Our Governors
Welcome to the Governors’ page for Townsend Church of England School. Our governing board is dedicated to supporting the school’s vision, ensuring high standards, and helping every pupil thrive. We work closely with the Headteacher and staff to ensure Townsend CofE School remains a nurturing and ambitious environment for all students.
Who We Are
Our governing body is made up of dedicated volunteers from our local community, parents, staff and the church. Together, we bring a wide range of skills and experience to help guide and support the school’s leadership.
The Governing Body of Townsend Church of England School consists of up to 12 Governors.
| Category of Governor | Name | Appointing Body | Term of Office | Committees | Responsibilities |
| LA Governor | Vicky Franco | Hertfordshire County Council | 01/01/2024 31/12/2027 |
Curriculum, Disciplinary and Policy & Urgency |
Chair of Governors Link Governor for Behaviour and Attendance |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: None declared | |||||
| Parent governor | Sally-Ann Aguiar | Parent election | 27/11/2023 26/11/2027 |
Admissions, Finance (Chair) and Policy & Urgency | Link Governor for Safeguarding |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Sally-Ann is a School Business Manager at an independent school. She holds a BA in Childhood and Youth Studies and is currently completing a Diploma in School Business Management (ILM). She is personally invested in the school community as her children attend Townsend CofE School. | |||||
| Parent governor | Caroline Potts | Parent election | 27/11/2023 26/11/2027 |
Curriculum (Chair) and Disciplinary | Link Governor for Interventions & SEND |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: None declared | |||||
| Headteacher | Anthony Flack | Governing Board | – | Curriculum, Finance, Disciplinary, Personnel and Policy & Urgency | Headteacher |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Member of St Albans Diocesan Board of Education, Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, St Albans Diocese Academy Education Trust, Hertfordshire Schools Music Service Forum and Safeguarding Committee, director of not-for-profit St Albans and Harpenden Schools Umbrella Trust and chair of Scouting Committees. | |||||
| Staff governors | Anna Philpott | Staff election | 01/01/2022 31/12/2025 |
Curriculum and Disciplinary | Link Governor for Pupil Premium |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Anna, a professional with a background in Education, Law, and Finance, serves as the Vice Chair of Governors at St Albans School and SENCO at Townsend CofE School. | |||||
| Foundation ex officio Governor | TBC | Archdeacon of St Albans | – | – | – |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: – | |||||
| Foundation governor | Andrew Brown | St Albans Deanery Synod | 01/09/2025 31/08/2029 |
Finance | Link Governor for Post-16 and Careers |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: None declared | |||||
| Foundation governor | Tony Hale | St Albans Deanery Synod | 08/06/2022 08/06/2026 |
Admissions and Finance | Link Governor for H&SE and Climate Action |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Retired architect. | |||||
| Foundation governor | Vacancy (1) | St Albans Deanery Synod | – | – | – |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: – | |||||
| Foundation governor | Helen Quenet | Diocesan Board of Education | 01/09/2022 31/08/2026 |
Admissions, Finance, Disciplinary, Personnel (Chair) and Policy & Urgency | Vice Chair of Governors, Data Protection Officer and Link Governor for Quality of Education |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Former Local Borough Councillor for Welwyn Hatfield, worked in Mental Health Services for NHS and runs her own business. | |||||
| Foundation governor | Nigel Ward | Diocesan Board of Education | 01/09/2022 31/08/2026 |
Curriculum, Disciplinary and Personnel | Link Governor for RSHE, Personnel and Wellbeing |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: Retired Database specialist and Associate Minister at the Diocese of St. Albans. | |||||
| Foundation governor | Vacancy (2) | Diocesan Board of Education | – | – | – |
| Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests: – | |||||
What We Do
Governors work together to provide independent oversight of the management and operation of the school to improve the quality of education provided and raise standards.
The main responsibilities of our governing board are to:
- Set the school’s strategic direction and values
- Hold the headteacher and senior leaders to account for educational performance
- Oversee the financial performance of the school, ensuring money is well spent
- Ensure statutory duties are met, including safeguarding and SEND provision
Governors attend various meetings as part of their responsibilities, including Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings, which meet at least three times a year and additionally, if circumstances require. The Full Governing Body is supported by two main committees, which meet at least once a term and additionally, if required:
- The Finance and General Purposes Committee (FGPC), which deals with budget and finance, premises and health and safety, and relevant aspects of safeguarding, and other matters delegated by the Full Governing Body. This committee may consider some relevant pay, terms and conditions of service and staff-related items.
- The Curriculum and Standards Committee (CSC), which deals with standards, safeguarding and child protection, curriculum matters, examination results/outcomes, well-being and pastoral care, special educational needs, disability, disadvantaged and pupil premium students, and other matters delegated by the Full Governing Body.
Other sub-committees or working groups are formed when necessary. Our Terms of Reference for committees outline the responsibilities and expectations of each committee.
All governors except the ex-officio governor are members of at least one of the sub-committees listed above.
How to contact us
If you require more information on any aspect of school life, we invite you to contact the school directly. If you wish to contact a governor, please email us at admin@townsend.herts.sch.uk or write to us c/o Townsend CoE School, High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR.
Becoming a School Governor
If you are interested in becoming a school governor at Townsend CofE School, please contact us for more information. We welcome applications from all backgrounds however, experience within an educational setting would be beneficial.
We currently have two vacancies for Foundation Governors published on Teach in Herts and My New Term.
