Kathleen Desmond

Designated NLG: April 2013Kathy Desmond

Contact Details: kathleendesmond@hotmail.com

Current Governance Roles:

School: St Michael in the Hamlet Primary School, Liverpool (vice chair and chair of finance committee)
Governor since: 1987
Ofsted: March 2011 (good)

Other Relevant Experience:

  • Member of interim executive board (IEB) for school in special measures – Liverpool, since September 2013
  • Chair Liverpool Governors’ Forum since September 2012
  • Member of exec board Liverpool Learning Partnership (LLP) since September 2012 (LLP is the umbrella organisation for all Liverpool learners from birth to 25.)
  • Member of LLP strategic group for all learners since May 2012

Deployment Experience: 

(1) Maintained community primary school in Liverpool
Supported Chair who having relationship difficulties with his Head. When she left under a cloud, continued to assist Chair as he worked with interim Head. Linked the school to Wellcome national Research Project & they were successful in getting grant to develop governance. Chair came to St Michael’s to experience our committees and GB. Feb 2014 – Deployment completed.

(2) Maintained community primary school in Liverpool
Supporting new Chair in a school with difficulties. Head left. Good new Head in place now. Working with Chair so she can get her GB team to share the work load. Had good information/discussion session, at her request, the day before their Ofsted to allay her fears. School came through OK. Ongoing.

(3) Maintained church of England primary school in Shropshire
Supporting new Chair. He also has a new Head who is having difficulties with her staff. He needs to support her so we discuss any problem areas by email which seems to be working well. I have visited the school and sat in a GB meeting to get a feel for the school. He is due to visit my school.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Leadership,support and succession planning
  • School standards and pupil performance – special educational needs and pupil premium
  • Ofsted preparation
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • GB effectiveness – structure, systems and data
  • Recruitment and selection

Available to Conduct Reviews of Governance?

Yes

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