Governance
Our Governors have a strategic role in guiding and supporting the school’s work and challenging further improvement. The school’s Christian vision and values inform, shape, and drive the governance of the school, and as Governors we seek to ensure they are the ‘golden thread’ that runs through all of school life.
The Governors work as a team to fulfil three key roles for the school:
- Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Hold the school leadership to account for the educational performance of the organisation, its pupils and performance management of staff.
- Oversee the financial performance of the school ensuring money is well spent.
St. Andrew’s governors attend six School Governor meetings a year and three committees that meet frequently throughout the school year:
- Teaching & Learning - Responsible for educational performance.
- Resources & Finance - Responsible for overseeing financial performance
- Human Resources - Responsible for the wellbeing of staff, the safeguarding of our children, and the centrality of equalities across school life
From time to time some Governors may sit on specific panels, including:
- Head Teacher appraisals
- Admissions - as a church school, the Governing Body is the Admissions Authority, which involves setting admissions arrangements for the school and agreeing admissions applications
Our current governing body is set out in the table below:
Name |
Role |
Appointed By |
Term of Office |
Original Appointment Date |
Roles & Responsibilities |
Fran Beckett OBE |
Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
21/03/2022 - 20/03/2026 |
21/03/2022 |
Chair of Governors, Chair of HR Committee, Staff Welfare & Mental Health, Recruitment |
Joy Robinson |
Local Authority Governor |
Local Authority |
10/10/2023 - 09/10/2027 |
10/10/2023 |
Vice Chair of Resources & Finance Committee, Health & Safety, Income Generation |
Reverend Dan Henderson |
Foundation Governor |
Ex-Officio |
22/09/2014 - |
22/09/2014 |
Vice Chair of Governors, Member of HR committee |
Sophie Thomas |
Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
03/01/2019 - |
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Jo Beer |
Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
16/05/2022 - 15/05/2026 |
16/05/2022 |
Chair of Teaching & Learning Committee, EYFS, Curriculum, Attendance, Phonics, Admissions |
Joel Tomlinson |
Parent Governor |
Parents |
24/10/2023 - 23/10/2027 |
24/10/2019 |
Member of HR committee, Finance, Premises/Site Development, Sports Premium |
Nicola Ryan |
Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
14/11/2022 - 13/11/2026 |
14/11/2022 |
Vice Chair of Teaching & Learning Committee, Pupil Premium, Sports Premium, Curriculum, Safeguarding, Pupil Passport |
Chris Simmons |
Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
21/07 2024 - 20/07/2028 | 21/07/2020 |
Member of R&F committee, Attendance, Exclusions, Racist Incidents |
Bryony Sandford | Staff Governor | Staff | 01/09/2021 – 31/08/2025 | 01/09/2021 | Staff Welfare & Mental Health/Wellbeing, Income Generation |
Dave Smalley | Parent Governor | Parents | 13/11/2023 - 12/11/2027 | 13/11/2023 | Member of T&L committee, Reading (+ Phonics), SEND, Pupil Passport, PSHE |
Coreen Sears | Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
30/01/2024 – 29/01/2028 | 30/01/2024 | Member of HR committee, PTA |
Sandra Obidike | Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
30/01/2024 – 29/01/2028 | 30/01/2024 | Member of HR committee, Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion |
Martin Sacree | Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
22/05/2024 - 21/05/2028 | 22/05/2024 | Chair of Resources & Finance Committee |
Sylvia Ruck | Foundation Governor |
Diocese |
10/07/2024 - 09/07/2028 | 10/07/2024 | Member of HR committee, Safeguarding |
Becky Parker | Associate Member |
Governing Body |
15/11/2022 - 14/11/2026 | 15/11/2022 | Member of R&F committee, Finance, Pupil Premium |
Matthew Greenall | Associate Member |
Governing Body |
01/09/2021 - 31/08/2025 | 01/09/2017 | Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion |
Lidewei Simmons | Associate Member |
Governing Body |
07/11/2024 - 06/11/2028 | 07/11/2024 | Member of T&L committee |
Vacancy | Co-opted Governor |
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In the past 12 months we have also had the following members on our governing body: | |||||
Oliver Mudge | Associate Member | Governing Body | 22/07/2023 - 21/07/2024 | 22/11/2021 | Strategy, Human Resources |
Christine Whiteside | Foundation Governor | Diocese | 03/12/2021 - 05/12/2023 | 03/12/2021 | |
Candice Guy | Parent Governor | Parents | 01/09/2021 – 13/11/2023 | 01/09/2021 | |
Dwight Heffelfinger | Foundation Governor | Diocese | 20/10/2023 - 10/07/2024 | 28/01/2020 |
Register of Interests for Governors who have served in the last 12 months - Register of Interests 2023-2024