Marsh Hill, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7HY | Telephone: 0121 464 2920

Governing Board

Chair of Governors: Eleanor Langston-Jones

I am delighted that you are considering choosing Marsh Hill Primary School for your child. We are a friendly, happy school where every child is valued for his or her contribution and encouraged to grow in confidence in order to achieve their full potential, both academically and personally.

The Governing Body is made up of Parent Governors, Community and Staff Governors. Governors are responsible for maintaining a strategic overview of the development of the school.

I have been in the teaching profession for twenty years, initially as a history teacher, but spent the last five years of my career as a senior manager with responsibility for teaching and learning. I am currently teaching two days a week in a sixth college as my husband and I adopted twin boys in December 2019. I have been a staff governor at two of my previous schools and became a governor at Marsh Hill in February 2020. I have greatly enjoyed being part of the governing body this year and look forward to continuing to work with staff, students, parents and the wider community in order to improve the life chances of the children in our care.

Very best wishes,

Eleanor Langston-Jones

 

The Governing Board

Marsh Hill Primary School is governed, in accordance with an Instrument and Articles of Government, by a Governing Board of 12 members, as outlined below:

  • 3 parent governors
  • 1 LA governor
  • 1 Staff governor
  • 6 Co-opted governors (1 vacancy)
  • 1 Head Teacher governor

The Head Teacher is accountable to the Governing Board. The Governing Board are accountable to stakeholders including parents, children, staff and the Birmingham Local Education Authority (LA). Governing bodies vary in size but all have the same requirement.

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the three core strategic functions of Marsh Hill Primary School Governing Board are:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
  • Holding the Head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

It is important, and an expectation of new governors, that they attend induction training arranged and paid for by the school, to help them understand their statutory responsibilities and how to carry out the role of governance. 

Governor Board Register of Interests

Governors' Code of Conduct

The day-to-day management of the school is the responsibility of the Head teacher and Senior Leadership Team.  The Governing Board ensures that the school complies fully with statutory safeguarding procedures. We also check that parents’ views are listened to and taken into consideration in all decisions and that parents are kept informed of school issues.  The Governors also deal with formal complaints, personnel issues, finance and resources, health and safety, policies, and some disciplinary matters.  

The full Governing Board meets regularly, normally twice per term. 

Key Issues addressed by the Governing Board in recent years:

  • Review, reconstitution and training of Governing Board
  • Monitoring priorities in the School Development Plan
  • Monitoring the use of Pupil Premium and Sports funding
  • Review of statutory policies and ensuring there is compliance of the school website
  • Monitoring of pupil progress across the school and ensuring there is a broad offer of curriculum to all pupils
  • Rigorous budget management and assurances of ‘best value’

OFSTED Inspection December 2023 - please click here to read our most recent Ofsted report

The Governing Board will continue to develop and work towards the longer-term strategy of the school, to closely monitor financial status and progress against plan and to work closely with the Head teacher, SLT, staff and parent communities to deliver the best outcomes for our pupils.

Our key priorities are to:

  • Ensure the leadership of mathematics and English is effective in improving teaching learning and assessment
  • Ensure that provision for SEN/lower attaining pupils consistently meet pupils’ learning needs
  • Ensure the planning, delivery and assessment of a broad, balanced, creative and challenging curriculum provides a variety of opportunities for all pupils
  • Improve the quality of teaching and support so that it is consistently good and better
  • Improve the standards of reading across the school with a focus on the number of children achieving greater depth at the end of each key stage
  • Improve the attainment of the higher attainers in writing
  • Improve attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities

Governors can be contacted via email to the school at: enquiry@marshill.bham.sch.uk or by letter to the school. Please mark your email or letter FAO the Chair of Governors and we will ensure that your communication is passed on. All communications will be handled in confidence.

 

GOVERNOR VISITS

Our Governors like to visit the school whenever they can.

Purpose of visits

Visits to school will assist the governing body in fulfilling its statutory duties and its responsibility to monitor the performance of the school

Visits enable Governors to:

  • See the school at work and observe the range of attitudes, behaviour and achievements
  • Get to know the staff and pupils
  • Demonstrate their commitment to the school
  • Give active support to the staff and the activities of the school
  • Be aware of the effect of change and different approaches to teaching and learning
  • Evaluate resources and discuss with staff further requirements
  • Gain first- hand information to assist with policy making and decision taking
  • Work in partnership with the staff
  • Give better informed support to the school to enable it to meet identified priorities in the school improvement plan

 

Meet the Governors

Staff Governor: Cathy Lomas

In October of 2014 I joined the Governing Body at Marsh Hill Primary School as the Staff representative. The Staff at Marsh Hill Primary have a strong moral and ethical belief in the importance of education and this is reflected by the challenge provided by the Governing Body to ensure the best outcomes for our pupils. I have worked at Marsh Hill Primary for twelve years but prior to this worked within Education across a group of schools in Burton. I have also worked for the NSPCC and am very focused on the importance of Safeguarding. I am an experienced School Governor and have participated as a Governor in various roles, including Parent, Co-opted, Vice-Chair and Chair since 2001.

Mr Paul Basil

I have had a long career in Management Accountancy and Business Advice offering support and guidance to businesses from all sectors. I joined Marsh Hill Primary School as a Governor in May 2019 to support the Board of Governors in setting a clear strategic direction and ensuring the resources are used well and appropriately. With my experience in the financial sector, I feel privileged to be able to offer my expertise to the Governing Board.

Co-opted Governor: Julie Holmes 

My name is Julie Holmes and I am a teacher at Marsh Hill Primary School. I was co-opted onto the Governing Board in 2014 having been a governor at my previous school. I have taught in the primary sector since 1999, leading on Maths from 2001. I was a SenCo from 2005 until 2021 and really enjoy nurturing and supporting pupils to achieve. I have undertaken training in Early Reading, Reading Recovery and Numbers Count, which has allowed me to understand how children learn and what they need to help them learn.  My passion for teaching lies within the Early Years with and I believe that the relationships the school builds with the children and their families is key to their success.  I really enjoy being on the Governing Board at Marsh Hill - the vision is clear for all and is written and followed by all for the benefit of the children of today and in the future. 

 



Board Members

    Chair of Governors

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Eleanor Langston-Jones
    No
    Chair, Pay Committee, Quality of Education
    10/3/2024

    Co-opted

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Mrs. Julie Holmes
    Yes
    Curriculum and Quality of Education
    23/03/27
  • Mrs Ava Sturridge-Packer CBE
    No
    EYFS, Curriculum and Quality of Education, Performance and Outcomes, SEND
    31/8/2025
  • Mr Paul Basil
    No
    Pupil Premium, Sports Premium, Finance, Curriculum and Quality of Education
    04/06/2027
  • Mark Farmer
    No
    20/3/2027
  • Davina Thomas
    No
    Safeguarding
    12/07/2026

    Local Authority

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Kenneil Douglas
    No
    Curriculum and Quality of Education
    07/12/2025

    Associate

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Rebecca Leavey
    Yes
    Deputy Head Teacher
    31/8/2026

    Head Teacher

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Mr John Cusack
    Yes
    Education

    Parents

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Sarah MacNulty
    No
    Pay Committee, Safeguarding
    01.12.2023
  • Carissa Lewis
    No
    Behaviour, Safety and Wellbeing, Mental Health
    06/12/2025
  • Abid Mustafa
    No
    Health and Safety, Premises
    21/02/2025

    Staff

  • Name
    Staff Member
    Responsibility
    Term Ends
  • Ms. Cathy Lomas
    Yes
    Quality of Education, Safeguarding
    21/11/26