I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Chair of the Governing Body.
I have been a Parent Governor at Swain House Primary School for over four years, and in September 2020, I was elected as Chair of Governors. My main aim as Chair of Governors is to support the school in providing the best possible education we can for all our pupils. I am particularly proud of the diverse and inclusive nature of our school, together with the residential visits available to all pupils in Key Stage 2. There are opportunities for pupils to take part in school productions, Christmas events and pantos.
Our Governing Body consists of elected Parent Governors, Local Authority Governors, co-opted Governors and a Staff Governor. These Governors bring different experiences and skills, including considerable knowledge of the school, a boarder educational experience, as well as transferable skills from the wider local area.
The Governing Body is responsible for both the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards. It carries out its role by establishing and promoting the vision for the school and then ensuring that the school works efficiently and effectively towards achieving its vision. The full Governing Body meets six times throughout the academic year, and this is where, amongst many other things, decisions are made which affect children, staff and school families. In addition to Governors’ meetings, the Governors meet regularly with the Leadership Team of the school to analyse pupils’ achievements and to monitor the School Improvement Plan.
The Governing Body welcomes and encourages your questions and support. We would ask you to take some time to complete the questionnaires that are sent out around the time of parents’ evenings. This feedback will enable us to gather your views about school so that we can constantly strive to consolidate and improve.
If you have any questions or suggestions please leave your contact details with the school office and either I, or one of the parent governors, will contact you.
Craig Pounder
Chair of Governors
Craig Pounder
Chair of Governors
My name is Craig Pounder and I was a Parent Governor at Swain House Primary School for over four years, and in September 2020, I was elected as Chair of Governors. My main aim as Chair of Governors is to support the school in providing the best possible education for all our pupils. I have two children that attend Swain House and I am particularly proud of the diverse and inclusive nature of the school. I have worked at HM Revenue and Customs for sixteen years.
Roger Butterfield
Governor
My name is Roger Butterfield, I became a Governor at Swain House in 2020. During my working life I worked as a solicitor for local authorities for 38 years and for six years ran my own business providing a training and consultancy service on education law for schools and local authorities. At Swain House I am responsible for safeguarding and pupil premium. This means I am particularly interested in making sure the children feel safe and happy in school. Away from school I like reading, going to the theatre, walking and spending time with my family, especially my Great Grandchildren.
Clare Pugh
Head Teacher
My name is Clare Pugh, I moved to Bradford from Darlington in 1995 to complete my teaching degree and have worked in education in Bradford since 1999. I was appointed as the Headteacher at Swain House Primary School in March 2022 and started my new post in September 2022. Swain House Primary School is a special place to me as I have worked at the school as a class teacher and before being appointed as the Headteacher, I was the Deputy Headteacher for four years. From being both a class teacher and a leader, I have built strong relationships with the school community and I know the children and their families well. I have a good understanding of what we do well at Swain House and the areas that we need to work on. I am very proud of the inclusive and diverse nature at Swain House and the partnership we have with the Resourced Provision for Deaf and Hearing Impaired children. I want all of our children to make good progress and achieve the best they can and for us, as a school, to provide an exciting, meaningful and memorable learning experience. In my spare time, I enjoy running, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Jennifer Blackwell
Parent Governor
My name is Jennifer Blackwell and I am a Parent Governor. I am a teacher in the Bradford district, with over 10 years’ experience working in education. I specialise in working with children with SEND, SEMH needs and am a specialist practitioner in attachment disorders. I aim to support the school, the children and their families with my knowledge and experience. My passion is helping provide the best education for the whole child. I enjoy playing an active role in the life of school and strive to give all children who attend Swain House Primary School the opportunity to achieve and aspire to fulfil their potential.
Katie Brewis
Governor
My name is Kate Brewis and I am a Governor at Swain House, after joining in September 2022. I am a senior leader in a school in Bradford, and have worked in the Bradford district for over 20 years. I am a Senior Leader in Education (SLE) with my specialist areas being SEND, ITT and behaviour. I aim to support the school, the children and their families with my knowledge and experience. I am passionate about ensuring that education is inclusive and that challenges are reduced and barriers removed, so that the best possible outcomes are achieved for children and young people in Bradford.
Ross Mezals
Parent Governor
My name is Ross Mezals and I was elected as a parent Governor at Swain House Primary School in December 2022. I am a Senior Leader in a large Secondary School in Bradford leading on Behaviour, Attendance and Rewards.
I want the children that attend Swain House Primary School to dream big, achieve fantastic outcomes and leave with fond memories of their time at school.
I will support the whole school community and strive to ensure we have a culture whereby the children that attend Swain House Primary School feel a real sense of belonging and connectedness.
I’m thrilled to be associated with a governing body that has a broad skill set, experiences of governing other schools and strong knowledge of the community we serve. This will allow us to support and encourage the further development of Swain House Primary School.
Mrs Natasha Gibbs
Governor
My name is Natasha Gibbs and I have been appointed as a Governor at Swain House in January 2023. I have worked as a leader within a Bradford secondary school for the last 12 years and currently specialise in Early Career Teacher (ECT) development, instructional coaching, and the delivery of whole school teaching and learning CPD. I am a Specialist Leader in Education for my work with ITT students and my subject teaching within Humanities. I have a particular interest in the development of high-quality teaching in the classroom to ensure our young people can reach their full potential. I am truly excited by the opportunity to work within a Primary school setting in the capacity as Governor and am looking forward to getting involved with the school community at Swain House