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Governors

The Governing Body of St. Chad's Catholic Primary School

  • Your Governors

St Chad’s Catholic Primary School is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School situated in the Archdiocese of Liverpool and maintained by Lancashire County Council.  The Governing body of any Catholic Voluntary Aided School, like St Chad's, is made up of Foundation Governors appointed by the Archdiocese and elected representatives of Parents, Staff, and the Local Authority.

 

St Chad’s Governing Body

Mr K Rollins                       Chair & Foundation Governor

Mr G Roberts                     Vice-chair & Parent Governor

Mr J Riley                          Headteacher

Mrs J Hart                         Foundation Governor

Mrs C Burrow                     Foundation Governor

Mr B Derbyshire                 Foundation Governor

Miss L Gillibrand                 Staff Governor

Mrs Tina Newall                 LA Nominated Governor             

Mrs S Noblet                      Foundation Governor

Mrs S Blackledge                Parent Governor

Mr P Heskine                      Foundation Governor

To find out more about our governors, click link below for more personal biographies:
  • Role of the Governing Body

Governors are the strategic leaders of our school and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. The effectiveness of school governance is an important part of overall school performance and a key part of the system for school accountability.

 

The governing body has three core functions:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;

The governing body is the key strategic decision-making body of our school. It is their role to set the school’s strategic framework and to ensure all statutory duties are met.

 

2. Holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;

The governing body works to support and strengthen the leadership of the headteacher, and holds them to account for the day-to-day running of the school, including the performance management of teachers. Having advised the governing body, the head teacher must comply with any reasonable direction given by it.

 

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The governing body ensures that resources are allocated in line with strategic priorities, making full use of assets and efficient use of all financial resources.  Governors need to make sure that the school achieves good value for money from its budgeted resources.

The headteacher works closely with the governing body as its principal professional advisor. Governing body policy decisions are then implemented by the headteacher in the day-to-day running of the school. Importantly, the governing body is a source of challenge, as well as support to the headteacher.

  • Composition of the Governing Body

There are 12 governors on St Chad’s Governing Body, including seven foundation governors, two parent governors, a staff governor and a local authority governor. The Headteacher is also a governor.

 

A foundation governor is a practicing Catholic who is appointed by the Archdiocese. They have the responsibility of assisting the Bishop, by sustaining and developing the Catholic ethos and distinctive Catholic nature of the school in which they serve.  The person is usually a member of the school’s parish community, often a current parent who has offered to be a governor, selected by the Governing body in agreement of the parish priest. A foundation governor is usually nominated by the parish priest, who sends an application to the Liverpool Archdiocese of Catholic Education (LACE), where the position is approved and ratified.

 

Parent and staff appointments are done by election conducted by a designated officer appointed by the governing body, usually the head teacher. The Governing Body appoints the Authority Governor.

 

Co-opted governors are appointed by the Governing body and are people who, in the opinion of the governing body, have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school. 

  • Meetings, committee membership and declared interests

Each governor has a term of office of four years with the opportunity for re-election. The composition of the governing body is reviewed on a regular basis to make sure it has the right balance of skills, experience and perspectives to be effective and meet its statutory responsibilities.

 

The full governing body meets at least once term.  In addition committees, which have specific responsibilities such as Teaching, Learning and Welfare (TL&W), Standards and Effectiveness (SEC), and Resources (R) meet termly before each full governing body meeting.  There are other committees that meet less frequently or on an ad-hoc basis when required, as well as other meetings and time commitments depending on the school’s plans and activities underway.

 

A list of the main committee membership over the past twelve months, including Chairs of Committees, along with dates of tenure and declared interests are summarised in the table below:

 

Governor  

Term          

start

Term       

 end

Committee       membership

Declared interests *                 

Mr J Riley

13/04/15

12/04/24

R, TL&W, SEC

None

Mrs J Hart (Vice-Chair)

04/09/12

31/08/24

TL&W (Chair), SEC

Holy Cross Catholic High School, Chorley (Governor)

Mr G Roberts (Chair)

20/09/15

19/09/23

R, SEC (Chair)

None

Mrs C Burrow

18/09/17

17/09/25

R, SEC

None

Mr B Derbyshire

01/09/12

312/08/24

R (Chair), SEC

St. Oswald's Catholic Primary School (Governor)

Miss L Gillibrand

15/04/21

14/04/25

R, TL&W

None

Mrs T Newall

26/03/18

25/03/22

R, TL&W

None

Mrs S Noblet

05/03/15

04/03/23

SEC, TL&W

St Mary's RC Primary School, Euxton (Governor)

Mr K Rollins

18/02/13

17/02/25

R, SEC

None

Mrs S Blackledge

08/10/18

07/10/22

SEC, TL&W

None

Mr P Heskine10/02/2209/02/26R, SECNone

*Each year, every governor is asked to disclose any relevant interests pertaining to governance of an educational establishment. In doing so they state:

  • I have declared all beneficial interests which I or any person closely connected with me have with businesses or other organisations, which may have dealings with the school.
  • I have declared details of any other educational establishments which I govern.
  • I have set out any relationships with members of school staff.
  • I undertake to inform the school of any changes in these interests
  • Being a school Governor

School governors constitute one of the largest volunteer groups in Great Britain. They are people from all walks of life who care about children’s education and are prepared to work to support the school and local community.

 

Governors do not need educational expertise but bring their own experiences and life skills to the team – in fact this is essential. They also need to be able to work as an enthusiastic member of the governing body team. Governors take part in regular training events to ensure their skills are up-to-date, including those relating to effectiveness, standards, safeguarding and finance.

 

We are always interested to hear from people that feel that they could offer their time, skills and experience as a school governor. While our constitution states a fixed number of governors, each with a fixed term, there are occasionally new vacancies that arise.

 

  • Getting in touch

Each year the Governing body will provide an annual statement setting out the key issues addressed over the last year, including an assessment of the impact of the Governing body on the school. 

 

We are always keen to hear from current or prospective parents or other members of the community, particularly if they have a specific question, issue or concern about the school. If this relates to a specific child or operational matter within school, the first point of call should be the class teacher, deputy head or head teacher, but the chair of governors can be contacted directly by email at stchadsgovernors@gmail.com or through the school office.

  • Meeting Attendance

Click link below to view governor attendance at meetings during this academic year:

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