Governors

Hillside Primary School Governing Body

The Governing Body at Hillside Primary School is similar to a board of Directors in business. It holds the responsibility for key decisions relating to the conduct of the school, its strategic aims and objectives, future planning, and overall performance. Members are elected or appointed to serve for a period of four years.

Structure and Responsibilities

Governors are involved in crucial decision-making areas. Specific sub-committees are responsible for focused oversight:

Governors also play a key role in the recruitment process, interviewing and selecting staff at the school.

Constitution of the Governing Body

Governors are appointed from a number of sources:

• Parents: Parent Governors are elected by parents every four years. They must have a child in the school when appointed.
• Staff: Staff representatives are elected by the school staff.
• Co-opted Governors: These are elected by the Governing Body from the local community (e.g., businesspeople or professional persons).
• Local Authority (LA): Representatives of the Local Authority are appointed to the Governing Body (non-elected appointments).
• Headteacher: A non-elected appointment.

The Clerk to the Governors is appointed by the Chief Education Officer and is a non-voting member.

Current Governing Body and Link Governor Roles

Interim Chair of Governors:

Mrs K Howle

c/o Hillside Primary School

Field Avenue,

Baddeley Green,

Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 7AS

Link Governor Responsibilities

Governor Profiles

Karen Schonau (Headteacher)

Karen has been in teaching for over ten years, having completed a BA Honours in Primary Education at Manchester Metropolitan University. She spent ten years in an outstanding Staffordshire school before moving to Hillside as Deputy Headteacher. Now, as Headteacher, her aspiration is to create an inspirational, friendly, caring community where everyone enjoys and excels, working hard to achieve their best. The staff seek to promote a compassionate and fair environment where all pupils feel valued and enabled to flourish. She believes an exciting, stimulating curriculum, delivered by dedicated and passionate teachers, ensures children are engaged, develop curiosity, and foster a lifelong love of learning.

Kerry Howle: Chair of Governors (Parent Governor)

Kerry grew up in Baddeley Green and attended Hillside as a child. She has moved back into the local community, and her children now attend the school. She sees her role as Parent Governor as an opportunity to ensure all children continue to receive the best education possible by supporting and challenging the school leadership team. She has been a primary teacher for over 20 years, receiving her BA (Hons) in Primary Education in 2004 and her Masters in Education from Keele University in 2024. She now works for Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education, teaching the next generation of primary teachers and supporting early career teachers.

Jessica Perry: Vice Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)

Jessica has worked within HR and education for 12 years, recently supporting Stoke-on-Trent Schools with their HR functions. She enjoys supporting school leaders to ensure the school runs effectively so children receive the best possible education. Living within the school’s locality and having two young children, she was keen to join the Governing Body to continue supporting Hillside and its children.

David Bell (Staff Governor)

David has been teaching for over ten years, completing his PGCE in Primary Education following an initial degree in Sports Journalism. Prior to becoming Deputy Headteacher at Hillside, he worked in another Stoke-on-Trent school, where he was part of the Senior Leadership Team, working on whole school initiatives. He also worked within the school’s Multi Academy Trust in a school improvement role and provided support in other schools as a Specialist Leader of Education in English. He is a firm believer in providing children with all possible learning experiences to excite them about coming to school each day.

Jenny Rushton (Co-opted Governor)

Jenny has been teaching in Stoke-on-Trent for almost twenty years, working across Early Years, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2. Her current role is Assistant Head and SENCo at Hillside Primary School, and she is a committee member at the local pre-school. She enjoys partaking in key decision-making to move the school forward. She believes the Governing Body holds the school to account, ensuring it runs to the best of its ability and serves the community, ensuring children get the education they deserve.

Jennifer Craig (Parent Governor)

Jennifer has been a Parent Governor at Hillside since 2014 and greatly enjoys the role. She has three children who have all happily attended Hillside (two of them still do). She is a Headteacher in a primary school and is passionate about children being provided with the best education possible.

Richard Tunnicliffe (Parent Governor)

Richard is keen to contribute his time as Governor to create a bright future for the pupils and ensure they all enjoy school life. Having completed his law degree, he has worked in the legal sector for over a decade and currently provides employment law advice to schools and companies as a consultant. He is passionate about helping others, having organised charity fundraising including the Potters ‘Arf Marathon and the National Three Peaks challenge. He is a father of two daughters.

Rebecca Winwood (Co-opted Governor)

Rebecca is proud to serve as a Co-opted Governor. She has lived in Baddeley Green all her life, and both of her now grown-up children attended Hillside. She brings over 14 years of experience as a School Business Manager and now works within Primary Care for the NHS. She is committed to using her skills and experience to help Hillside continue to thrive as a welcoming, inclusive, and high-achieving school.

Natalie Clark (Local Authority Governor)

Bio pending

Governor Vacancies

We currently have the following governor vacancies:

• Co-opted Governor
• Parent Governor

The term of office for each category of governor is 4 years.