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.

 

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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	29 Sept 2022
Mrs Susan Bowyer	Headteacher	04 Jan 2021		30 Sept 2022
Mrs Sally Brough	Associate Member (no voting rights)	05 Jul 2021	4 Jul 2025	18 Nov 2022
Mr Stephen Copner	Foundation governor	03 Feb 2020	2 Feb 2024	29 Sept 2022
Mrs Lauren Dowley	Parent governor	01 Sep 2022	31 Aug 2026	29 Sept 2022
Miss Rachel Jackson	Staff governor	06 Jun 2022	5 Jun 2026	7 Nov 2022
Mrs Sam Johnson	Foundation governor	05 Jul 2021	4 Jul 2025	15 Sept 2022
Mrs Laraine Jones	Foundation governor CHAIR	03 Feb 2021	2 Feb 2025	29 Sept 2022
Ms Nikki Matthews	Observer – School Business Manager	01 Apr 2022	31 Mar 2026	7 Nov 2022
Mr Nick Parkes	Foundation governor	06 Sep 2022	5 Sep 2026	29 Sept 2022
Mrs Anna Podsiadlo	Parent governor	05 Jun 2019	4 Jun 2023	8 Dec 2022
Mrs Margaret Stevenson	Foundation governor	05 Jul 2021	4 Jul 2025	29 Sept 2022
Vacancy	Foundation governor
Vacancy	Ex-Officio
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 8 MY 2023		29 Sept 2022

We have 3 full governing board meetings each year as well comitte meetings for:

Finiance, 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