The Governing Body

Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School has a governing body of 20 people, representing parents, the Foundation Governors, the Local Education Authority (LEA), staff, and the local community. The governing body plays a largely strategic role in the running of the school, and is keen to see education standards raised even higher in Dronfield. The governors have set up a number of committees to perform detailed work on finance, curriculum, premises management, health & safety, personnel issues and discipline. The full governing body meets around six times a year, with committees meeting more frequently, so the task of a school governor is demanding yet very rewarding when we see the school doing well.

To contact the Governors, please email: chairofgovernors@dhfs.uk or you can write to us at the school address.

Governor Name	Elected By	Date of Appointment	Term of Office	Comittees	Responsibility	Business and Pecuniary Interests	Governance Roles in Other Educational Institutions	Relationships Between Governors and / or School Staff
Mr Richard Gilson	LA	11/10/2022	10/10/2026	Resources / Premises / Quality of Education / Strategy Group	Chair of Governors / Chair of Strategy / Headteacher PM / CEA / GDPR / Antibullying, eSafety / buddy for new Govs	None	Governor at Dronfield Junior Scool / Governor Bankwood School	None
Mr Matthew Lilleyman	Co-opted	12/05/2019	06/03/2027	Premises / Resources / Quality of Education / Strategy / Pay	Chair of Premises	Unstone Parish Council	None	None
Mrs Sue O’Donnell	Co-opted	12/05/2019	06/03/2027	Quality of Education / Strategy / Disciplinary	SEND / Pupil Premium	None	None	None
Professor David Owens	Co-opted	17/09/2019	16/09/2027	Premises / Resources / Quality of Education / Attendance Panels / Disciplinary	Mathematics	None	None	None
Mrs Leah Jones	Co-opted	05/03/2024	04/03/2028	Quality of Education	Looked after children	None	None	None
Mrs Tina Bennett	Co-opted	04/12/2020	24/11/2028	Resources / Strategy / Quality of Education	Student Council Liaison / PSHE / Safeguarding / Mental Health and Wellbeing / Buddy for new Govs	None	None	None
Mrs Luci Windle	Parent	17/10/2022	16/10/2026	Quality of Education / Strategy / Headteacher PM	Chair of Quality of Education / English / PE / Governor Training / IAG Careers / Pupil Premium	Nexus Academy Trust	Abbey School/Discovery Academy/Fountaindale School	None
Mr Frank Stainton	Parent	17/10/2022	16/10/2026	Quality of Education	Sixth Form / Health & Safety	None	None	None
Mrs Jenna Glossop	Parent	17/10/2022	16/10/2026	Quality of Education		None	None	None
Mrs Lisa Hicks	Parent	02/12/2024	01/12/2028	Quality of Education		None	None	None
Mrs Abi Merritt	Parent	02/12/2024	01/12/2028	Quality of Education	Website Compliance	None	None	None
Mrs Katie Wileman	Parent	02/12/2024	01/12/2028	Quality of Education		None	None	None
Vacancy	Staff
Mrs Beverley Kenyon	Foundation	20/12/2019	11/12/2027	Quality of Education / Pay committee / Attendance Panels / Disciplinary	MFL / Safeguarding	None	DHFS Education Trust	None
Mr William Jones	Foundation	12/03/2024	11/03/2028	Quality of Education		None	None	None

Governors who have left in the last 12 months

Governor Name	Elected By	Date of Appointment	Term of Office	Comittees	Responsibility	Business and Pecuniary Interests	Governance Roles in Other Educational Institutions	Relationships Between Governors and / or School Staff
Dr Ben Crunkhorn	Parent	04/12/2020	03/12/2024	Quality of Education / Premises	Health and Safety	None	None	None
Mrs Amanda Downs	Parent	04/12/2020	03/12/2024	Quality of Education	PSHE	None	None	None
Cllr Alex Dale	Foundation	20/12/2019	07/05/2024	Quality of Education	Humanities / LAC, Post Adoption	Derbyshire County Council / North East Derbyshire District Council / East Midlands Regional Migration Board	DHFS Education Trust	None
Dr Alan Thomas	Co-opted	04/04/2019	16/09/2024	Quality of Education / Pay Committee / Strategy Group / Resources / Premises / Attendance Panels / Disciplinary	Chair of Governors / Chair of Strategy Group / Headteacher PM / PSHE / Wider Curriculum / Professional Learning / PODS	None	Northfield Junior School	None
Mrs Christine Smith	Co-opted	03/03/2024	23/03/2026	Quality of Education / Premises / Resources / Pay Committee		Dronfield Town Council NE Derbyshire District Council	None	None
Professor John Yates	Co-opted	05/05/2024	03/03/2026	Quality of Education / Premises / Strategy	Technology	Fracture Training Associates / Engineering Integrity Society / Dronfield Town Council	None	None

Governor’s Meetings 2025/2026

Governors Meeting Attendance

Governors meet during the course of the year for full governors’ meetings, Curriculum, Resources, Premises and Strategy committee meetings.

Governor attendance has, as always, been of a very good level, with absences explained, accepted and approved by the governing body.

There are no causes for concern at the level of commitment shown by the governing body.

This excellent attendance has allowed dialogue to take place with school leaders and governors to be up to date with school, local and national developments.

More About The Foundation Governors

The Foundation Governors are the trustees of the fund, which was endowed by Henry Fanshawe in the sixteenth century, to provide education for the children of Dronfield. The investment income is administered by the Foundation Governors.
From 1579, when the fund was used initially for the education of the children in Dronfield, until 1990, the income from the Henry Fanshawe Foundation was used exclusively to support the education of the pupils at Henry Fanshawe School. From 1990, when secondary education was reorganised in Dronfield, the income from the Foundation has been used to fund projects on the Gosforth and the Henry Fanshawe sites of the Dronfield School.
Three main types of project are supported by the Foundation Governors. These are small grants to individual pupils or groups of pupils to support specific projects, grants to individual faculties in the school and grants that benefit all the students in the school as a whole.

Members of staff at the school submit bids for projects that benefit provision and experiences for students. A sub-committee reviews bids and awards grants. Previous successful projects include a greenhouse for the allotment, kitchen resources for the independent living space, materials for outdoor learning and a blast freezer for technology.