing Body of any school is in place to provide both support and challenge for the school in the way it is led and managed in order to provide the best possible education to every pupil in the school - our Governing Body is no exception.
Our Governors do not tend to get involved with the daily running of the school but their expectations are exceptionally high in terms of the way they support and carry out their roles and responsibilities. It is the role of the Governors to monitor and work with the school leaders on the strategic planning and thinking ahead; they also ask questions and are well informed about every aspect of school life.
Our Governors share the vision and ambition as part of the leadership team (Click link for School Development Plan) for the children at Seven Hills to be the best they can possibly be both academically and socially as well as emotionally. This is embedded in the Curriculum Intent (Click link for Curriculum Intent). The governing body strongly agree that the children are at the heart of everything we do at Seven Hills.
Governors are invited to attend special days for their specific year group to which they are attached. These include special curriculum days, performances, Inspire days etc. and they also meet the member of staff responsible for their specific governor area in order for them to present what has been implemented and the current impact. (Click link for Governor Responsibilities) They are also able to provide support and challenge, as appropriate. Additionally, they are in tune with staff and pupil voice.
Governors are volunteers who give a significant amount of time over the course of the year to helping the school be the best it can possible be. They are part of the biggest volunteer workforce in the country and we thank them for their time and efforts.
The governing body consists of:
1 Headteacher
2 Parent Governors;
1 LA Governor;
1 Staff governor;
7 Co-opted Governors;
Total number of governors 12
We have a Chair of Governors and 2 Associate Governors. Our Associate Governors hold voting rights within the governor committees but not at the full Governing Body Meetings. As Deputy Headteacher and School Business Manager, they also hold strategic positions within the school.
Each governor forms part of one of three committees: Pupil Support; Resources or Teaching and Learning. (Click link to Governor Roles 2023-24)
Our Governors provide support and challenge in equal measure thanks to their excellent knowledge of the school and the policies and practices. The skill set, experiences and varied interests of our Governing Body is also a strength of our school.
Resources Committee Annual Review
Pupil Support Committee - Effectiveness
Teaching & Learning Committee - Effectiveness
Our Governors
Mr. R Catherall
As Headteacher of Seven Hills Primary School for the last 10 years, it has been a privilege to be part of such a strong and caring governing body. Whilst acting as critical friends, our governors makes sure that I keep everyone safe, I ensure all our children achieve their full potential both academically and socially and that I manage finances effectively across school.
I am passionate about education and have been involved in teaching for 30 years throughout the primary age ranges. Every day is different at Seven Hills and every day is an exciting learning day both for me and the children!
As a keen sports fan, I believe in fair play, a team ethos, resilient players and supporting each other to achieve our goals. I am proud to be part of the Seven Hills Team - ‘A Place Where Everyone is Valued’.
Mrs. M Webb
My journey at Seven Hills has been a long and interesting one. I have been a qualified teacher for 40 years, taught here for 32 years and been the Deputy Headteacher for the last 13 years. My son attended this school and some of my grandchildren are part of our school family. Both my daughters work at Seven Hills, and it is a joy to have them as part of our school family.
One of my many roles at school is to ensure all children make good progress by tracking their attainment and meeting with staff to ensure teaching and learning is having a positive impact. As a member of the safeguarding team, I work with lots of stakeholders to keep everyone safe.
My main leisure activities include reading and listening to all genres of music. Coming from Liverpool I am a fan of the Fab Four and a lot of the children will know this about me. Having a Beatles medley included in the Young Voices score this year was a bonus and singing at Sheffield Arena again was a fabulous experience to share with the children.
Mrs. Susan Redfearn
I have been a member of staff here at Seven Hills Primary School for the last 9 years and part of the governing body for the last 6 years. I am currently a HLTA based in year 3 and 4 but have had experience working across all key stages within school. I thoroughly enjoy being part of the governing body representing the staff in school.
After having my own children and seeing them start their school journey, I soon realized that I had a real interest in education. I decided to change direction after a 20-year career in Banking to retrain and volunteer at their school. This then led to me taking up a position here at Seven Hills. I thoroughly enjoy my job and am passionate about supporting children both academically and socially. It is an incredibly rewarding job and I am proud to be part of the Seven Hills family.
Sarah Newton
I’ve worked with school since 2019, and currently serve as Chair of Governors.
As Governors we have a key role in aiding school to ensure our children have all the opportunities to fulfil their potential, no matter their background or needs. Asking challenging questions to be that supportive critical friend, driving strategic development and achievement standards.
I worked in financial service for nearly 20 years, including in governance, and currently am the Customer Relations Manager for a rail company.
My nephew and niece attend Seven Hills so I have a vested interest in supporting school both on a personal and community level, to help our children achieve and succeed in their school careers.
Miss Amy Mandelj
I originally started working with Seven Hills as part of FOSH PTA when my son Tyler started in reception, organizing various fundraising events within the school.
A couple of years later, school were looking for parent governors with admin and finance experience. I decided this was my opportunity to give more back, and in doing so I have been able to learn so much about the inner workings of the school which I would never have known without becoming a governor. I have now been a governor for four years. I absolutely love been a part of the school community and being able to see first hand plans coming into action.
Outside of school I have two businesses. The first is predominantly admin based, aiding small businesses to get organized and to grow. The second is product based helping to spread love and positivity through crystals and other items.
My son and I are big football fans and I also love cats, crafting and crystals.
Kathrine Day
As a mother of three boys, I have been attending Seven Hills Primary School for 12 years so far. I have tried to remain as engaged and involved as possible over the years. I joined the School PTA During 2021 as Secretary and followed to join the Governors as a parent governor in 2022.
I am keen to be involved in the community and have involvement with the local council and schools along with local sports clubs. The schools Ethos resonates perfectly with me and I believe captures the essence of what life should be about. Seven Hills Primary are great ambassadors for being “a place where everyone is valued”
Alongside heavy involvement with our Children’s sports teams we have three businesses centered around art, design and creativity, printing, sweets can edible treats. With any remaining free time, I enjoy getting outdoors to spend quality time with my family and friends along with downtime focusing on art.
When combined, all of this experience simply enhances the strategic running of Seven Hills Primary School. It also provides the necessary support and challenge to move our school forward in the best interests of the children, in line with Government, OFSTED and DfE guidance and legislation.
Andy Arnfield
I have been an LEA School Governor for 3 years with a daughter coming towards the end of her Seven Hills journey. I have worked in Education for 15 years and more recently worked in the NHS for almost 20 years.
I have really enjoyed my time as a Governor and have found the experience immensely rewarding. Having a deeper understanding of the work taking place in the School has enabled me to appreciate the full value of all the staff. Working alongside the pupils has been a pleasure and a real reminder of how beautiful the creative minds of young children can be.
I have a particular interest in the emotional wellbeing of the children at school and how this underpins the School Curriculum. I enjoy reading and so being linked with the School Reading Lead has provided real fulfillment.
I would encourage everyone to consider being a School Governor. It is interesting and provides a real insight into what makes Seven Hills so special. It has certainly enhanced the quality of my life working with so many fine people and observing the pupils embracing the joy of learning.
When combined, all of this experience simply enhances the strategic running of Seven Hills Primary School. It also provides the necessary support and challenge to move our school forward in the best interests of the children, in line with Government, OFSTED and DfE guidance and legislation.
Bamidele Bode
I took interest in Education and became a Governor about 3 years ago when my daughter started Reception at Seven Hills. I was told about the vacancy during our first parent visit. I was first a Co-opted Governor and then became a parent governor. I am also a member of the Finance and Resources Committee and have recently got involved with Health and Safety in the School.
Being a governor at Seven Hills has been an amazing experience, it gives me so much satisfaction knowing that my child attends the same school where I am governor. I am also confident in the leadership at Seven Hills because I know that they put the pupils at the heart of everything that they do.
I have come from a Finance and IT background and over the last 15 years I have worked in several Banks and Financial institutions. I have very recently started working in a company that provides data analysis tool for Schools and Colleges. Being a governor has no doubt heled me even in my day-to-day life and I have had access to numerous trainings to help me perform the role effectively.
In my spare time, I love to travel, spend time with my family and socialize with friends.
Augustine Wiafe
In the previous school of my sons in Norwich, I was privileged to serve as a parent governor for a year before we moved and I found the experience both challenging and rewarding. That is why I am glad for the opportunity to serve on the Seven Hills Primary governing body.
I have been teaching physics and mathematics in mostly international schools for over 15 years and I have had several responsibilities that include: boarding house tutor, chaplain, key stage coordinator and acting principal. Prior to teaching in the classroom, I worked with the British Council in Accra, Ghana as a senior invigilator, before moving to an educational consultancy, Ace Consult and with Craft Education, an educational technology start-up.
Working with young people is something I am passionate about. I have also volunteered as a youth worker with the Scripture Union and other organizations. I am currently pursuing a master's degree in education (advanced pedagogy) with my thesis focusing on instructional design.
Seven Hills Primary is a great school with a hard-working leadership team and I look forward to making a positive contribution to the achievement of the school's vision of equipping every child to reach their full potential. I draw inspiration from the multiple perspectives provided by students, parents, teachers and colleague governors that continue to enrich my learning and expand my horizons.
In my free time, I like to read fiction and play football. I particularly love listening to music and nurture a keen interest in writing poetry as well.
Kelly Cholmondeley
I am mummy to two boys James and George, James attends Seven Hills and he is currently in Reception, my husband and I moved to Morley in 2017 and I immediately feel in love with the place, I knew then I wanted to give back to the community, so I was delighted to join the Governing body at Seven Hills.
I have worked for the prison service for 18 years; I am currently the industries manager. Part of my role is to line manage 15 members of staff, manage 5 workshops which vary from food packing to textiles and manage the work and education progress of offenders within my workshops.
As the industries manager, within the reducing reoffending function one of my main focuses is around upskilling of employability skills and education for the men in our care.
We know one of the key factors to support reducing reoffending is education, I work closely with our education providers and Ofsted to ensure we are providing everything possible to achieve positive outcomes for the men in our care.
As a Romany Gypsy, I was fortunate enough to be raised with duel heritage and benefited hugely from both, I am the Gypsy Roma Traveler rep at HMP Leeds, and I support all the men in our care who declare themselves as GRT. I believe education around different cultures to be key to help bond our communities and I have offered this support to Seven Hills within my role as governor.
If you are wondering on how to pronounce my surname, its “Chumley”
Stephanie Dalton-Politis
My name is Stephanie Dalton-Politis and I am a mum of three children. I am passionate about the school and supporting children’s learning.
I work for a law firm in conveyancing. I dedicate my spare time to fundraising for local charities when I can, I feel it is important to give back to your community where possible.
