Governors

Governance at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

What does a School Governing body do?

The role of a Governing body is defined by the National Governors Association as a strategic one with the key functions to:

set the aims and objectives for the school
set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards the achievement of its aims and objectives
be a source of challenge and support to the head teacher (a critical friend)

The Governors do not operate individually they work as part of a team. They are all volunteers and do not get paid for this role. The governing body is chosen to have as broad a range of knowledge and skills as possible to support the school. According to these skills, the governors sit on various committees.

The committees at St Mary’s are:

Personnel & Finance

Rev Mr C Wells

Mr R Davies

Mr I Camacho

Mrs J McKinlay

Rev Fr P Dutton

Vacancy

Teaching & Learning

Mrs J McKinlay

Mr D Coxon

Mr D Orr-McGuinness

Mrs L McIntosh-Conlon

Mrs A Pink

Mrs G Dillon

Governors are required to attend committee meetings and Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings each term. These meetings follow strict agendas and the minutes are recorded.

Governors are linked to members of teaching staff with which they meet up at least twice per academic year.

The Headteacher produces a detailed report for the Governors at each FGB.

Governors attend training and courses relevant to their roles.

How is the Governing body made up?

Foundation Governors: Rev C Wells, Fr. P Dutton, Mr. R Davies, Mrs. A Pink, Mr. Ian Camacho, Vacancy

In Catholic schools, foundation governors – practising Catholics appointed by the Diocese – make up the majority. A foundation governor has a responsibility to preserve and develop the Catholic character of the school, but like all governors, also has to ensure high standards of educational achievement by the children.