Responsibilities: Special Needs Governor and Chair of the Curriculum Sub-committee
Family: Married. Husband finance manager with South Gloucester Council. Two daughters who attended Henleaze Infant and Junior Schools. Career: History degree 1971 PGCE Secondary Education 1972. Taught 18 months in a boys’ secondary school (English and some History); decided on a break and did not return. Worked in: Personnel Information Services; as an Employment Adviser in Jobcentres; an Occupational Guidance Counselor; as supervisor on Regional Enquiry Point in the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Time out to have children. After they started school worked as an LSA at several Bristol schools. This summer I retired.
Interests: Member of Liberal Democrats, member of Civic Society who I represent on the Bristol Parks Forum (having campaigned for improved parks and open spaces in Bristol), Yoga, swimming, travelling, reading, sewing, cinema, theatre, listening to classical music, walking, visiting National Trust properties etc (am a member).
Mr N. Yard
L.E.A.
Responsibilities: Finance Sub-committee, Bristol Governors' Forum
Mrs N. O'Brien
L.E.A.
Mr. M. Kopmels
Parent Governor
Responsibilities: Health and Safety Governor
Family: I have a son in Year 6 at Henleaze Junior School and a daughter in Year 3 at Henleaze Infant School. I will, therefore, have a child at Henleaze Junior School for the next 4 ½ years. I became a Parent Governor in June 2007 because I am very happy with the education that my children are receiving and feel that the school offers a relaxed environment and children are very happy. I felt that I could put something back into the school by becoming a school governor.
Career: I am a Chartered Aeronautical Engineer at Rolls-Royce. I work as a project manager for Research & Technology in the Turbines Supply Chain Unit and have responsibility for around 20% of Roll-Royce’s research budget. My job is to ensure that projects run to budget and time and achieve their aims and targets. I work closely with a number of UK and European universities that support Rolls-Royce’s research. I used to be the employees’ Health and Safety representative and have received Risk Assessment training and have carried out safety audits.
Mrs H. Powell
Parent Governor
Responsibilities: Staffing Sub-committee, Named Governor for Child Protection, Children in Care and Young Carers
Career: I am a solicitor specialising in pensions law. I work from home for Allen & Overy LLP in London.
Family: I am married, with two boys in the Junior school. We moved here from Cambridge in 2007 and have been delighted to see the boys thriving on all the varied experiences the school offers. Interests: running (trying to keep up with the children), swimming (ditto), and anything else there's time for...
Mrs C. Jones
Parent Governor
Responsibilities: Finance Committee, Premises.
Family: I have two children at Henleaze, Louis in year 2 and Hope in year 5. I have tried to support both schools since my children began school helping with FHIS and HENSA, helping in class and on school trips. I have also served on the School’s Out Henleaze committee, the parent run after school and holiday club, which I am currently co- chair.
Career: I am a chartered Structural Engineer and work part time for URS Corporation Ltd, an international Environmental and Engineering Consultancy. I have worked on a wide range of projects including most recently on a number of football and rugby stadium including Swansea, Llanelli,The Millenium Stadium and currently Bristol City Football Club. I have also been involved in the design of a number of schools and education facitilies for the MOD as well as smaller projects including hospitals and listed buildings.
Interests: In the little spare time I seem to have, I enjoy cooking for the family, playing tennis and enjoying the countryside, either on foot or by bike.
Mr D. Cooper
Parent Governor
Mr S. Walker
Parent Governor
Mrs D. Frank
Staff Governor
Responsibilities: Finance Sub-committee.
I am married with 2 grown up children, a carpenter and a nurse. I have worked with students supporting their emotional wellbeing as a Student Advisor at UWE. I also organised and was part of a team in setting up the first childrens’ holiday scheme at Filton College which proved to be very successful and then I continued by becoming a Playgroup Leader. I have worked as an Administrator in the Primary School sector for nearly 12 years and have a personal interest in children’s development both academic and through play. I am also a qualified First Aider. My reason for joining the Governing Body is to be committed to the future of Henleaze Junior School, its exceptional learning environment and to continue to support a welcoming, open and communicative environment both by helping parents, staff, other governors and any visitor to the school.
Mrs J. Shaw
Staff Governor
Mr J. Hurran
Community
Responsibilities: Curriculum, Staffing, Finance Sub-committees. Performance Review Panel. Learning Environment Link Governor. Humanities Link Governor. Bristol Governors’ Forum.
Career: Accountant, University student, Secondary schoolteacher (three schools in Bristol), Deputy Head teacher (in Swindon) responsible for curriculum, staffing, timetabling and site management. Consultant in environmental education, University Senior Lecturer and researcher
Teaching areas: Geography and Geology, Education for Sustainable Development, International Development, Field work in the natural and built environments.
Interests: Singing, garden and allotment, modern languages and travel, the natural and built environments, local history, rambling, cycling, attending concerts and plays, visiting art galleries and museums.
Family: Widower. My wife Carole was based at Claremont School from where she ran Paediatric Physiotherapy in the Community. Two children in their thirties, both were taught in local state schools.
Mrs A. Levy
Community
Responsibilities: ICT Link Governor
Career: State Registered Nurse, Teaching Assistant. Infant school Teacher ( Have been P.E. coordinator, DT coordinator, Science coordinator, Team leader- member of SMT) At present Reception Teacher (co-coordinator of ICT)
Family: Married , 3 children – ( son- sixth form, daughter 1 – University graduate, daughter 2- University Student) - All are former pupils of Henleaze Infant & Junior Schools.
Career: Secondary school teacher from 1985 to 1996 at schools in South Wales and London. Main subject – chemistry but taught all sciences, Also Head of Year in latter years. At present, Parish Secretary at Horfield Parish Church as well as the Nominated Person for Child Protection.
Interests: I like to keep fit by going to the gym regularly, playing tennis and walking the dog. As a family we like to travel as much as possible and were lucky enough to visit many interesting places when we lived in South America for 3 years.
Family: Married with one son who is currently at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School.
Mr A. Jones
Community
Responsibilities: Chair of Staffing Sub-committee. Career: Engineer at Rolls-Royce since 1990, current role Stress Team Leader accountable for technical quality of teams’ work and their development. Team are responsible for design of new Turbine components and support arising in-service issues across a range of products for military, civil, marine and power sectors. Responsibilities include planning work and test programmes, developing strategies and methods, performance reviews and coaching team. I have previously spent time at other RR sites in Indianapolis and Singapore.
Family: I am married with 2 children, Samuel 6 at Bishop Rd Primary and Hannah 3¾.
Interests include DIY, cooking, music and reading. Any spare time is spent doing various sporting events from Marathons to fell running, including Mountain Marathons.
Mr. A. Barber
Headteacher
Responsibilities: I sit on each of the sub-committees. Governors delegate responsibility for the day to day running of the school to the Headteacher, but certain decisions, such as the setting of the budget, have to be discussed with and approved by the Governors
Career: I was an architect for ten years before training as a teacher in the early 90s. I taught for 7 years in London and 3 years in Bedminster before coming to Henleaze as Head in 2004.
Family: I have two teenage children who attend local state schools, and a wife who is known to many for her Gardening Tips in the Redland Directory!
Interests: I sing in the Gasworks Community Choir and play keyboards in a local reggae band, The Bridge. Music keeps me sane! I also love the theatre and all things arty.
Ms. E. Jahn
Clerk to Governors:
The role of Clerk is to ensure that the Governing Body follows agreed and proper procedures, operates within its powers and the business of the Governing Body is conducted smoothly and efficiently. The Clerk has a pivotal role in managing the business of the Governing Body and in making sure the Governing Body fulfils its responsibilities and adds value to the process of governance.
The work of the Clerk includes preparing Agendas, taking and distributing Minutes, and providing effective administrative support, procedural and legislative advice to the Governing Body.
As well as Henleaze Junior School, Elizabeth is Clerk to 8 other schools in Bristol, an Academy, a group of South Gloucestershire Primary Headteachers, the Black & Minority Ethnic Governors’ Support Network and the Bristol Governors’ Forum.
Elizabeth also jointly owns a hairdressing salon with her husband!
Elizabeth’s background includes working as a legal secretary and a professional ice skater having spent 12 years touring the world in the multi-million dollar ice show, Holiday on Ice! Elizabeth skated alongside World and Olympic champions including Bristol’s own Robin Cousins, and occasionally non-skating artists such as Billy Ocean, Vanessa Mae and Chris de Burgh
Governors are like a Board of Directors and make decisions about how the school is run. They meet at least once a term, usually twice, at the school and all parents are welcome to come along and listen to what goes on.
Governors are appointed to help:
1. Decide what is taught.
2. Set standards of behaviour.
3. Interview and select staff.
4. Decide how the school budget is spent.
School Governors have legal duties, powers and responsibilities. They must act together; they cannot act individually.
School Governors are:
1. Parents.
2. Teachers at the school.
3. Local council representatives.
4. Community representatives, businessmen and women.
Parent Governors:
1. Have a child in the school.
2. Are elected by parents of the school.
3. Serve, as do other Governors, for four years.
Why are Parents on the Governing Body?
Parent Governors bring the views of parents to the Governing Body, but they speak and act as individuals. They should not be thought of as delegates or "mouthpieces" of the parents; they do not vote for all parents in general. They have equal status in the work of the Governing Body and have voting rights.
What can Parent Governors be expected to do?
Parent Governors can make sure that all communications with parents are both informative and easy to read, describe the activities in everyday language and avoid the use of jargon. The Governors are responsible for an Annual Report to parents and parent governors can ensure that parents have easy access to information.
What did OFSTED say about Henleaze Junior School Governors?
"The governors support the school well and provide effective challenge in helping them to continue improving."
Values and Aims 
