Governing Board
Message from the Chair of the Governing Board
I am proud to have been elected as Chair of Governors at St Johns CE (VA) Primary School and, as a board, all governors are committed to working hard to support our Headteacher and staff and want the very best for our children.
The Governing Board is responsible for all matters relating to the successful and effective management of the school including teaching and learning, safeguarding, Christian distinctiveness, health and safety, staffing, premises and ensuring financial accountability and sustainability. We meet twice a term and act as a ‘critical friend’, supporting and challenging the Headteacher and leaders of the school.
Should you wish to contact us to discuss any matter further please do so by first contacting our Headteacher, Mrs S Bowyer.
Kind Regards
Mrs Laraine Jones – Chair of Governors.
Our Governing Board
School governors are a group of volunteers who come together as a group called the School Governing Body or Board. They support and challenge the headteacher to get the very best in education for the children and families in their school community.
A governing board has a strong focus on three key issues:
- Making sure the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Our current governing board members are:
|
Name |
Governor Type |
Term From |
Term To |
Disclosure of Pecuniary and Other Interests |
|
Mrs Eileen Bithell |
Foundation Governor |
05 Jul 2021 |
4 Jul 2025 |
18 Oct 2024 |
|
Mrs Susan Bowyer |
Headteacher |
04 Jan 2021 |
|
18 Oct 2024 |
|
Mrs Sally Brough |
Elected Member (no voting rights) |
05 Jul 2021 |
4 Jul 2025 |
18 Oct 2024 |
|
Mr Stephen Copner |
Foundation governor |
03 Feb 2024 |
2 Feb 2028 |
29 Sept 2022 |
|
Mrs Lauren Dowley |
Parent governor |
01 Sep 2022 |
31 Aug 2026 |
18 Oct 2024 |
| Rev. Liz Hollis | Ex-Officio Foundation governor |
17/01/2024 |
18 Oct 2024 |
|
|
Mrs Sam Johnson |
Foundation governor |
05 Jul 2021 |
4 Jul 2025 |
18 Oct 2024 |
|
Mrs Laraine Jones |
Foundation governor CHAIR |
03 Feb 2024 |
2 Feb 2028 |
18 Oct 2024 |
| Ms Jade Kelsall | Parent governor | 18 Sep 2024 | 17 Sep 2024 | 18 Oct 2024 |
| Mr Akkash Mahmood | Staff governor | 18 Sep 2024 | 17 Sep 2028 | 18 Oct 2024 |
|
Mr Nick Parkes |
Foundation governor |
06 Sep 2022 |
5 Sep 2026 |
29 Sept 2022 |
|
Mrs Sue Sampey |
Observer – School Business Manager |
01 Mar 2024 |
28 Feb 2028 |
1 Mar 2024 |
|
Mrs Margaret Stevenson |
Foundation governor |
05 Jul 2021 |
4 Jul 2025 |
18 Oct 2024 |
| Vacancy | Foundation governor | |||
|
Mrs Anna Podsiadlo |
Parent governor |
Resigned
|
4 Jun 2023 |
8 Dec 2022 |
|
Mr Imran Hanif |
Parent Governor |
Resigned 03 Nov 2021 |
|
|
|
Miss Sarah Mazzei-Scaglione |
Staff Governor |
Resigned 31 Dec 2021 |
|
|
|
Mrs Helen Kennedy |
Foundation Governor |
Resigned 04 May 2022 |
|
|
|
Mr Lee Nicholls |
Foundation Governor |
Resigned 16 Jan 2023 |
|
29 Sept 2022 |
|
Cllr Jacqueline Barnes |
Local Authority Governor |
Resigned 08 May 2023 |
29 Sept 2022 |
|
|
Miss Rachel Jackson |
Staff governor |
Resigned 31 May 2024 |
7 Nov 2022 |
|
|
Ms Nikki Matthews |
Observer – School Business Manager |
Resigned 23rd Feb 2024 |
|
7 Nov 2022 |
We have 3 full governing board meetings each year as well as committee meetings for:
Finance, Business and Compliance (Chair: Mrs Sally Brough)
Curriculum and Standards (Chair: Mrs Laraine Jones)
Notes:
Local Authority appointed (recommended) by Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Parent Governor, elected by parents at the school
Staff governor elected by staff at the school
Foundation Governor, appointed by Diocesan Education Service, Diocesan Board of Education, Foundation Trust*
Co-opted Governor, appointed by the governing body
The Role of the Chair of the Governing Board:
- To ensure the business of the Governing Board is conducted properly, in accordance with legal and Stoke-on-Trent City Council delegation requirements.
- To ensure meetings are run effectively, focusing on priorities and making the best use of time available, and to ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision-making.
- To establish and foster an effective relationship with the Headteacher based on trust and mutual respect for each other’s roles. The Chair has an important role in ensuring that the Governing Board acts as a sounding board to the Headteacher and provides strategic direction.
The Role of the Clerk to the Governing Board:
- To work effectively with the Chair of Governors, the other Governors and the Headteacher to support the Governing Board.
- To advise the Governing Board on Constitutional and Procedural Matters, duties and powers.
- To convene meetings of the Governing Board.
- To attend meetings of the Governing Board and ensure minutes are taken.
- To maintain a register of members of the Governing Board and report vacancies to the Governing Board.
- To give and receive notices in accordance with relevant regulations.
- To perform such other functions as may be determined by the Governing Board from time to time.
The Role of the Chair of a Committee:
- To ensure the business of the Committee is conducted properly, in accordance with legal requirements.
- To ensure meetings are run effectively, focusing on priorities and making the best use of time available, and to ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision-making.
The Role of the Clerk to Committees:
- To advise the Committee on procedural and legal matters.
- To convene meetings of the Committee.
- To attend meetings of the Committee and ensure minutes are taken.
- To perform such other functions with respect to the Committee as may be determined by the Governing Board from time to time.
The Governing Board
The Governing Board needs to take a strategic role, act as a critical friend to the school and be accountable for its decisions. It should set aims and objectives and agree, monitor and review policies, targets and priorities.
Terms of reference:
- To agree constitutional matters*, including procedures where the Governing Board has discretion.
- To recruit new members as vacancies arise and to appoint new governors* where appropriate.
- To hold at least three Governing Board meetings a year.*
- To appoint or remove the Chair and Vice Chair.*
- To appoint or remove a Clerk to the Governing Board.*
- To establish the committees of the Governing Board and their terms of reference.*
- To appoint the Chair of any committee (if not delegated to the committee itself).
- To appoint or remove a Clerk to each committee.*
- To suspend a governor.*
- To decide which functions of the Governing Board will be delegated to committees, groups and individuals.*
- To receive reports from any individual or committee to whom a decision has been delegated and to consider whether any further action by the Governing Board is necessary.*
- To approve the first formal budget plan of the financial year.
- To keep the Health and Safety Policy and its practice under review and to make revisions where appropriate.
- To review the delegation arrangements annually.*
*these matters cannot be delegated to either a committee or an individual
Membership – As per the Instrument of Government
Disqualification – as per Regulation 20 and Schedule 6 of the Constitution Regulations