Meet the Governors
The Governing Body
- 2 parent governors, elected by parents of children attending the school
- 1 governor nominated by the Local Authority
- 1 staff governor, elected by permanent staff
- The Headteacher, who is ex officio
- 5 governors who are co-opted by the Board of Governors
You may also request a copy of minutes from a meeting.
Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body
Chair - Sanjai Desai
Vice Chair - Paul Gardiner
The Chair and Vice Chair are elected annually.
| Category of Governor | Name | Term Began | Term Ends |
| Parent 1 | Charles Bamana (Elected unopposed) | 14/10/2020 | 13/10/2024 |
| Parent 2 | Vacancy | ||
| Local Authority | Vacancy | ||
| Staff | Nadeem Siddiqui | 20/10/2020 | 19/10/2020 |
| Headteacher | Elaine Le Gros | 01/09/2020 | Ex Officio |
| Co-opted 1 | Sanjai Desai | 06/11/2019 | 05/11/2023 |
| Co-opted 2 | Sally Dillon | 07/11/2018 | 06/11/2022 |
| Co-opted 3 | Paul Gardiner | 23/09/2020 | 22/09/2024 |
| Co-opted 4 | Fiona Womersley | 29/04/2020 | 28/04/2024 |
| Co-opted 5 | Vacancy | ||
Associate Member of the Resources Committee | Clare Thomas | 12/03/2021 | 11/03/2022 |
| Clerk to Governors | Roger Slater |
Declaration of Interests
Members of the Board of Governors are required to declare any interests which are pecuniary or non-pecuniary and at the beginning of each meeting to declare whether they have any conflict of interests in any agenda item. prior to any meetings.
Governors are also required to inform the Board of Governors of any relationships with school staff, including spouse, partners or relatives.
Information about governors' declarations of interests is listed under governors' individual profiles.
Structure of the Governing Body
Governors meet as a Full Governing Body (FGB) approximately once every month during term time. In addition, governors also work in Standing committees and panels.
Currently, the following committees and panels meet on a regular basis:
Resources Committee
| Project Group*
| Pay & Conditions Committee
| Headteacher's Performance Management Panel |
Membership: Charles Bamana Sanjai Desai (Chair) Paul Gardiner Elaine Le Gros Clare Thomas#
| Membership: Sanjai Desai Sally Dillon Elaine Le Gros Fiona Womersley
| Membership: Charles Bamana Paul Gardiner (Chair) Fiona Womersley
| Membership: Sanjai Desai (Chair) Sally Dillon
|
* Led by the Local Authority (LA) Performance Advisor, Deb Harris and including from the LA the Education Lead and a Human Resources Partner.
# Clare Thomas is an Associate Member of the Resources Committee with voting rights (appointed by the Resources Committee on 12th March 2021 to serve for 12 months in the first instance). Clare Thomas has been invited to attend FGB meetings in a non voting capacity)
GOVERNORS' PROFILES
Charles Bamana
Category of Governor:
Parent Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
14/10/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Elected by Parents (Unopposed)
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Member of the Resources Committee, Community Engagement, Humanities
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
Parent of child/children attending the school
Statement:
I am a professional with several years’ experience within the education field and have a good knowledge of Widden Primary school. I am an excellent communicator and am comfortable within both office and management environments. I can work effectively with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams. I bring to the role of governor a wide range of skills, including management skills, and strong strategic and operational decision making.
Sanjay Desai
Category of Governor:
Co-opted
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
06/11/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Governing Body
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Chair of Governors, Chair of the Resources Committee, Finance, Pupil Premium, Maths, Science
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
N/A
Statement:
Originally from Bolton I moved to Gloucester in 1992. I am married with 3 children. I own a consultancy business specialising in business turnaround and transformation as well as stakeholdings in other ventures. I am a Chartered Accountant and read Pure Chemistry at University. A former Chairperson of the Aspire Sports and Cultural trust, I contribute a significant amount of my time to not for profit organisations in the county. An FA Level 2 coach, I formed Redmarley Youth football Club in 2014, which has grown to just under 200 players aged 6 to 16 with a number of older players coming from Widden, where I continue to mentor them into good citizens. I was delighted to accept the opportunity to be a Governor at Widden because of my background which enables me to add value to the various stakeholders and I believe it is an opportunity for me to use some of my skills and contacts for the benefit of the school. I am extremely proud of my mother who was awarded an MBE for services to the NHS and Social care and hope to mirror some of that good work in the local community in and around Widden.
Sally Dillon
Category of Governor:
Co-opted
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
07/11/2018
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Governing Body
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Member of the Curriculum and Standards Committee, SEND, English
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
N/A
Statement:
I have worked in Education in Gloucestershire for many years, both as a teacher and Headteacher and, now that I am retired, I am happy to keep that involvement as a Governor. In getting to know Widden, I have been very impressed by the vibrant nature and inclusive ethos of the school and hope that I can bring my experience to support the school in any way that I can. I know the Gloucestershire area very well and I have two sons, both now grown up, who went to local schools. I have four grandchildren who bring my husband and me great joy, but also keep us very busy!
Paul Gardiner
Category of Governor:
Co-opted
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
23/09/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Governing Body
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Member of the Resources Committee, Health & Safety, Risk Management, Sport and PE
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
N/A
Statement:
TBC
Elaine Le Gros
Category of Governor:
Headteacher
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
01/09/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Ex Officio as Headteacher of Widden Primary School
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
N/A
Statement:
TBC
Nadeem Siddiqui
Category of Governor:
Staff Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
20/10/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Elected by the Staff of Widden Primary school
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
Statement:
TBC
Fiona Womersley
Category of Governor:
Co-opted
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
29/04/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Governing Body
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Member of the Curriculum and Standards Committee, Safeguarding, Early Years
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
N/A
Statement:
I was born and brought up in a prep school, which was founded by my parents and is now run by my brother. I chose not to become a teacher but then married one and spent 27 years living in schools! My husband was headmaster of Beaudesert Park in Minchinhampton for 21 years and I worked at the school where I had various roles, the most important of which was to lead the safeguarding. We retired from Beaudesert in July 2018. I first met Mr Cooper in 2013 when we set up a link between Beaudesert and Widden. I was immediately struck by the warm and friendly atmosphere, the purposeful environment, the dedicated staff and the fact that the children are at the heart of everything. The Year 4s of each school have continued to have an exchange day each year so that the children can experience each other’s environments. I was delighted when Mr Cooper asked me if I would help the governing body and my first impressions of the school have never wavered.
GOVERNORS WHOSE TERM ENDED OR WHO STEPPED DOWN IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
Clare Thomas
Category of Governor:
Local Authority Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
29/04/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body
Date term ended/stepped down:
02/02/2021 (after stepping down, Clare agreed to join the Resources Committee as an Associate Member and also to attend FGB meetings in a non voting capacity)
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Member of the Finance Committee
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
Julie Carrick
Category of Governor:
Parent Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
29/04/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Elected by Parents
Date term ended/stepped down:
17/12/2020
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
Charlotte Hout
Category of Governor:
Staff Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
01/09/2019
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Board of Governors
Date term ended/stepped down:
21/09/2020
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
Employee of the school
Tim Cooper
Category of Governor:
Headteacher
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
01/09/2000
Appointed/Elected by:
Ex Officio as Headteacher of Widden Primary School
Date term ended/stepped down:
31/08/2020
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
Ian Etherton
Category of Governor:
Co-opted Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
08/01/2020
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Governing Body
Date term ended/stepped down:
31/08/2020
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
Chair of Governors
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
Steve Birt
Category of Governor:
Parent Governor
Date Appointed/Elected for a 4-year term:
TBC
Appointed/Elected by:
Co-opted by the Board of Governors
Date term ended/stepped down:
31/07/2020
Governor Link Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC
Other Relevant Information, including any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests:
TBC
GOVERNORS' ATTENDANCE DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS
| Full Governing Body Meetings | |||||||||
| 01/07/20 | 26/08/20 | 23/09/20 | 26/11/20 | 02/02/21 | 16/03/21 | 27/04/21 | 11/05/21 | 15/06/21 | |
Charles Bamana | Elected 14/10/20 | ||||||||
Steve Birt | Resigned 31/07/20 | ||||||||
| Julie Carrick | Resigned 17/12/20 | ||||||||
| Tim Cooper | Term End 31/08/20 | ||||||||
| Sanjai Desai | |||||||||
Sally Dillon | |||||||||
| Ian Etherton | Resigned 31/07/20 | ||||||||
| Paul Gardiner |
| ||||||||
| Charlotte Hout | Resigned 21/09/20 | ||||||||
| Elaine Le Gros | Appointed 01/09/20 | ||||||||
| Nadeem Siddiqui | |||||||||
| Clare Thomas | Resigned 02/02/21 | Associate Member 12/03/21 |
| ||||||
| Fiona Womersley | |||||||||
Curriculum & Standards | Resources | |||||
| 26/06/20 | 01/07/20 | 29/01/21 | 12/03/21 | 01/04/21 | 07/05/21 | |
Charles Bamana | ||||||
Steve Birt | ||||||
| Julie Carrick | ||||||
| Tim Cooper | ||||||
| Sanjai Desai | ||||||
Sally Dillon | ||||||
| Ian Etherton | ||||||
| Paul Gardiner | ||||||
| Charlotte Hout | ||||||
| Elaine Le Gros | ||||||
| Nadeem Siddiqui | ||||||
| Clare Thomas | ||||||
| Fiona Womersley | ||||||
| KEY | |
| Present | |
| Absent with apologies | |
| Absent without apologies | |
| Not Applicable | |
| Extraordinary Meeting | |
