What is a Governor?

• Governors are volunteers and can be described as ‘critical friends’ of the school.
• They are involved in overseeing every aspect of school life, including the success of the school organisation, budget and staffing.
• They work with the Headteacher to lead and manage the school.
• The Governing Board’s responsibility is to ensure the school provides a good quality education for its pupils.
• When setting the aims and policies for the school, Governors work to promote an effective teaching and learning environment.
• The Headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day running and management of the school with the staff, but is supported by the Governing Board.

There are four types of Governors:

• Local Authority Governors – these are appointed by the Local Authority;
• Co-opted Governors – these are Governors who are elected by other members of the Governing Board and have skills which are of particular interest;
• Parent Governors – elected by parents of children attending Granard;
• Staff Governors – elected by the staff and include teachers, support staff and our Headteacher.

• The role of the Governing Board at Granard is to be accountable for the school’s performance to the parents and the wider community.
• With the Headteacher, the Governing Board plans the school’s short and long term aims and objectives.
• It makes high level decisions on the school’s budget and staffing.
• It is responsible for ensuring the school sticks to the requirements of the National Curriculum and looks after pupil’s spiritual, moral and social development.
• The Governors have a commitment to provide for all pupils, including those with special needs.

There are 3 committees on our Governing Board:

• CFC – Children, Families and Community
• C&A – Curriculum and Achievement
• Resources – Personnel, Premises and Finance

Governors are allocated to be a member of one or two of these committees which meet each term.

In addition, the whole Governing Board meets once each term.

How to become a Parent Governor

• Anyone can become a Governor.
• You do not have to be an expert. 
• An interest in the school, enthusiasm and an active commitment to helping ensure the school be the best it can is much more important.

The most important attributes of a Governor are:

• To bring different experience and interest from many walks of life;
• To be able to work closely with others in decision-making;
• To ensure that any work involved in these decisions is followed up and completed;
• To be able to spend time at the school and with the staff and pupils in order to understand how the school works;
• To be a good listener – a Governor is a ‘critical friend’.  Governors are there to challenge and support the school.

Headteacher

Cheryl Grigg

Co-opted Governors

Andy Wheeler (Deputy Headteacher)

Malcolm Turner - Chair

When I was asked to become a governor of Granard I was delighted to accept, having long had an interest in education.  I am convinced of the fundamental importance of a well rounded social and academic education, particularly in the early years of a child's life, and hope as a governor of Granard to be able to contribute to the excellence of the school.

Donna Magor - Vice Chair

As a parent governor, I am honoured to be able to serve Granard Primary School, and in doing so play my part in trying to help hundreds of children access the best education they can!
Having grown up, and studied, outside of the UK being able to share and amalgamate my experiences with my colleagues at Granard has been a great opportunity to explore the fantastic work already done here at Granard and to comment on the pros and cons of alternate approaches I may have experienced.
It is with great pride that I, a parent, am able to be a part of the great institute that is Granard Primary School and to be able to help both my children and yours have an amazing experience here in the heart of our community, Granard Primary School.

Alison Grealis

I started my working life as a secondary school teacher of modern languages in South Wales. After a number of years, however, I decided to return to college and retrain as a lawyer. This resulted in a move to London, where I specialised in insurance litigation. 

I have lived in Putney for over thirty years and have three children. Now in retirement, I have returned to education, volunteering and invigilating at local primary and secondary schools. 

I am delighted to be co-opted as a governor at Granard and am committed to supporting Granard’s vision and values in every way that I can. 

Jane Fawcett

I am delighted to have been co-opted as a governor at Granard. I grew up in the local area and went to both primary and secondary schools in Richmond borough. I became a Chartered Accountant after University, but once I had children of my own, decided to retrain and have been a secondary school Maths teacher for the last 17 years. The importance of great pastoral care and a good education cannot be underestimated in a child’s development and I know that Granard sets out to deliver the best of both. Any support that I can give the school is my pleasure.

Jennifer Asah

Judith Parker

I wanted to become a governor at Granard because, as a languages teacher at a London school, I am passionate about education.  As a local Wandsworth resident I am keen to be more involved in my local community, particularly in supporting our next generation. 

Keith Swabey - Local Authority Governor

Although I only joined the school in 2021, I have loved every minute of it.  Despite my background being in finance and not education, the combination of willingness to spend time in the role, as well as some experience in management, has meant it has been great fun and very rewarding.  Being involved is the key to that fun and now I help out as a reader for a couple of mornings a week.  Watching the children develop and improve in this crucial skill is simply brilliant. 

Laura Polglase

I enjoyed my primary school – although our pool was outside and freezing – and consider the first years of education to be a crucial part of a child’s development. I hope I can bring experience of having volunteered with the local Citizens Advice for over 10 years as well as living in Putney since 1987.  I also like gardening and walking my dog and appreciate the unique benefits of the outside space of the school and the links with the allotments.

Natalie Stanford

Robert Dyson

I was delighted and honored to be asked to be a Governor of Granard Primary School. I enjoyed my State primary school education in the North West, and in bringing my business and property experience to the school I feel I am ‘giving back’ in my role as a member of the Resources Committee. I assist the Committee and Leadership Team, mainly on premises related matters, and enjoy being part of Team Granard in general.  

Shirley Hobson

Being a Governor at Granard, my local Primary School, has given me the opportunity of using my experience in Art and Children’s Literature, as well as working for a national Newspaper group, to help consolidate the Granard ethos of providing a well-balanced, egalitarian education for all our young pupils.  During my time as a Governor, I have enabled an annual Art Show at Putney Library and encouraged the setting up of Book Clubs for the pupils as well as meeting termly with the School Council to hear the pupil voice.

Stephanie Herrmann

I am delighted to be a governor at Granard Primary because I deeply believe in the power of education to change lives and strengthen communities. With nearly 20 years’ experience in communications and strategic leadership, I hope to support the school’s vision, ask thoughtful questions and champion every child’s potential. As a local parent, I am especially committed to helping Granard remain a warm, inclusive and ambitious place for all families.

Tahira Amini

I am honoured to be a school governor at Granard Primary School because I strongly believe in the importance of a supportive, inclusive and inspiring education in the early years. As a resident, I am super excited about community engagement and working with the local community garden. I look forward to continuing my work in support of the school's aims. 

Staff Governor

Francesca Smith