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Hanover Primary School

Our Governors

As an Islington community school, Hanover has a volunteer Governing Body, comprised of parents, staff and community members, that works to ensure the school provides high quality education to pupils.

Governors (ID 1045)

  • Chris Kenyon
    Chair

    Chris Kenyon

    Term of office: May 2019 - May 2027
    Chair of the Governing Board.

    Chris is a local authority governor whose two children attended Hanover recently. He has a strong interest in ensuring every child flourishes and is set up for life-long learning. Chris leads an organisation that supports school leaders and provides technology to schools.

  • Kerri Burton
    Parent Governor

    Kerri Burton

    Term of office: 25 Nov 2021 - 24 Nov 2025

    First appointed: 25 Nov 2021

    Vice-chair of the Safeguarding and Inclusion Committee. Kerri is a parent governor with one child at Hanover.

    A playworker with an MA in Childhood and Youth, Kerri has worked at adventure playgrounds and disability organisations and is the co-director of a CIC providing free community play sessions.

  • Chris Carter
    Co-Opted Governor

    Chris Carter

    Term of office: December 2020 - November 2024
    Member of the Resources Committee
    Chris has two sons one of which is currently at Hanover. He is a Chartered Surveyor working for a fund investing in real estate.

  • Anne Horlait
    Co-Opted Governor

    Anne Horlait

    Term of office: 21 May 2020 - 20 May 2024

    First appointed: 21 May 2020

    Anne is the Lead Safeguarding Link and she sits on both the Safeguarding Committee and the Children, Families and Community Committee

  • Nicole Itano
    Parent Governor

    Nicole Itano

    Term of office: 25 Nov 2021 - 24 Nov 2025

    Frist appointed 25 Nov 2021

    Nicole Itano is a parent governor and has two children at Hanover school. She works in the non-profit sector and has a background in communications and campaigning.

  • Kieran McCullough
    Co-opted Governor

    Kieran McCullough

    Term of office: December 2020 - November 2024
    Chair of the Resources Committee
    Kieran has three children attending the school. Formally an academic, he now works in finance.

  • Rohini Pahl
    Parent Governor

    Rohini Pahl

    Term of office: November 2020 - November 2024
    Chair of the Children, Families and Community Committee, Member of the Safeguarding Committee, Deputy Safeguarding Link Governor and Equalities Link Governor
    Rohini is a parent governor with two children at the school. She has an interest in child development and wellbeing, working for a children's charity. Rohini promotes the charity's children's services and evidence about what works to help children and families. She is keen to make sure all children's voices are heard and represented, as well as those of their families.

  • Joe Radmore
    Parent Governor

    Joe Radmore

    Term of office: November 2022 - November 2026

    Joe Radmore is from Devon and has two children at Hanover. He has been active for many years in various community improvement projects. Professionally Joe is an entrepreneur and also works in the corporate world trading ships. His hobbies are modern history, music and anything to do with the ocean.

  • Nick Sharples
    Co-opted Governor

    Nick Sharples

    Term of office: December 2019 - March 2028

    First appointed: December 2019
    Vice Chair of the Curriculum Committee and Maths Link Governor
    Nick already has one child at Hanover and is looking forward to his youngest joining in September. He is a lecturer and researcher in mathematics at Middlesex University. Part of his role is to develop engaging outreach activities to help young people explore the power of mathematics to help us understand the World.

  • Mariana Finazzi
    Parent Governor

    Mariana Finazzi

 

Being a governor

What do governors do?

Governors are there to make sure the school is being run well and the teaching is of a high standard. Governors are responsible for major decisions about the school and its future. 

While the headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school, the Governors:

  • Help set the the school’s overall vision and strategic direction; 
  • Hold the school leadership team to account;
  • Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.

Governors are answerable to parents and the local authority for the school’s performance. As well as supporting the school and staff, governors are expected to challenge or question the performance of the headteacher and school, when they consider this necessary.

Governors are also involved in dealing with complaints from parents. Parents are encouraged to approach their child’s teacher and/or the Head Teacher in the first instance. Governors only become involved when satisfactory resolution of the complaint with school staff has not been possible.

How are governors chosen?

There are four types of school governor at Hanover, each of which is selected through a different process:

  • Parent governors, who are elected by other parents.
  • Co-opted governors, who are appointed by the governing board and often have specific skills.
  • Staff governors, who work in the school. At Hanover, we aim to have one teaching and one non-teaching staff member on the Governing Body, one elected by the staff and one selected by the Governing Body as a co-opted governor. 
  • Local Authority governors, who are appointed by the governing boards following a nomination from the local council.

All governors initially serve for a period of four years. At the end of the four years, they can stand for re-election or be re-appointed. Governors are free to resign before the end of their four year term if they so wish.

Whenever there is a vacancy for a parent governor, this is advertised in newsletters and posters, with details on the election process.

What does it take to be a governor?

Governors don’t need any special qualifications. They just need enthusiasm, commitment, and an interest in contributing to the school. They also need good inter-personal skills.  Training is provided for governors, and experienced governors are expected to act as mentors to new governors when they first join.

To meet legal duties for safeguarding children, all governors have to undergo a DBS check.

How much time does it take to be a governor?

Governors spend about 6 hours a month on school matters during school terms. They attend a full governing body meeting once or twice a term, usually at 6.30 pm on a Thursday evening and lasting for about two hours. 

Governors are also expected to sit on at least one of the smaller committees which look at specific areas of school life. These committees meet once a term, usually first thing in the morning.

Governors also spend time outside reading papers, visiting the school and attending training. If not chairing the Governing Body or a committee, governors are expected to develop their understanding of one specific area in more depth to act as a lead, or link, governor for that area

Governors are volunteers and don’t get paid. However, they can claim expenses for any costs that they reasonably incur in their role as Governor – such as the cost of paying a childminder so they can attend meetings.

Our Governance Structure and committees

 

gb structure.pdf

 

Contact the School governors

The Chair of Governors can be emailed at COG@hanover.islington.sch.uk
The governors also have a Children, Families and Community Committee which can be contacted via the school office.

Declarations of interest

Click here to download declarations of interest from our governors.

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