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Governing Body

The governing board exists to provide strong strategic leadership to the school, ensuring accountability for its educational and financial performance.

There are three core functions to the board:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
  • Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

Bentley has a governing body with 14 members. Each member initially signs up to a term of four years (end dates are noted below) and all members are voted onto the board at a Full Governing Body meeting. Parent Governors remain for their four year term or until their child leaves the school, whichever is sooner.

Full Governing Body meetings are held six times each academic year as are our committee meetings.

Local Authority Governors

  • Jo Phillips November 2025 (Vice-Chair)

Co-opted Governors

  • Lucy Johnson November 2025
  • Alison Morris July 2026
  • Elise Cavanough July 2026 (Chair)
  • Guy Meagher Feb 2027
  • Helen Dowlatshahi November 2027
  • Georgina Tagg October 2028
  • Becky Miffling

Parent Governors

  • Cara Dougherty October 2029
  • Kay Taylor October 2028

Foundation Governors

  • Angela Clark September 2027
  • Christopher Ogilvie Thompson July 2027
  • Susan Bourne October 2029

Headteacher

  • Vicky Hallett

Staff Governors

  • Naomi Blake October 2028

Associate Governors

  • Zoe Hastie October 2028
  • James Aston October 2026
  • Lindsay Hardman October 2029

Clerk

  • Briony Cavell

COMMITTEES

Resources (Covering Finance & Buildings, Health and Safety)

  • Guy Meagher (Chair)
  • Elise Cavanough
  • Angela Clark
  • Vicky Hallett
  • Kay Taylor
  • Cara Dougherty
  • Becky Miffling

Curriculum and Standards

  • Naomi Blake
  • Helen Dowlatshahi
  • Vicky Hallett
  • Zoe Hastie
  • Jo Phillips (Chair)
  • Georgina Tagg
  • Susan Bourne

Policy/Hub link

  • Elise Cavabough

Personnel

  • Elise Cavanough
  • Vicky Hallett
  • Lucy Johnson
  • Alison Morris (Chair)
  • Christopher Ogilvie Thompson
  • Lindsay Hardman

Training Link Governor

  • Kay Taylor

Headteacher Performance Management

  • Guy Meagher
  • Angela Clark
  • Christopher Ogilvie Thompson

Pay Committee

  • Lucy Johnson
  • Guy Meagher
  • Vicky Hallett

Safeguarding Leads

  • Helen Dowlatshahi
  • Kay Taylor

Should the following committees be needed, the Clerk will contact three eligible Governors in alphabetical order (excluding the Chair, Headteacher and Staff Governor) starting at the last member to serve on a panel. The Clerk will ensure that the Governors have not had prior involvement. Complaints, Exclusions, Capability, Disciplinary, Flexible working requests, Grievance, Pay Appeals, Redundancy, Staff Dismissal, Time off.

The pecuniary interests of the members can be downloaded from the foot of this page, along with the attendance details of the members for the last academic year.