St. Andrew's CofE (aided) Primary School

  1. About Us
  2. Governance

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:

  1. Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
  2. Hold the school leadership to account for the educational performance of the organisation, its pupils and performance management of staff.
  3. 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: 

  1. Teaching & Learning - Responsible for educational performance.
  2. Resources & Finance - Responsible for overseeing financial performance 
  3. 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:

  1. Head Teacher appraisals
  2. 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 -

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

 

   
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