Governance

Made of up individuals who are elected or appointed to voluntarily represent the church, parents and carers, the local authority and the staff; our governing body are the strategic leaders of the school with a vital role to play in making sure every pupil receives the best possible education while achieving his or her full potential, irrespective of age or ability.
Governors
We are proud to have a committed governing body made up of a team of individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The number of governors for our school is 12 and our primary role is to ensure that the school discharges their statutory duties under the law as well as act as a ‘critical friend’ in supporting and challenging the leadership and management.
We also help to set the vision and strategic direction of the school, oversee the maintenance of the premises and management of budgets, monitor performance and attainment of pupils and engage with key stakeholders.
The school and governing body also benefit from the support of the Trustees who look after the endowment left by Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts and periodically gives grants to the school. The chair of the Trustees is Mrs Fiona Burdett-Coutts.

Mr. P. Carrivick
Chair of Governors - Local Authority (11 July 2017 - 12 July 2021)
Phil lives in Pimlico and works as a strategy consultant, a role that involves advising companies on growth, transactions and transformation. He studied at the University of Durham and read Engineering, after which he did a brief stint designing buildings in London before living in New Zealand for two years and working for a management consultancy there. In 2013, he returned to London and joined A.T.Kearney, a leading global strategy consultancy. In his spare time he enjoys sport and finding the next good spot for coffee.

Mrs A. Sladden
Vice-Chair of Governors - LDBS (21 January 2020 - 20 January 2024)
Anna works in a trade & investment negotiation team at the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, following a position as Senior Development Manager at the Centre for Social Justice, helping to improve the life opportunities of those most deprived in the UK. She gained a BA Hons (1st) in International Relations & French at the University of Exeter, which included a year's study at Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence, France; followed by an MSc in Global Politics at LSE. A Westminster resident, Anna enjoys playing tennis, travelling, skiing & sailing with family when the British weather permits.

Ms. Y. Barnett
Headteacher - Ex-officio (appointed Sep 2020)

Ms. S. Agabani
Elected Parent (12 October 2019 – 11 October 2023)
Shaza, who has a daughter at the school, lives locally and actively participates in the many community events and activities in the area. Following professional careers in advertising & marketing, working with some of London’s top media agencies and publishing houses, she is now focussed on realising a childhood passion and developing her own jewellery business. Shaza is a strong advocate of the GROWTH model and Child Safety Online and loves reading and aromatherapy. Her favourite part of the world is the River Nile, close to where she was born.

Mrs J. Bates
Deanery (24 January 2019 – 23 January 2023)
Jill lives with her husband and three children in Battersea. She earned her PGCE and M.Ed at Cambridge University, after reading Psychology and English at the University of Ottawa, and has enjoyed an extensive teaching and educational leadership career in schools across UK & the US. Following a break to care for her children, she has now resumed her career as a primary school teacher. Her professional research interests include developing resilience and growth mindset in pupils and her pastimes include knitting, reading mysteries & playing in Battersea Park with her children.

Ms. N. Bowles
Elected Parent (06 March 2017 – 05 March 2021)
Narissa lives with her husband, daughter and cat, working from home as co-director of a web development company. She read Journalism at Sheffield University and has enjoyed careers in print journalism, sound engineering and event planning. Her interests include reading, cooking and spending as much time in Kew Gardens and Richmond Park as possible.

Mr. S. Brickell
Elected Staff (26 September 2019 – 25 September 2023)
Born and raised in South London, Steve turned to teaching after a successful career in telecommunications. His association with Burdett-Coutts, where all his children attended school, spans 26 years and in 1995, he co-founded the Out-Of School Club with Ms C. Hall, which continues to provide after hours support for the school. Steve has also been a governor of London Nautical School and Charlotte Sharman Primary School and is passionate about football, dancing and in particular, the martial arts, having trained and represented England in international karate tournaments for over 40 years.

The Revd. G. Buckle
Ex-officio (appointed March 2014)
Born and raised in South-East London, Graham had worked for a community newspaper and even been a fumigator, before reading Theology at Southampton University. Ordained in 1989, he has enjoyed varied and extensive service in many churches and is now presently at St Stephen’s with St John’s, Westminster. His passions include travelling, playing and listening to music, watching and participating in sport as well as being involved in the community.

Ms. C. Hui
LDBS (25 February 2020 – 24 February 2024)

Ms. R. John
Parochial Church Council (09 March 2021 – 09 March 2025)

Miss A. Johnson
Trustee (29 April 2018 – 28 April 2022)
Abimbola lives in Oval and works as a criminal defence barrister. She read Jurisprudence (Law) at Oxford University, graduating in 2009 and was called to the Bar in 2011. She is passionate about social justice and fairness and sits on her chambers’ management committee as the equality & diversity officer and as the junior members’ representative. Abimbola regularly volunteers in schools outreach programmes and her interests include learning about history, with an emphasis on the history of people of African & Caribbean descent in Britain & the Commonwealth, playing netball, and singing.

Miss L. Playford
Trustee (08 March 2017 - 07 March 2021)
Louise lives in south-west London and works in St James's as a Corporate Finance adviser working with Healthcare and Education businesses. She studied French at the University of Nottingham and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2010 (Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales) whilst working at KPMG. Following 5 years at KPMG which included time living and working in Amsterdam, Louise spent a year in industry working in a Commercial Finance role before returning to advisory work in her current position. Louise enjoys playing hockey, travelling, theatre and photography.
Structure
Our governing body is highly active and motivated both in celebrating the school’s successes and in concentrating on their improvement. All members are expected to familiarise themselves with the schools’ strengths, weaknesses and targets for improvement especially in reference to two key documents, the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) and the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
In addition, governors are encouraged to involve themselves in the school directly, perhaps attending a school assembly or event, accompanying children and staff on a school trip or simply talking to pupils and staff.
Previously, the entire governing body met one evening a term with specific subcommittees – Resources, Standards & Achievement and Children, Families & Community – meeting termly at other dates throughout the academic year as well.
Following recent guidelines, we have streamlined our governing body’s processes and procedures to ensure our focus remains primarily on strategic issues. Since September 2017, we have adopted a new meeting structure, moving away from termly FGB and committee meetings to a monthly FGB meeting model (10 per academic year).
By working without separate committees, our aim is to ensure the sharing of all key information and effective use of governors’ and school leaders’ skills and time.
In line with this ‘circle model’ of governance, we have retained two committees – Pay and Headteacher’s Performance Management – in order to be able to continue to discharge certain statutory functions and we also delegate monitoring of specific areas of the school to pairs of governors or individuals.
In 2019, we set up an Ethos Committee for governors to monitor the effectiveness of our school as a Church school and the provision of RE & Collective Worship within our curriculum so as to enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness.
Link Roles:
Our governors are appointed to strategic link roles related directly to the Key Priorities and School Improvement Actions of our School Improvement Plan, as well as other statutory positions eg: Safeguarding, Pupil Premium, Health & Safety etc. In all cases, their objectives are to monitor the progress and impact of their specific areas and report to the FGB at strategic points during the academic year.
SIP Key Priority Links
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KP 1: Update and communicate the school vision, values and expectations to all stakeholders in light of the SIAMS framework.
Miss L. Playford trustees (08 March 2017 – 07 March 2021)
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KP 2: Continue to improve the consistency of the quality of teaching in Reading, Writing and Mathematics combined so that more pupils reach the expected standards at the end of KS2 in particular the Disadvantaged, Middle Prior Attainers and More Able pupils
Ms. J. Bates Deanery (24 January 2019 – 23 January 2023)
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KP 3: Further advance improvements to the quality of teaching and learning of Mathematics across the school in order to increase rates of progress and attainment so that more pupils meet the national expected standards at the end of KS2.
Miss A. Johnson Foundation (29 April 2018 – 28 April 2022)
Mr P. Carrivick local Authority (11 July 2017 – 12 July 2021) -
KP 4: Develop and implement a cohesive mental health strategy when supporting pupils so that they are ready to learn, are respectful of each other and feel safe
TBC
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KP 5: Increase the rates of progress so that more children achieve GLD and the Early Learning Goals in Reading, Writing and Maths.
The Revd. G. Buckle Ex-Officio: Vicar of St Stephen with St John, Westminster
Ms. P. Ashley Parochial Church Council of St Stephen with St John, Westminster -
KP 6: Review and redesign the curriculum to challenge and inspire pupils to use and apply their core skills to improve their outcomes
Ms S. Agabani Parent (12 October 2019 – 11 October 2023)
Ms N. Bowles Parent (06 March 2017 – 05 March 2021)
Statutory Links
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Equalities:
Miss A. Johnson Foundation (29 April 2018 – 28 April 2022)
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Governors’ Training:
Miss L. Playford Trustee (08 March 2017 – 07 March 2021)
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Health & Safety:
Mr S. Brickell Elected Staff (26 September 2015 – 25 September 2019)
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Looked After Children (LAC):
TBC
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Pupil Premium:
Mr P. Carrivick Local Authority (11 July 2017 – 12 July 2021)
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Sports Premium:
Mr P. Carrivick Local Authority (11 July 2017 – 12 July 2021)
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Religious Education/SIAMs:
Miss L. Playford Trustee (08 March 2017 – 07 March 2021)
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Safeguarding:
Miss. A. Johnson Foundation (29 April 2018 – 28 April 2022)
-
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND):
TBC
FGB Meeting Minutes
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Key Documents
- Instrument of Government
- Standing Orders
- Scheme of Delegation
- Burdett-Coutts Primary School Improvement Plan (SIP)
- Burdett-Coutts Primary School Self Evaluation Form (SEF)
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Register of Business Interests
In May 1996 the Nolan Committee published a report on standards in public life as applicable to local public spending bodies. The report identified seven principles which should be applied in public life. These are selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
It is important that our governors act and are seen to act impartially. One important means by which a self-governing school demonstrates that it is applying these principles is by maintaining detailed information including a register of business, pecuniary and material interests. Our governing body regularly updates this register to ensure an accurate record is kept at all times.
Information on the Membership of the Governing Body of Burdett-Coutts and Townshend CE Primary School (re-constituted 4th August 2015)
Ms. S. Agabani
Category of Governor:
Parent
Appointed/elected by:
Parents of pupils at the school
Term of office including end date:
12/10/19 to 11/10/23
Committees:
Ethos
Responsibilities:
SIP Key Priority 6 Link: Review and redesign the curriculum to challenge and inspire pupils to use and apply their core skills to improve their outcomes
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
None
Ms. Y. Barnett
Category of Governor:
Headteacher
Appointed/elected by:
Ex-officio
Term of office including end date:
Ex-officio
Committees:
Pay
Admissions
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
None
Ms. J. Bates
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
Deanery of Westminster
Term of office including end date:
24/01/19 to 23/01/23
Committees:
Ethos
Pay
Responsibilities:
SIP Key Priority 2 Link: Continue to improve the consistency of the quality of teaching in Reading, Writing and Mathematics combined so that more pupils reach the expected standards at the end of KS2 in particular the Disadvantaged, Middle Prior Attainers and More Able pupils
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Employment: Thomas’s Battersea School
Ms. N. Bowles
Category of Governor:
Parent
Appointed/elected by:
Parents of pupils at the school
Term of office including end date:
06/03/17 to 05/03/21
Committees:
Ethos
Headteacher’s Performance Management
Responsibilities:
SIP Key Priority 6 Link: Review and redesign the curriculum to challenge and inspire pupils to use and apply their core skills to improve their outcomes
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Company Director Imagiz Ltd (web development)
Trustee: Friends of Burdett-Coutts Parent Association
Trustee: Tiffin Girls Music Society
Website maintenance at Burdett-Coutts School
Mr. S. Brickell
Category of Governor:
Staff
Appointed/elected by:
School staff
Term of office including end date:
26/09/19 to 25/09/23
Responsibilities:
Health & Safety Link
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Co-ordinator Burdett-Coutts Out-of-School Club; Partner is fellow co-ordinator
The Revd. G. Buckle
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
Ex-officio: Vicar of St Stephen with St John, Westminster
Term of office including end date:
Ex-officio
Committees:
Ethos
Responsibilities:
SIP Key Priority 5 Link: Increase the rates of progress so that more children achieve GLD and the Early Learning Goals in Reading, Writing and Maths
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Trustee of the following charities: PCC/Townshend Foundation/Alms Houses
Mr. P. Carrivick
Category of Governor:
Local Authority
Appointed/elected by:
Westminster Council
Term of office including end date:
11/07/17 to 12/07/21
Committees:
Headteacher’s Performance Management
Responsibilities:
Chair of Governors
Pupil Premium Link
Sports Premium Link
SIP Key Priority 3 Link: Further advance improvements to the quality of teaching and learning of Mathematics across the school in order to increase rates of progress and attainment so that more pupils meet the national expected standards at the end of KS2.
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Freelance strategy consultant
Ms C. Hui
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
LDBS
Term of office including end date:
25/02/20 to 24/02/24
Committees:
N/A
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
None declared
Ms R. John
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
Parochial Church Council of St Stephen with St John, Westminster
Term of office including end date:
09/03/21 to 09/03/25
Committees:
N/A
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
None declared
Miss A. Johnson
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
Trustees of the Burdett Coutts & Townshend Foundation
Term of office including end date:
29/04/18 to 28/04/22
Committees:
Ethos
Pay
Responsibilities:
Vice-Chair of Governors
Safeguarding Link
Equalities Link
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
Employment: Barrister
Miss L. Playford
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
Trustees of the Burdett-Coutts & Townshend Foundation
Term of office including end date:
08/03/17 to 07/03/21
Committees:
Ethos
Headteacher’s Performance Management
Responsibilities:
Vice-Chair of Governors
RE Link
SIAMs Link
Governors’ Training Link
Governor at any other educational establishments:
Member of Advisory Board: Le Herisson School
Declarations of Interests:
Member of Advisory Board: Le Herisson School
Company directorships: Cria Education Ltd and Bumblebee Boxes Ltd
Mrs. A. Sladden
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
LDBS
Term of office including end date:
21/01/20 to 20/01/24
Committees:
N/A
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
None
Declarations of Interests:
None declared
END OF TERM: Mrs. R. Dyer
Category of Governor:
Headteacher
Appointed/elected by:
Ex-officio
Term of office including end date:
No longer employed at the school (August 2020)
Committees:
N/A
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
N/A
Declarations of Interests:
N/A
RESIGNED: Mr. W. Walter
Category of Governor:
Foundation
Appointed/elected by:
LDBS
Term of office including end date:
RESIGNED: 5 March 2020
Committees:
N/A
Responsibilities:
N/A
Governor at any other educational establishments:
N/A
Declarations of Interests:
N/A
This information was last updated 25 January 2021
Governors Attendance Record
Governors hold an important public office and their identity should be known to their school and wider communities. It is now a requirement to publish every governor’s attendance record at governing body and committee meetings over the last academic year.
Governor Name/Role | 19th September 2019 | 14th November 2019 | 09th January 2020 | 05th March 2020 | 07th May 2020 | 18th June 2020 | 18th July 2020 |
S. Agabani
Parent Elected | N/A
Not appointed | Present
Appointed 12.10.19 | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
J. Bates
Foundation: Deanery | Absent | Present | Present | Absent | Present | Present | Absent |
N. Bowles
Parent Elected | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
S. Brickell
Staff Elected | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
S. Butcher
Parent Elected | Present |
N/A End of term | N/A
End of term | N/A
End of term | N/A
End of term | N/A
End of term | N/A
End of term |
G. Buckle
Vicar Ex officio | Absent | Present | Absent | Present | Present | Present | Present |
P. Carrivick
Chair Local Authority WCC | Present | Present | Absent | Present | Present | Present | Present |
R. Dyer
Headteacher Ex-officio | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present | Present |
N/A Resigned |
C. Hui
Foundation: PCC | N/A
Not appointed | N/A
Not appointed | N/A
Not appointed | Absent
Appointed 25.02.2020 | Absent | Absent | Present |
A. Johnson
Vice Chair Foundation: Trustee | Present | Absent | Present
Chaired meeting | Absent | Present | Present | Absent |
L. Playford
Vice Chair Foundation: Trustee | Present | Present | Present | Absent | Present | Present | Present |
A. Sladden
Foundation: LDBS | N/A
Not appointed | N/A
Not appointed | N/A
Not appointed | Present
Appointed 21.01.2020 | Present | Present | Present |
W. Walter Foundation: LDBS | Present | Absent | Present | Present | N/A
Resigned | N/A
Resigned | N/A
Resigned |
Related documents:
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