Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).
Please find below details of the members of our Governing Body. Many are parents, grandparents and friends of our school and have a genuine interest in our school and how we help our children. Our governors are happy to be a point of contact for you, should you need them.
Governing Body Committee Structure
For further information on who our governors are and what they do, please click on each name below:
| Name | Representing | Term of Office | Committee | Responsibilities | Register of Interests | Relationship to Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs. P Strachan | Staff | n/a | Finance Personnel Curriculum Safeguarding Admissions | Headteacher at St. Teresa's RCVA Primary School | none | |
| Rev Dennis Tindall | Foundation | 07/01/2020-06/01/2024 | Appeals | none | none | |
| Mrs Anne Wright | Foundation | 22/12/2019- 21/12/2023 | Finance Personnel Curriculum Safeguarding Pay review Appeals Admissions Headteacher's performance | Chair of Governors | Teacher at St Leonard's Catholic School | none |
| Mr Simon Jackson | Foundation | 13/06/2016- 12/06/2020 | Finance Curriculum Safeguarding Headteacher's performance Appeals Admissions | Vice Chair of Governors | none | none |
| Mrs Lisa Baker | Foundation | 26/05/2016-24/05/2020 | Personnel Safeguarding Pay Review | Safeguarding | none | none |
| Mrs Bernadette Quinn | Foundation | 21/10/2016- 19/10/2020 | Finance | Family Building Company | none | |
| Mrs Claire Haigh | Parent | 24/01/2017- 23/01/2021 | Finance Pay Review | Teaching & Learning | none | none |
| Mrs. K Evans | Staff | 27/02/2020-26/02/2024 | Curriculum | R E School Website Pupil Voice Rights Respecting | Teacher at St Chad's Primary School | none |
How To Become A School Governor
If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
St Chad’s RCVA Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download the full document below.
The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools
Annual Statement of Governance
Some details of our priorities over the past year.
Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body 2019-2020
Governor Attendance
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee
Schools are required to display a record of Governor’s attendance at meetings for each school academic year.
Record of Attendance 2020-2021
| Name | Meeting [add date] | Meeting [add date] | Meeting [add date] | Meeting [add date] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs B Quinn | ||||
| Mr B A Jones | ||||
| Mr D M Brown | ||||
| Mr Simon Jackson | ||||
| Mrs A Wright | ||||
| Mrs Lisa Baker | ||||
| Mrs N Priestley-Leach | ||||
| Mrs C Haigh | ||||
| Rev D Tindall | ||||
| Mrs P Strachan | ||||
| Mrs K Evans |
Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.
Committee Terms of Reference
Finance and Premises Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. C Haigh, Mrs. P Strachan, Mrs. B Quinn, Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- In conjunction with the Headteacher to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, for approval by the full Governing Body
- To establish and maintain an up-to-date 3 year financial plan
- To monitor income and expenditure, including virement decision, significant anomalies from the anticipated position, and report termly to the Governing Body
- To ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the County Council and the requirements of the DfE School Financial Value Standard
- To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds kept on behalf of the Governing Body
- To annually review charges and remissions policies and expenses policies
- To make decisions in respect of service level agreements
- To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees
- To prepare financial statements for inclusion in any reports to parents
- To ensure as far as is practical that any Health & Safety (H&S) issues are appropriately funded in accordance with priorities.
Meetings: Termly to coincide with Oracle
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; or a pecuniary interest.
| Virement Limits | Expenditure Limits | ||
| Limit set for Headteacher without prior written approval of Chair or Governing Body. | £ 5,000 | Any items of expenditure up to | £ 5,000 |
| Limit set for Headteacher with approval from Chair of Governors. |
£5,000 to £10,000 |
· Above this limit if item was previously notified to the Governing Body.
· Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity. |
|
| Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest)to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity. | |||
Personnel and Pupil Discipline Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. P Strachan, Mrs. L Baker
Terms of Reference:
To meet at start of every Autumn Term, and then as required
- To carry out the annual review of the staffing structure
- To oversee the appointment procedures for all staff
- To keep under review work life balance, working conditions and well-being including monitoring of absence
- Teaching staff appointments
- Review temporary contracts on an annual basis
- To ensure that a Performance Management Policy is in place
- Consider staff Leave of Absence (only if necessary after delegation to Headteacher)
- To act as the pupil discipline committee for fixed term and permanent exclusions.
- Complaints.
Delegation to the Headteacher
School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009.
Appointment:
- Temporary support staff
- Supply
- Non-teaching staff (delegated together with one Governor).
Dismissals:
- No delegation for dismissals (to be dealt with by the First/Pay Review Committee).
Curriculum Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. P Strachan, Mrs. K Evans, Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- To make recommendations to the Governing Body and review the school’s curriculum statement and policies as required in the light of the LA curriculum statement and statutory obligations regarding the National Curriculum
- In collaboration with the staff to provide information about how the curriculum is taught, evaluated and resourced
- To review the policy and provision for sex education and to make recommendations where necessary
- To review the policy and provision for collective worship and RE and to make recommendations where necessary
- To monitor and review information about school performance and reporting to parents accordingly to statutory requirements
- To contribute to the School Development Plan and SEF
- Curriculum/performance review including target setting and monitoring mechanism.
Disqualifications: Pecuniary Interest
Safeguarding Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. P Strachan, Mrs. L Baker, Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- Ensure the school is fulfilling its responsibilities regarding Child Protection and the requirements of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’
- To consider and determine the school’s policy relating to E-Safety
- To consider the school security policy.
Disqualifications: Pecuniary Interest
Headteacher’s Performance Review
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- To arrange to meet with the Education Development Partner to discuss the Headteacher’s performance targets
- To decide with support from the EDP whether the targets have been met and to set new targets annually
- To monitor throughout the year the performance of the Headteacher against the targets
- To make recommendations to the appropriate committee in respect of awards for the successful meeting of set targets.
First / Pay Review Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. L Baker, Mrs. C Haigh
Terms of Reference:
- To act in accordance with the Teachers’ Pay Policy adopted by the Governing Body
- To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure
- To make any decisions under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body, eg disciplinary, grievance, ill health, capability etc where the Headteacher is the subject of the action
- To make any decisions relating to a member of staff (other than the Headteacher) under the Personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body and in line with Diocesan advice
- Staffing Reductions.
Appeals Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Rev D. Tindall, Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- To consider any appeal against a decision to dismiss a member of staff made by the First/Pay Review Committee
- To consider any appeal against a decision under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (eg disciplinary, pay review, capability for teachers etc)
- To consider any appeal against selection for redundancy.
Admissions Committee
Chair: Mrs. A Wright
Members: Mrs. P Strachan, Mr. S Jackson
Terms of Reference:
- To determine within statutory provisions and the Governing Body Policy whether any child shall be admitted to the school
- To review admissions arrangements and to make recommendations for changes to the Governing Body.
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