Widney Junior School

Widney Junior School
Inspiring a community

Our Governors

The Governing Body currently consists of ten members (following re-constitution in 2020)

Governors of the school are drawn from four categories laid down by Central Government, as shown below (with number of governors in each category):

  • Staff Governors (including Head Teacher) x 2
  • Co-opted Governors x 4
  • Local Authority Appointees x 1
  • Parents of pupils at the school x 3

The full list of Governors is:

Mrs Joanna Bridges – Head Teacher
Mrs Helen Barnes – Chair of Governors & Literacy, World Studies, Maths I’ve been associated with Widney since 1993 when my oldest child joined the School- firstly as a parent, then also with the Parents Association. I began working at Widney in 2002 and soon became a non teaching staff governor. When I finished work in 2012 I was persuaded to remain on the Governing Body as a co-opted governor and last November became Chair of Governors. You can judge from my history my commitment to Widney and the Children’s education. I am at present link governor for English and chair the scrutiny and standards sub committee as with my education background I can act as a critical friend to the SLT. I hold regular monthly meetings with the head so that I can keep the rest of the governing body up to date with all aspects of school life.
Mr Richard Morgan – Vice Chair & SEND, PE My name is Richard Morgan and I’ve been a governor for around twelve years, originally as a parent governor but more recently as the Local Authority appointed governor.

I’m interested in all aspects of school life, with a specific interest in special needs and pupil premium.

For me, education isn’t just about results. It’s about creating an environment that helps children bring out the best in one another.
Mrs Maggie Fox – Behaviour & Safeguarding, Music My name is Maggie Fox and I have been a parent governor since January 2015. I have an HR background and I am the link governor for Safeguarding, Behaviour and Safety. I find being a governor really rewarding and enjoy giving back to a school that has given my daughter so much. Widney is a fabulous, caring school that allows your child to be an individual and to grow in a caring and supportive environment. I am very proud to be a governor at Widney.
Mr Phil White – Computing My name is Phil White and am a co-opted governor. Originally I served as a parent governor and realised that I could still carry on this role and hopefully add benefit to Widney school and future pupils attainment and well-being through the early years of their academic life. I am also a link governor for computing too.
Mrs Jodie Sutton – Staff Governor – SENCO I began working at Widney in 2014 as class teacher, maths coordinator and PREVENT lead across the school. Very quickly, I joined the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body, and In 2018, I took on the role of SENCO. Most recently, I have been deployed as Assistant Head Teacher, in charge of Inclusion, the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children and Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

My passion has always been working with children; guiding them through such key years of their learning and development.

I am very proud to be part of such a supportive, caring and nurturing team.
Rev Paul Day - RE, Science As Associate Vicar in the Parish of Shirley I am responsible amongst other things for the Church of Christ the King, which meets each Sunday in the Hall at Widney.

Before taking up this role I spent almost 20 years working as a School Business Manager – first at Tudor Grange, then at Stratford Girls’ Grammar. As such I have been responsible for all resource, HR, IT and finance matters, including the management of several substantial building projects.

I am delighted to be part of such a dedicated Governing Body.
Mr Marwan Ghannam - D&T My name is Marwan Ghannam, I am a chartered accountant by profession and have 1 daughter at Widney and another starting next year. I have extensive experience in education as I run a nutrition education business and a weekend language school with my wife. As a chartered accountant, I was a finalist for Young Chartered Accountant of the year.

With an ever changing world, I am very passionate about giving our children the skills they need to succeed. I am very grateful to be part of this highly talented team.
Mrs Ceris Talbot - Parent Governor - Music My name is Ceris Talbot and I work in HR within veterinary healthcare but I have previously also worked in Further Education and small business. I have a son at Widney and twin daughters due to follow in his footsteps in a few years time.

Like everyone connected to Widney, I want the best for all of the children here. It’s a wonderful school that has already had a positive impact on our family and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support the school as a Parent Governor.
Mrs Bazegha Burhani - Parent Governor My name is Bazegha Burhani and I am a parent governor at Widney Junior School. I am thrilled to be working with such an exceptional school. I am a mother of 5 young children and value the importance of not only a great school environment but a close relationship between school and community. I hope to forge and foster such links in my time here. I am also a Scout Leader for 16th Solihull Scout group and have a passion for working with children but also witness the areas that need more attention. As a keen netball player I see the potential sports can have in building confidence, stress management, reducing anxiety, improving concentration and fostering a sense of belonging and community.

Governors serve on committees responsible for the following areas of governance:

  • Premises, Finance & Personnel Committee
  • Curriculum & Community

These committees meet regularly and report to the full governing body at termly meetings.

The governors of Widney Junior School believe it is important that boards reflect the diversity of the school communities they serve. Diverse boards promote inclusive school environments and provide diverse role models for staff and young people.

Due to our relatively small governing body we do not publish diversity data online as individual governors could be identified and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.