Welcome to our Governors page

It is a legal requirement for all schools to have a Governing Body and ours is made up of representatives from Parents, Staff, the Local Authority and the Community.  They have a full range of skills so that they are able to challenge and support the work of the school as necessary.  All of our Governors fulfil their role and give of their time on a voluntary basis and work very hard on behalf of our school.

There are several types of Governor making up the governing body as follows:-

LA Governor - A person appointed as a governor by the Local Authority and known as a Local Authority Governor.

Co-opted Governor - A person appointed by the Governing Body who they consider to be committed to the good government and success of the school.  This person may or may not live or work in the community served by the school.

Parent Governor - A parent elected by other parents of children at a school to serve on the Governing Body.

Staff Governor - A teacher /or person working at the school who is elected as a governor by people who are paid to work at the school.

Clerk to the Governing Body - A person appointed to carry out administrative duties for the Governing Body such as preparing an agenda, minuting meetings and dealing with correspondence.  The clerk advises the governing body on legal and procedural matters.

Governors are not expected to get involved in the day to day running of the school; Mrs Taylor, our Headteacher, is responsible for the internal organisation and management.  Governors do, however, review the aims of the school and ensure that they are upheld.  They therefore work closely with Mrs Taylor and the staff to develop the strategies necessary to achieve the required raising of standards for the school and monitor progress.  They also form and review clear policies, which set out how the school should be run.

The school Governing Body holds a full meeting each term.  There are also several committees in place, all of which again, meet once a term.  The following is a short synopsis of what each committee does:-

Pastoral Committee

This Committee looks after all matters related to the social well-being of the pupils.

Pupil Progress and Curriculum Committee

This Committee monitors and evaluates the progress of the pupils in the school.

Premises Committee

This Committee deals with all matters concerning the school premises.

Personnel Committee

This Committee deals with all aspects of the staffing of the school.

Finance Committee

This Committee considers the budget allocated to the school and assists in monitoring it throughout the year.

Governors - September 2021

Ian Strom - Chair of Governors

Mrs Jennifer Taylor - Headteacher

I have worked at Farnborough Road Infant School for over 25 years.  It is a great privilege to be the Headteacher of this fabulous school and I am extremely proud of our children and staff. Early Years education is something very dear to my heart as I believe the first years in school shape a child's attitude to learning for the rest of their lives. I was born, bought up, and educated locally and continue to live with my family near to the school. I live with my husband, daughter, and dogs and enjoy walking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. I am keen to get to know all our parents and join them in supporting their children on their learning journey. Please do not hesitate in contacting me with any ideas or queries. 

Mark Alexander

I am a solicitor specialising in property matters and I am a partner within a national firm. I grew up in Formby before moving to

Birkdale, although the majority of my professional career has been spent between Lancashire and Manchester.

I also sit on the board of a charity in Preston for the homeless, called The Foxton Centre, as well as being a board member for Lancaster University Students Union, and sitting on a committee for St Catherine’s Hospice in Lancashire.

I have two children in the Infants School and was delighted to be appointed a governor so that I can hopefully make a useful contribution to projects which are closer to home and my family.

Linzi Buchanan Brown

I am a secondary teacher at a school on the Wirral with responsibility for leading A level Maths. I grew up in Southport, have lived in other areas of the North West for work, but returned and now live in Southport with my husband and son.

I am passionate about education and appreciate the importance of a supportive and encouraging environment for young people. My son is currently in reception at Farnborough Road Infant School and I am impressed at the way in which he has been cared for and nurtured and as a result he has bloomed in confidence.   

In my spare time I enjoy ballroom dancing and spending as much time as I can with my family. I am looking forward to taking on the role of parent governor and giving back to the school and it’s community.

Lucy Fletcher

I am a Senior Solicitor in the medical negligence department of a large solicitors practice in Southport and manage a team of

six.  I am very fortunate to work for a family friendly employer and have worked part-time since having my children.

My children attended Farnborough Road Infant school.  I also attended Farnborough Road Infant School and then the Junior

School myself.  Since my son started school, I wanted to get involved in school life. I became a parent governor in November

2014 and am a member of the Finance and Personnel Committees. 

I have also been the Chair of the School PTA and spent a lot of time in and around school in this role, raising much needed

money to support the children and the school.

Marilyn Fletcher-Hill

I taught at FRIS for almost ten years; moving between Years One and Two.  I served as a staff Governor and was previously a Governor at Norwood Primary School and Stanley High School.  

During my years working as a class teacher at FRIS, I was responsible for Subject Leadership in History.  I thoroughly enjoyed inspiring children to become passionate about their locality and their own history, through researching family trees and finding out about the role their ancestors played in historic events such as world wars and talking to their parents and grandparents about their own memories.  I was lucky enough to use my experience in Drama to enhance their learning across the curriculum in an exciting and creative way (not to mention lots of fun!). I also ran Drama Clubs for each Year Group.

In my spare time I enjoy working as a Youth Leader at Southport Dramatic Club. I teach drama skills to students aged 14 upwards as well as direct and act.

I am married with four ‘grown up’ children and have three cats. We also have a very lively puppy!  When I have time to relax, I like to read and sew. I love walking too.

Steve Gowland

I have two daughters, who both go to Farnborough Road Infants School. I have worked in local government for 20 years doing many roles, but all of my work has involved working closely with schools. I am currently focused on working to promote healthy lifestyles and positive mental well being which includes a lot of work with local schools.

I have also been the Chair of a local Advisory Board for two children’s centres in Knowsley – which is a very similar to the role

governors provide in schools.

Kelly Kipling

I am currently employed by a charity as a Case Manager on a social inclusion project that supports ex offenders with multiple barriers to gain employment/training and make positive changes.

It is my belief that schools provide more than just an education for children. Children’s early experiences can have a huge impact on their teenage/adult life choices and experiences and therefore schools should be supported to provide the best possible experience for children.

As a parent of 2 children at the school I am already an active member of the PTA committee (PTA Secretary) and spend time both in school and at home helping to raise much needed money to support the children and the school. I thoroughly enjoy this role (who doesn’t love the chance to dress as an elf or oompa loompa as an adult) and love to see the excitement on the children’s faces at events. I am looking forward to further supporting the school as much as possible as an active member of the governing body.

Rachael O'Keeffe Jones

I have two children who attend Farnborough Road Infant School and as well as being a registered midwife, I also work for the UK Health Security Agency as a Health Protection Practitioner. I am experienced in and passionate about Safeguarding children and women. Outside of work I spend as much time as I can with my children and family and love to be at home, cooking, gardening and listening to music.

Sarah Robbins

I have lived in Southport for 20 years and have had a relationship with Farnborough Road schools for the last 5 since my eldest

started in Reception. My youngest has just started a full-time place in the nursery. Living in Farnborough Road, I expect to have a

much longer and proactive relationship with the school even once my children have moved on.

I am an academic librarian working in a local University Library, so understand many of the political pressures within Education

currently. Furthermore, I have an interest in children’s education and want to be able to support the school as much as possible.

More than anything as a parent, I am passionate in my desire to help achieve the best possible experience for our children,

both educational and holistic to

give them the best possible start and sound foundation for a happy and healthy life ahead.

Simon Shaw

I have been a Governor of Farnborough Road Infant School (and also of the Junior School) for over thirty years.  My wife Lyn, was

a Teaching Assistant in the school for more than fifteen years until she retired in 2014.  Our four children attended both schools

through the 1990s and our eldest son, Sam, is completing his PGCE in 2015/16 to qualify as a primary teacher.

I am a Chartered Accountant, which may explain why the other governors seem happy for me to continue as Chair of the Finance

Committee!  Having lived in Birkdale for most of my life, I am currently one of the elected councillors for the area.

Ben Stubbens

I have a son in year 1 and it's a great privilege to be able to support his school as a parent governor. I have experience in the aerospace, defence, and oil & gas industries as a project and operations manager. I look forward to the opportunity to use these experiences to help grow and develop the school.

Outside work, I enjoy running, DIY and spending time with the family, especially outside with the dog.

Katie Sykes

As a staff governor it is important that I contribute to whole school initiatives and development in a strategic way. I feel that being a governor gives me a great opportunity to do this whilst also seeing the bigger picture of school life. My role is to communicate the ideas and views of our staff team whilst giving an insight into the daily life of the school. I have just entered my fifth year of teaching at Farnborough Road Infant School; a role that I thoroughly enjoy. Currently, I am supporting the maths leader as part of the maths team in school. I’ve been given many opportunities to develop as a teacher and I am looking forward to becoming an active member of the Governing Body in the forthcoming years.

Stuart Whiteside

I am delighted to have been appointed Parent Governor at such a great school. Jack is loving his time in Reception and Thomas

will be along soon. I work mostly as an independent Management Consultant / Project Manager. I have spent much of the

last 10 years working with Social Care Charities and most recently in the Social Housing Sector. I am great at throwing

myself into something new, being massively curious and then being committed to adding value however best I can.

I am keen to be part of the exciting journey that our boys and their classmates have ahead. Anything that I can do to support the

School and the wider Farnborough Community will be a great privilege.

When I used to have a life (up until about 4½ years ago that is!) I was a keen backpacker, sailor and gym goer - I am currently on

sabbatical until the Boys can come along with me!

RESIGNATIONS