Local School Committee
Welcome to our Local School Committee section.
Please find below details of how our Local School Committee body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Local School Committee (LSC) member.
The LSC members are unpaid volunteers, who oversee the life and work of the school. They meet at least twice each term and receive reports from the Headteacher and members of staff - this keeps them informed about what is happening day to day in school and whether the objectives of the school improvement plan are being achieved. LSC member are regularly in school and wear a lanyard to identify themselves, they welcome comments and contact with parents.
Purpose of the Local School Committee
The Local School Committee is a corporate body. This means it has a legal existence separate from that of its individual members. As long as governors have acted honestly, without ulterior motive, and reasonably, within the law and regulations, the Local School Committee cannot be held to accountable as individuals for any liabilities incurred by the Local School Committee.
Being a LSC member is a voluntary position with committee members, these days, now being considered as part of the school Leadership and Management team, subject to Ofsted Inspection. Whilst LSC is strategic, management relates to operational functions. LSC has three core strategic functions:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- To hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of the staff.
- To oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.
In practice, this means that LSC members are involved in decisions with respect to finance, resources and premises whilst analysing pupil performance data, including progress and attainment, as well as attendance, etc. All aspects of the role involve scrutiny, monitoring and evaluation.
If you wish to contact a LSC member please use the "contact us" facility on the website or ask at the school office, who will be happy to forward your query. Correspondence for the personal attention of LSC Chair or Clerk of the LSC should be addressed "care of" the school.
Chair of Local School Committee
Mr David Newsome
Clerk to the Local School Committee
Mr Patrick Aikman
The Local School Committee (LSC) meets at least once a term. The dates for the academic year 2024-2025 are:
- 26th September
- 30th January
- 20th March
- 19th June
Signed minutes and agenda of future LSC Meetings are available from the school office upon request.
Below is a list of current members and their main roles.
| Information about our Local School Committee |
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Dave Newsome - Co-opted Governor - Chair Current term of governance 26.09.24 - 25.09.2028 Pecuniary Interest - None Link Responsibilities: Attendance, Safeguarding, H&S
Dave Newsome joined the Local School Committee for MPL in 2023. Dave served as a Police Officer for 30 years and retired as a Detective Chief Inspector and Head of Safeguarding teams in 2018. Dave has extensive investigative experience, and served as a Firearms Commander and Senior Investigating Officer. Dave managed all Child Protection Teams in Hertfordshire between 2015 and 2017 and worked with Local Authority partners to safeguard children. Dave has more recently worked in both the Local Authority as a Community Safety Manager and in a secondary school as a Behaviour Lead. Dave has been trained and deployed as a Designated Safeguarding Lead. Dave has since retrained and has qualified as a workplace investigator, supporting a number of organisations to investigate internal allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation. Dave is married and lives in Bricket Wood. The last of Dave's children is completing university and Dave hopes he can bring his family and professional experience to the fore and to support the fantastic team at MPL.
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Linda Crocker - Co-opted Governor Current term of governance: 23.1.23 - 22.1.27 Pecuniary Interest - None Link Governor Area: Early Years
Linda has had a long association at MPL school having attended as a pupil. She returned to the village in 2006 and became a Governor 2008-2015 and 2019 until present. Linda has 2 children ages 26 & 23, who have both fled the nest. She is a Physiotherapist who works in a Performing Arts School treating dancers. In her spare time Linda is a Sailing instructor and Skippers for a Blind Charity. She also enjoys skiing, gardening, reading and can often be seen cycling in the village. |
Melanie Nevill - Parent Governor Current term of governance 15.11.22 - 14.11.26 Pecuniary Interest - None Link Responsibilities: SEN/D, Vulnerable/Disadvantaged children, Clubs
My background is in marketing and psychology before becoming a writer. I write about all sorts of subjects including fashion, lifestyle, health and travel. Currently I write web content and articles about family life, and in particular parenting and caring for children with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions such as Autism, ADHD, FASD (foetal alcohol spectrum disorder), Trauma & attachment and processing spectrum difficulties. I am a parent to two children aged 7 and 23 and have been a foster carer for over 10 years. We have an autism service dog called Paxton who is an Italian Spinone/Pointer cross with boundless energy and a love of muddy puddles! Over the years of being a foster carer I have had many children placed at Mount Pleasant Lane Primary School before moving on to adoption or other schools.
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Shreya Barot- Co-Opted Govenor Current term of governance 06.02.24 - 05.02.2028
Shreya currently works as a Member Services Manager at the Association of Colleges working; a membership organisation promoting, supporting and representing Further Education colleges. Previously, she has held positions at the London School of Economics and the New Jersey Department of Education. She holds a Master's degree in public policy from Rutgers University's Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and has over 10 years of experience working in social and education policy. She is passionate about improving access to education for all and strongly believes in the value of learning.
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Joan Hooker - Community Governor Current term of governance: 01.09.23 - 31.08.26 Pecuniary Interest - None Link Responsibilities: Behaviour & Personal Development, Quality of Education, Leadership & Management
I am retired from a career in IT and have lived in Bricket Wood for over 40 years. I have had a long association with MPL school initially as a parent of 3 daughters and an active member of the PTA and in more recent years as a Governor. I am a Community Governor and currently the liink Governor for English. |
Lauren Wilson - Staff Governor Current term of governance: 01.09.24 - 31.08.28 Pecuniary Interest - None |
Adam Deane - Parent Governor Current term of governance: 17.07.24 - 16.07.28 Pecuniary Interest - None Link Responsibilities: Assessment, Finance |
Jen Bradshaw - Head of School |
Alex Lindley- Executive Headteacher |
Patrick Aikman - Clerk |
Governors who have held office in the past 12 months: Dan Roughan - Staff Governor James Reeve - Vice Chair Neil Boss - Co-opted Governor |
How do I become a Local School Committee member?Vacancies for LSC members do arise from time to time so if you would like to be considered, please contact the School Business Manager via email on sbm@mountpleasant.herts.sch.uk. |
LSC Code of Conduct
Spiral Partnership Trust - Members and Directors
Governor Attendance 2023-24
- Clerk 6/6
- L Crocker 6/6
- J Hooker 6/6
- M Neville 6/6
- J Reeve 5/6
- D Roughan 3/6
- D Newsome 5/6
- S Barot 3/4
- N Boss 4/4