The Governors in any school carry a great responsibility in ensuring that their school is run properly. They challenge and support the Headteacher in making the major decisions affecting the school and its students.
The Governors do not manage the school on a day-to-basis, but focus on strategic and policy matters. We try not to get drawn into operational issues and concentrate on the big picture.
At The Avon Valley School, the Governors share the Head and Senior Leaders’ ethos of always putting the student first. Our decisions will always be based on what is best for our students. We take a long term view and make decisions about the future development of the school.
Governors are volunteers. We give up our free time, and sometimes work time, to fulfil our duties. It is not a role to be taken up lightly. At Avon Valley, we are fortunate to have an excellent board of governors who bring their valuable skills and knowledge to their role. We meet every half term to discuss the matters of the day and make decisions when required. Our decisions focus on ensuring that the Headteacher has the resources needed to give all our students the best opportunity to thrive, and to realise their potential during their time at Avon Valley. Resources alone are not enough. We also challenge and support the quality of teaching throughout the school. We are kept busy!
It is an honour to be the Chair of Governors at The Avon Valley School. The commitment of time and occasionally feeling daunted by responsibility, is far out-weighed by the satisfaction of seeing our students rewarded for their efforts within school, leaving with the skills and qualifications that they need to make their chosen onward journey in life.
| Governor Name | Type | Responsibilities | Staff Connections | Office started | Office Ends | Other School Governor Posts | Business Interests |
| Blake Francis | Headteacher | 01/09/23 | N/A | ||||
| Jon Patton | Staff Governor | Training & Induction, Year 11 Plan | 29/11/25 | 28/11/29 | Henry Hinde Junior School | ||
| Belinda Leslie | Co-opted Governor | Behaviour & Attitudes | 28/02/22 | 27/02/26 | |||
| Christian Mba | Co-opted Governor | Teaching & Learning | 03/03/25 | 02/03/29 | |||
| Natasha Evans | Partnership Governor | Behaviour & Attitudes, SEND, Safeguarding | 15/04/24 | 14/04/28 | |||
| Janet Ruth Gilbert | Co-opted Governor, Chair of Governors |
HT Review & Pay Committee, Year 11 Plan | 18/01/23 | 17/01/27 | Rugby High School | ||
| Andrew Mark Jones | Co-opted Governor | Health & Safety, Careers, Behaviour & Attitudes | 18/09/21 | 17/09/25 | |||
| David Mark Pearson | Associate Member, Deputy Headteacher | 30/09/23 | 29/09/27 | ||||
| Darren Andrew Thomas Walden | Associate Member, Deputy Headteacher | 30/09/23 | 29/09/27 | ||||
| Sarina Mitchell | Co-opted Governor | Teaching & Learning | 30/01/23 | 29/01/27 | |||
| Sukhraj Barhey | Partnership Governor | Teaching & Learning | 08/07/24 | 07/07/28 | |||
| Karen Elizabeth Powell | Local Authority Governor, Vice Chair | HT Review & Pay Committee, Reading Strategy, Training & Induction | 18/01/23 | 17/01/27 | Kokoro Y11 Employability Programme | ||
| Danny Ahern | Parent Governor | Reading Strategy | 20/06/25 | 19/06/29 | |||
| Devenne Kedward | Parent Governor | Reading Strategy | 20/06/25 | 19/06/29 |
Term of office for governors is 4 years. See Office Ends column for specific end dates.
| Name | Removal Reason | Removal notes | Governor Type | First Appointed | From | To | Leaving Date |
| Mrs Patricia Chamberlain | Resigned | Co-opted governor | 19/01/2015 | 18/01/2019 | 17/02/2023 | 20/09/2021 | |
| Mrs Lisa Walker | Resigned | Co-opted governor | 14/03/2014 | 26/02/2018 | 25/02/2022 | 14/09/2021 | |
| Mr Ian Goldthorp | Resigned | Staff governor | 06/12/2019 | 06/12/2019 | 05/12/2023 | 29/11/2021 | |
| Miss Samantha Carney | Resigned | Parent governor | 02/12/2019 | 02/12/2019 | 01/12/2023 | 04/01/2022 | |
| Dr Christian Von Wagner | Resigned | Parent governor | 06/12/2019 | 06/12/2019 | 05/12/2023 | 28/02/2022 | |
| Mr Neil James Owen | Term ended | Partnership governor | 16/07/2018 | 16/07/2018 | 30/09/2022 | 30/09/2022 | |
| Mr Andrew Gabbitas | Term ended | Partnership governor | 16/07/2018 | 15/07/2022 | 15/07/2022 | ||
| Miss Alison Davies | Retired | Headteacher | 29/08/2014 | 01/09/2019 | 31/08/2023 | 31/08/2023 | |
| Mrs Theresa Silver-Vallance | Resigned | Co-opted governor | 28/02/2022 | 28/02/2022 | 28/02/2026 | 15/01/2024 | |
| Mrs Tina Raffell | Resigned | Co-opted governor | 15/04/2024 | 15/04/2024 | 14/04/2028 | 29/01/2025 | |
| Mrs Sarah Pick | Resigned | Parent governor | 15/03/2022 | 15/03/2022 | 14/03/2026 | 24/02/2025 | |
| Mr Brian Cheney | Retired | Co-opted governor | 18/01/2023 | 18/01/2023 | 17/01/2027 | 18/07/2025 |
Term of office for governors is 4 years. See Office Ends column for specific end dates.