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 13 members, one associate member and two vacancies. 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
Nick Austin (Chair) July 2022
Co-opted Governors
Natalie Drew July 2023
Paul Harrison July 2023
Dave Ibbotson May 2023
Lucy Johnson November 2025
Jo Phillips November 2025
Esther van Rooyen May 2022
Vacancy
Parent Governors
Emily Spicer February 2025
Mark Desborough November 2024
Foundation Governors
James Aston May 2023
Trevor Nixon July 2023
Vacancy
Headteacher
Katy Pinchess
Staff Governor
Rebecca Miffling December 2024
Associates (re-elected annually)
Claire Aston July 2022 (no voting rights)
Clerk
Judith Araque
COMMITTEES
Resources (Covering Finance & Buildings, Health and Safety)
James Aston (Chair)
Mark Desborough
Paul Harrison
Trevor Nixon
Katy Pinchess
Laura Wellstead
Curriculum and Standards
Natalie Drew
Dave Ibbotson
Lucy Johnson
Becky Miffling (Chair)
Jo Phillips
Katy Pinchess
Esther van Rooyen
Policy/Hub link
Natalie Drew
Personnel
Claire Aston
Paul Harrison (Safer Recruitment trained)
Dave Ibbotson (Safer Recruitment trained)
Katy Pinchess (Safer Recruitment trained)
Emily Spicer
Esther van Rooyen (Chair)
Headteacher Performance Management
Dave Ibbotson
Claire Aston
Pay Committee
Paul Harrison
Trevor Nixon
Annual Self Evaluation and Data
Nick Austin
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'. 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. No-one holds a governance role in any other educational institution.