Welcome to the Governors' section! 

As Chair, I have the privilege of leading a dedicated group of governors, all of whom contribute fully with their individual skill sets and knowledge. It is the governing body’s responsibility to hold the Executive Head and the Senior Leadership Team to account for providing the best possible outcomes for the children in our schools. We also oversee the federation’s finances, ensuring the money is well spent, as well as playing a lead role in the strategic vision of the federation.

We are very lucky to have an exceptionally strong team of staff at the Coastal Federation with everyone playing their part, no matter how small. This coupled with a clear vision from the Executive Head and Senior Leadership team, ensures the smooth and effective running of all three schools, creating an environment which grows resourceful, creative, reflective, curious, collaborative and resilient learners.

Governors have regular meetings with staff in order to carry out monitoring. This monitoring enables us to have an understanding of how the staff ensure the welfare and safety of all pupils as well as providing us with an in depth knowledge of the curriculum and assessment systems. Some governors have specific roles to monitor such as SEND, safeguarding or pupil premium.

Looking to the future, the governing body will continue to monitor and challenge as well as provide a strategic vision which ensures small village schools, such as ours, continue to be sustainable.

If you would like any further information or you are interested in becoming a governor, please contact me at chairofgovs@coastaltogether.co.uk

Best Wishes
Annie Edwards

Our Governing Board

Our Governing Board is made up of a range of people who bring different skills and experience to support the strategic running of the school.

Governing Boards organise themselves in a certain way to make sure they work properly.  We have a Code of Conduct, a Constitution and keep a log of governors and their interests, as well as our attendance at meetings.

We also attend governor training and keep our skills up to date.

What do Governors actually do?

Our job is to be a 'critical friend' to the Senior Leadership team, both supporting and challenging them (and each other!) to make sure we are all always doing our best for the Coastal Together Federation children and families.

A vital part of what we do is monitoring how our strategic plans (SIDP) are going in practice and that we are delivering our vision and ethos.

We oversee the financial performance of the schools (School Budget, Pupil Premium, Sports Grant) to ensure that we are getting value for money and that we are spending it where is best supports the children.

We also hold the Executive Head to account for the educational performance of the school.  This means we ask challenging questions to the Head and the Senior Leaders to ensure children are getting the best education available at our school.

How do we monitor the schools in Federation?

Monitoring can take many different forms.  It may mean visiting the school, joining lessons, as well as meeting teachers and other staff.  It can mean reading and asking questions about school information, such as children's progress and attainment or our staff teams.

We also talk to children about what they think about school, sometimes by attending school council meetings, asking them what they think in class or by having lunch with them.  We always learn a lot from their opinions and try to include these in our decision making.

Parent and carer views are vital and we try to attend important information evenings, parent forum and PTFA.  We use surveys to understand a range of different perspectives and are currently developing our use of working parties to support continuous school improvement.

Special Responsibilities:

Curriculum: Mrs Frances Codling 

SEND/Safeguarding:  

Attendance/Behaviour & Exclusions: 

Pupil & Sports Premium:  Mr Mike Blake

Finance: Mr Jamie Nickerson

Health and Safety:  Mr Jamie Nickerson

Extended Schools:  

Early Years Foundation Stage:  

GDPR:  

Equalities & Diversity: 

Governor Profiles

Jamie Nickerson (Co-opted Governor)

I am 59 years old, married to Ann, and have 2 daughters, Daisy and Florence, who both attended Horning Primary School. I was originally a Parent Governor, served as Chair of Governors at Horning, and vice-Chair at Cantley & Horning Federation now serving on the Governing Body of the Together Federation as LA governor, and with a responsibility for Finance.

Ann and I moved to Horning from London 20 years ago, where I used to work in a bank, and took over the running of my grandmother’s farm, where we breed alpacas, and sell firewood locally. I have also an IT support business offering tuition and support for people in the local community.

I used to spend every holiday as a child in the area, and played cricket for Hoveton & Wroxham C.C., so it was not a difficult decision to move here when the chance arose. It continues to be a great privilege to support the local school, and to have the opportunity to see children prosper and thrive in a small school environment.

Term of office ends 31/8/2025   Business and pecuniary interests: None

Mike Blake Joint Chair (Co-opted Governor)

Profile to follow

Term of office ends 31/8/2025  Business and pecuniary interests: None

Frances Codling (Parent Governor)

Profile to follow

Term of office ends 31/8/2025 Business and pecuniary interests: None

Simon Wakeman (Exec Headteacher Governor)

Term of office on-going    Business & Pecuniary Interests: None

Roles & Governor Types

Chair of Governors

A chair of governors works with the headteacher to promote and maintain high standards of educational achievement, ensures that the governing body sets a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school, with the governing body holds the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and for the performance management of staff and ensures oversight of the financial performance of the school and effective use of the schools resources

Vice Chair

The chair, with support from the vice chair, is responsible for ensuring the effective functioning of the board. Where the chair is absent from any meeting or there is at the time a vacancy in the office of the chair, the vice-chair is to act as chair for all purposes

Co-opted Governors

Co-opted Governors are people invited to join a governing body by the other governors. They usually live or work in the community served by the school or they are people committed to good governance and the success of the school.

Staff Governors

Staff Governors are in a unique position on a governing body. By definition staff governors are involved in the day to day running of the school and yet are asked, as governors, to put this to one side and participate in the governing body’s work as ‘strategic managers’.  This is not always easy to do!  However, the role of the staff governor offers an opportunity to make a real contribution to the strategic management of the school, providing an interesting and rewarding dimension to work.

Parent Governors

A Parent Governor is a representative and not a delegate of parents. Parent governors do not have to vote in a particular way because of pressure to do so by parents. Objectivity, however, is essential. Parent governors are elected by other parents and it is important to establish a rapport with the parental body that elected them, whilst continuing to maintain a strategic approach to school governance. Parent Governors are not there to promote the interests of their own children but all children in the setting.