School Governors
The governing body of Forefield Junior School plays a crucial role in the life and work of our school. Governors make decisions about many aspects of the school, including the curriculum, staffing and finance. The governing body consists of members of staff and parents, as well as representatives from Sefton Education Authority and the local community.
Forefield Junior School Governing Body 2023/24
Headteacher: Mr Paul Swift
Chairperson: Ms Clare Wright
Vice-Chairperson: Mr Gordon Okafor-Ross
Clerk to the Governors: Mrs A Lacey-Long
| Name | Category | Date Appointed | Appointed by | Term of Office |
Roles and Committees |
| Mr Paul Swift | Headteacher | 01/09/2017 | Governing Body | N/A | Headteacher |
| Ms Clare Wright Chair |
Parent | 06/12/2022 | Parent Election | 4 Years | Curriculum Finance, Premises Health & Safety Pay Review Appeals Leadership and Management SEN Health and Safety Year 3 Link Governor |
| Mr Gordon Okafor-Ross Vice-Chair |
Parent | 06/12/2022 | Parent Election | 4 Years | Curriculum Staffing Pay Review Staff Dismissal Appeals Leadership and Management SEN Link Governor Year 4 Link Governor |
| Mrs Angela Houghton | Co-opted | ? | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum Staffing Pupil Discipline Behaviour and Attitudes LAC Link Governor Year 5 Link Governor |
| Miss Anna Morris | Parent | 06/12/2022 | Parent Election | 4 Years | Finance, Premises, Health & Safety Leadership and Management Safeguarding Link Governor Year 4 Link Governor |
| Mr Daniel Jones | Co-opted | 20/09/2022 | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum Staff Dismissal Appeals Quality of Education Behaviour and Attitudes Year 6 Link Governor |
| Mrs Jane Williams | Co-opted | ? | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum Pay Review Staffing Appeals Leadership and Management Wellbeing Link Governor |
| Miss Laura Cain | Staff | 01/01/2020 | Staff Election | 4 Years | Curriculum Staffing SEN Link Sports Premium |
| Mrs Lindsey Morgan |
Co-opted | ? | Governing Body | 4 Years | Finance, Premises, Health & Safety Staffing Pay Review Staff Dismissal Complaints Behaviour and Attitudes Governor Training Careers for Children Year 3 Link Governor |
| Ms Rebecca Fisher | Co-opted | 20/09/2022 | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum Staffing Pupil Discipline Quality of Education Personal Development |
| Ms Ruth Mead | Co-opted | 20/09/2022 | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum (Vice-chair) Complaints Quality of Education |
| Mr Steven Webb | Co-opted | 20/09/2022 | Governing Body | 4 Years | Finance, Premises, Health & Safety (Vice-chair) Pay Review (Chair) Staff Dismissal Behaviour and Attitudes Leadership and Management Year 4 Link Governor |
| Mrs Victoria Ellis-Jones |
Co-opted | ? | Governing Body | 4 Years | Curriculum (Chair) Pay Review Appeals Staff Dismissal Appeals Personal Development |
Governor Vacancies
Number of current governor vacancies: ?
Former Governors 2022/23
| Name | Category | Date Appointed | Appointed by | Term of Office |
Stood Down |
| Mr Matthew Rigby | Co-opted | 29/06/2022 | Governing Body | 4 Years | ? |
| Mrs Cheryl Smith | Parent | 06/12/2022 | Parent Election | 4 Years | ? |
| Cllr Janet Grace | Local Authority | 28/01/2021 | Local Authority | 4 Years | ? |
Committees
| Curriculum | Victoria Ellis-Jones (Chair), Ruth Mead (Vice-chair), Laura Cain, Jane Williams, Gordon Okafor-Ross, Rebecca Fisher, Angela Houghton, Daniel Jones, Clare Wright |
| Finance, Premises and Health & Safety | Steven Webb (Vice-chair), Jane Williams, Clare Wright, Anna Morris, Lindsey Morgan |
| Staffing | Laura Cain, Angela Houghton, Rebecca Fisher, Lindsey Morgan |
| Staffing Appeals | Jane Williams |
| Complaints | Lindsey Morgan, Ruth Mead |
| Pay Review | Steven Webb (Chair), Jane Williams, Lindsey Morgan |
| Pay Review Appeals | Victoria Ellis Jones, Clare Wright |
| Pupil Discipline | Angela Houghton, Rebecca Fisher |
| Staff Dismissal | Lindsey Morgan, Steven Webb |
| Staff Dismissal Appeals | Victoria Ellis-Jones, Daniel Jones |
Linked Governor Roles
| Quality of Education | Rebecca Fisher, Daniel Jones, Ruth Mead |
| Behaviour and Attitudes | Lindsey Morgan, Angela Houghton, Daniel Jones, Steven Webb |
| Personal Development | Victoria Ellis-Jones, Rebecca Fisher |
| Leadership and Management | Clare Wright, Gordon Okafor-Ross, Jane Williams, Anna Morris, Steven Webb |
| Year 3 | Clare Wright, Lindsey Morgan |
| Year 4 | Anna Morris, Gordon Okafor-Ross, Steven Webb |
| Year 5 | Angela Houghton |
| Year 6 | Daniel Jones, Victoria Ellis-Jones |
| Special Educational Needs (SEN) | Gordon Okafor-Ross |
| Wellbeing | Jane Williams |
| Safeguarding | Anna Morris |
| Attendance | |
| Pupil Premium | |
| Looked-After Children (LAC) | Angela Houghton |
| SEN Health & Safety | Clare Wright |
| Governor Training | Lindsey Morgan |
| Careers for Children | Lindsey Morgan |
| SEN Link Sports Premium | Laura Cain |
Register of Interests
| Name of Governor | Declared Interest |
| Mrs Angela Houghton | Member of Lister Junior School governing body |
| Any others? Should we include Chesterfield staff? |
Record of Attendance 2022/23
| Name | Scheduled Meetings |
Meetings Attended | Apologies Accepted |
Absent |
| Mr Paul Swift | ||||
| Mr Matthew Rigby | ||||
| Mrs Victoria Ellis-Jones | ||||
| Mrs Angela Houghton | ||||
| Mrs Jane Williams | ||||
| Mrs Lindsey Morgan | ||||
| Miss Laura Cain | ||||
| Cllr Janet Grace | ||||
| Mr Daniel Jones | ||||
| Ms Ruth Mead | ||||
| Ms Rebecca Fisher | ||||
| Mr Steven Webb | ||||
| Ms Clare Wright | ||||
| Miss Anna Morris | ||||
| Mr Gordon Okafor-Ross | ||||
| Mrs Cheryl Smith |
Clare Wright
Chair of Governors
I am Clare. I joined FJS Governing body in 2022 and I’m the current Chair of Governors. I have recently moved back to Crosby after living in West Yorkshire since 2001 and bring 6 years experience from holding Governor roles at my children’s previous school. As well as being a mum of 2, in my professional life I am a qualified Chartered Project Management Surveyor with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. I have over 24 years experience in regeneration and construction, managing residential, education and commercial projects. In my spare time I volunteer for Girlguiding and have a penchant for murder mysteries! I am proud to be part of team Forefield and am looking forward to supporting the school community.
Gordon Okafor-Ross
Vice-chair of Governors
I’m Gordon Okafor-Ross and I’m a parent governor at Forefield Junior school. This is my first term as a Governor at FJS. A little more about me… I’m a lecturer in higher education and I’m married to Stella, with a son in Year 6 at FJS. My perfect job would be no job. In my spare time, I like to write music. A fact you might not know about me is I’m a pretty good pianist. The one place I would like to visit it would be Zanzibar. The book I would read repeatedly would be Lanark, by Alasdair Gray. My favourite food is pasta, any pasta dish. The best holiday I ever had was in Tanzania because I got to go on safari in Ngorongoro national park.
Anna Morris
Parent Governor
I’m Anna Morris and I’m a parent governor at Forefield Junior school. This is my first term as a Governor at FJS. A little more about me… I’m a nurse in the NHS and I’m a single mum with a chaotic household consisting of my mum, 2 kids, 2 dogs and 2 house rabbits. My perfect job would be…I am lucky as it’s the one I have! In my spare time, when I am not acting as a taxi for my kids, I enjoy the gym. A fact you might not know about me is I went to Forefield Infants and Juniors myself. Lovely memories every time I am back in the building. The one place I would like to visit it would be the Norwegian Fjords and to see the aurora borealis. The book I would read repeatedly would be my dad’s childhood copy of Peter Pan. It is a firm favourite and very precious.
Angela Houghton
Co-opted Governor
Hi. I am Angela Houghton and I have been a co-opted governor at Forefield Junior School for 4 years, now in my second term. I am a deputy head of a junior school in Liverpool, where I have worked for the last 30 years so hope to share my experience as well as learn from others who work in a similar role. I am married and we have a teenage daughter who attended Forefield Junior School. In my spare time I enjoy family holidays, theatre trips and eating out with friends.
Dan Jones
Co-opted Governor
My name is Dan Jones. I am a secondary English teacher and a Curriculum Governor at Forefield Junior School, with a link to year 6. I became a governor as I felt that it was my time to give something back to FJS! I attended Forefield Junior School as a pupil, following on from my father and grandfather. It is a privilege to now be a part of the school community and to offer my support!
Jane Williams
Co-opted Governor
I’m Jane Williams and I’m a Co-Opted Governor at Forefield Junior school. This is my second term as a Governor at FJS after previously being a parent governor at the school. A little more about me… I work full time as a Social worker working with older vulnerable Adults in the community. I’m mum to two girls, one used to attend FJS and the other still does. We’re very proud to be a forces family with my husband who serves in the Royal Navy. In my spare time, when I manage to get some, I love to go to the cinema, I love to cook but my all time favorite thing to do is walk my dog. She’s a 20 month old chocolate Labrador and is a handful, but I wouldn’t have her any other way! A fact you might not know about me is that I have a bit of an addiction to anything Disney :) The one place I would like to visit would be Norway. I’m really excited to be getting there this year! The TV programme I would watch repeatedly would be Modern Family and the Big Bang Theory. I’m pretty sure I know every word from every episode of either series. My favourite food is Italian - I love cooking it and eating it. The best holiday I ever had was my honeymoon. We had a week in Orlando Florida where we were at Universal Studios every day (I love rides) and then we went on a Caribbean cruise.
Lindsey Morgan
Co-opted Governor
I’m Lindsey Morgan and I’m a Co-Opted Governor at Forefield Junior school. I’ve been in this role for 4 years and this is my second term as a Governor at FJS. A little more about me… I work full time as an HR professional for an insurance company, I’m mum to twins that used to attend FJS and I live locally. My perfect job would be a photographer – I have nearly 29,000 photos on my phone! The one place I would like to visit it would be Hawaii. The tv programme I would watch repeatedly would be Grey’s Anatomy. My favourite food is Chinese as my granddad was from Shanghai so it must be genetic. I became a Governor as I wanted to be involved in school life as a parent initially, but I have remained after my children have moved on as I believe I have transferable skills that can be utilised to make our school the very best it can be for our community.
Rebecca Fisher
Co-opted Governor
I am Rebecca Fisher and I am a recently appointed Governor at Forefield Junior school. I took the opportunity to apply to be a school governor so that I could see first-hand what primary education and school life feels and looks like within my community. About me… I work full time as a secondary English teacher within a Pupil Referral Unit in Knowsley. I find my job very rewarding and it gives me the opportunity to work closely with young people supporting them both academically and pastorally. I am also a mum to 2 very young children who have recently started nursery and embarking on their journey of education. I love spending time with my young children and finding new places to explore. The school holidays are not a time to rest but a challenge to pack in as much as we can. The one place I would like to visit it would be Canada. I don’t really like watching films more than once but the one film that I break the rule for is Mamma Mia as it reminds me of working in the Odeon cinema as a student, when life was not so busy or serious. My favourite food is Italian and I would never get sick of eating pizza.
Ruth Mead
Co-opted Governor
I’m Ruth Mead and this is my first term as a Governor. I live locally and have a son who is in Reception of the Infant School. I work at a local College as the Director of Learning and Development. I have previously worked in various High Schools and Colleges in management and as a Science Teacher. I’m lucky to be in a job that I love. In my spare time, I’m captain of a badminton team, I play tennis and have recently taken up golf. I also love spending days out exploring and evenings in relaxing with my family. A fact that you might not know about me is that I completed work experience at Forefield Junior School at the beginning of my teaching career! The TV programme I could watch repeatedly would be Gavin and Stacey.
Steven Webb
Co-opted Governor
I’m Steven Webb and I’m a Co-Opted Governor at Forefield Junior school. This is my first term as a Governor at FJS. A little more about me… I’m a Senior Data Governance Manager in the Civil Service and I have a wife and two daughters. My perfect job, or at least what my children would say, would be a football manager as it’s all I watch or talk about. In my spare time, I like to visit new places with my family - making the most of being National Trust members. A fact you might not know about me is I was in a funk band and a pop punk band. The one place I would like to visit it would be Finland. The TV show I would watch repeatedly would be The Detectorists. My favourite food is Chinese. The best holiday I ever had was in La Cala de Mijas in Spain.
Victoria Ellis-Jones
Co-opted Governor
I’m Victoria Ellis-Jones and I’m a Co-opted governor at Forefield Junior school. This is my second term as a Governor at FJS. A little more about me… I am a safeguarding manager at Chesterfield High School where I have worked for just under a year. Prior to this I was a children’s social worker. I am married with 4 young children, 2 of whom have been though FJS with the next two imminent. In my spare time, I like to do kickboxing and spend time with my family. The best holiday I ever had was spending Christmas in Bavaria playing in the snow! We would love to do this again.
