Headteacher Meetings

Buckinghamshire has 17 local Liaison Groups which comprise all primary, secondary, special school and PRU headteachers. All groups are representative of maintained schools, academies and free schools.

Local Liaison Groups are organised as follows:

1. Aylesbury Vale Area
   Aylesbury Town, Bernwode, Buckingham & Winslow, John Colet and Wing.
   
   
2. Chiltern & South Bucks Area
   Amersham, Beaconsfield, Burnham, Chalfont, Chesham, Evreham and Misbourne.
   
   
3. Wycombe Area
   Cressex, Marlow, Rye, Wycombe North and Wye Valley.

The School Improvement Team at Buckinghamshire Council work with headteachers to support meetings, ensure effective communication between schools, Buckinghamshire Council and partners, and support the school-led collaborative process (Side by Side).

Regular newsletters and communications are produced to ensure headteachers are kept up to date with local and national issues and information. If you wish to share any information, events or requests with your liaison group, area or the county headteachers please contact Hazel David or Gemma Thorp as shown in the team list.

School Improvement Team:

Yvette Thomas 
yvette.thomas@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07720 073414

Naureen Kausar
naureen.kausar@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07715 245601

Georgina Masefield 
georgina.masefield@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07864 992894

Rosalind Burch 
rosalind.burch@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07815 023944

Lucy Kent 
lucy.kent@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07795 475629

Kerry Lidgett 
Kerry.lidgett@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07379 446486

Katherine Wells 
katherine.wells@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07860 180764

Mike Harwin 
mike.harwin@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07890 395028

Hazel David 
hazel.david@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07824 482570

Gemma Thorp 
gemma.thorp@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07890 395017

Kathryn Hathaway 
sis@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
01296 383030

Kate White 
schoolgovernance@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
07977 611698

Liaison Group Meetings

Liaison Group Meetings take place every half-term and are integral to the peer-to-peer support structure, as well as an important forum for communication, collaboration and the sharing of good practice between schools and Buckinghamshire Council. Meetings also receive reports from headteacher representatives of any recent meetings of other groups such as the Primary Executive Board, Buckinghamshire Association of Secondary Headteachers, Schools Forum and Headteachers Admissions Working Group.

A member of the School Improvement team will attend the Liaison Group meetings. They will circulate dates, agendas and documentation so it is important that you ensure we have your current email address and permission to use it.

Small Schools

Schools with fewer than 150 pupils are currently able to claim supply costs from the Local Authority to facilitate their attendance at Liaison Group and Headteacher Collaboration meetings. If you qualify please contact Hazel David or Gemma Thorp for the claim form.

Friday Forums

These events are designed to inform and support headteachers in your role as a school leader, providing updates, encouraging discussion and sharing best practice.

• Be informed of national priorities and developments including DfE and Ofsted
  
  
• Have the opportunity to reflect upon local and national priorities and what this means in your own school context and circumstances
  
  
• Benefit from a valuable networking opportunity with colleagues from across the county as well as with members from the School Improvement team

Corporate Director (DCS) Briefings

These briefings for Headteachers and Chairs of Governors will be held at the beginning of each term and prior to liaison group meetings. Two meetings will be held, during morning and evening meeting times.

The briefings will be attended by the Director of Children’s Services, John Macilwraith and other key Heads of Service. The focus will be strategic, providing information and updates on DfE and Buckinghamshire Council Statutory Duties.

The Buckinghamshire Association of School Governors will also provide important updates for schools regarding the DfE, Ofsted and training opportunities.

Primary Executive Board Meetings

The Primary Executive Board (PEB) is the overarching strategic decision-making body of all primary schools in Buckinghamshire. Membership of the PEB is made up of 17 PEB Headteacher Representatives, appointed by their respective Liaison Group, plus a Primary Special School Representative, a Primary PRU Representative and a Representative from the Virtual School. There are two PEB meetings each term. The agenda of the PEB is determined by the issues and concerns of headteachers. PEB Representatives report back to their next Liaison Group meeting on all agreed actions, decisions and other key agenda items from the PEB.

Buckinghamshire Association of Secondary Headteachers

The Buckinghamshire Association of Secondary Headteachers (BASH) is the overarching strategic decision-making body for the secondary sector and all secondary schools are members. BASH is an independent association, run by the secondary headteachers. BASH Members have the opportunity to share relevant information from meetings at Liaison Group meetings.

Headteachers Admissions Working Group

The Headteacher Admissions Working Group (HAWG) is a committee of headteachers who have responsibility for addressing issues around admissions. Membership of HAWG is made up of a representative of each liaison group and a representative of the Local Authority Admissions Team. There are two meetings each term, one to discuss primary issues (PHAWG) and one to discuss secondary transfer arrangements, including the transfer testing process.

As with other primary boards, members of HAWG are expected to represent their liaison group’s views and provide feedback to ensure that primary headteachers are fully involved in the admissions process.

Schools Forum

The Schools Forum is an advisory body in relation to matters relating to the school’s budget as defined in Section 41 of the Education Act 2002 and set annually by Buckinghamshire Council. Membership includes headteachers and governors nominated to represent the different types of schools and academies in the county. Current membership can be seen on the Democracy pages under ‘Meetings’:

https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=882&Year=0

Here, on the ‘Calendar’ page, you can sign up for alerts and receive meeting agendas and minutes. Not all liaison groups will include a Schools Forum member, however reports are brought to the Primary Executive Board and information cascaded through liaison groups by PEB reps.

Important dates for Headteachers

School Improvement Service

For any enquiries regarding School Improvement, contact a team member or use the sis@buckinghamshire.gov.uk address.