GOVERNORS of a Hampshire school have been shortlisted for a national award.

Members of the Hiltingbury Infant School governing body have made it through to the finals of the National Governors’ Association Awards for Outstanding Governance, which recognises excellent practice.

The awards were created to celebrate the inspiring contribution that school governors, trustees and clerks make every day in schools around the country.

Governors from Hiltingbury Infant School, which is based in Chandler’s Ford, will now attend a ceremony in London where they have been shortlisted in the “outstanding vision and strategy” category.

The nomination outlined how the governing body had faced the challenge of recruiting a new headteacher in recent years whilst maintaining and improving on school performance.

The governors were also praised in a recent Ofsted report which saw the school upgraded from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ - one of the first schools in the county to achieve the ranking under the new inspection framework.

Chair of governors Colette Fretton said: “We have a great team of people with a diverse set of skills and experience all working together to ensure our young people get the best education and start in life.

“As volunteers we are passionate about what we do and are so proud that our hard work and achievements are being celebrated.”

Headteacher Cathy Moden added: “The role of the governing body is vital to hold headteachers to account and support them to get the very best outcomes for children. We are privileged at Hiltingbury to have such a dedicated and committed team of governors.”