ST THOMAS
CE (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL
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Our Governors
JOANNE SIMPSON
Chair of Governors
Co-opted Governor
Co-opted Governor, Chair of Governors. I have worked as a teacher, in primary schools, for over 33 years and have a passion for education. I am a member of St Thomas Church, Bradley. I am delighted to be a governor, to be able to use my skills to support St Thomas School and serve the community.
Being a Governor means having a strong commitment to making sure the school achieves the best possible outcomes for all children.
SARAH PALMER
Vice Chair of Governors
Co-opted Governor
I am an Alumni of St Thomas (Bradley J, I & NSchool) and have dedicated over 10 years to support the school as an adult. I am also a teacher myself with two young children.
Being part of Team Thomas means being Accountable: to and for pupils,
Enriching: creating an enriching and positive experience at St Thomas for all pupils and Safety; ensuring all pupil are safe and cared for on their learning journey.
KATE MEADE
Headteacher
Ex-Officio Governor
Headteacher and Ex-Officio Governor, member of Resources Committee. Working with the Governing Body is integral to my role as Head Teacher. Our Governing Body is central to all school wide decision making and a fundamental part of school leadership.
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Being a Governor means: Integrity, Support and Challenge.
CAT GODDARD
Deputy Headteacher
Co-opted Governor, Deputy Head and member of the Standards, Curriculum and Effectiveness Committee. I have worked at the school for many years, joining as a Teacher, and now being Deputy Head. The governors are crucial in terms of holding us to account, and ensuring the children at St Thomas receive the very best education and care.
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Being a Governor means: Responsibility, Challenge and Reward.
AMANDA HOWARTH
Co-opted Governor
Co-opted Governor and Chair of the Resources Committee. I work for a local Huddersfield business, Cummins Ltd, and as part of our company's ethos to give back and help our local communities I have volunteered to work with St Thomas School Bradley and I am really looking forward to meeting everyone and working with you all. I believe that all children are entitled to the highest quality of education and from what I have seen so far I believe that this school gives its pupils the best start they can have in life.
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Being a Governor means: Responsibility, Involvement and Trust.
IAN JAMIESON
Vicar
Ex-Officio Governor
Ex-Officio and Priest-in-Charge at St Thomas' Church. I moved to Bradley in May 2017 and immediately began serving on the governing body at our school. I am a former teacher and, as such, enjoy coming into school each week to lead collective worship and welcoming the children and staff into Church at times like Harvest, Christmas and Easter and for events like the leavers' assemblies. I became a governor because I think that local schools and Churches share a responsibility to serve the local community and care for the well-being of every child and their family.
Being a Governor means: Serving, Loving, and Caring.
KAIRON MEAD
Staff Governor
I am a Learning Mentor, working mainly in Key Stage 2. I have worked at St Thomas School for several years and all five of my grown up children have attended the school, so I have watched the school grow and flourish over the past twenty-five years. I am committed to providing positive educational and social experiences for all the children who attend St Thomas and am proud to represent the staff at our amazing school as a staff governor.
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Being a Governor is being a voice for our staff and children
MARIA MORGAN
Parent Governor
I work for the local authority in human resources. I am passionate about ensuring children have the best possible experience at school. I have mentored children in a school setting and I have volunteered to be a Parent Governor so that I can give back to the school.
Being a Governor means supporting all children, being passionate about education and caring for all.
MICHAEL GHATT
Co-opted Governor
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My journey through education led me to Huddersfield University in 2010, where I studied Product Design. Working for a Software company in the heart of Huddersfield, I look back grateful for the education I received and the opportunity to support the children of St Thomas get the best out of their education is a privilege.
Being a Governor means: Helping to ensure the children get the most out of their education and time at St Thomas.
SARAH SIMMONDS
Parent Governor
As a parent of children who currently and previously attended St Thomas, I was excited at the opportunity to support the school to reach their vision and goals. I work within education and have an 18 year career working in both primary and secondary settings. Over this time, I have developed a strong passion for inclusion.
Being a Governor grants the opportunity to contribute to the futures of our children and community.
SIMON PHIPPS
Foundation Governor
I am a curate within the Church of England working with Ian at St. Thomas’ Church; I enjoy regular interaction with the school through our after school club, assemblies and governer meetings. It is a real joy to watch the children flourish and I am grateful to be able to be able to contribute towards that goal in my role as a Foundation Governer.
Being a Governer extends my work, and the work of the church, to benefit the community that I am serving in.
What is a Governing Body and what do they do?
WHY WE HAVE GOVERNING BODIES
The Education Act 1980 made it compulsory for each school in England and Wales to have a governing body. The Governing Body is responsible for the overall management of the school.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Governing bodies are accountable to:
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the Local Authority (which maintains the school)
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the parents
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the pupils
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the community served by the school
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the staff of the school
WHERE GOVERNORS COME FROM
Members of School Governing Bodies are volunteers and are part of the biggest volunteer force in the country. They include men and women who represent the parents, staff, the local authority and the local community.
CATEGORIES OF GOVERNORS
At St Thomas we have a maximum of twelve governors. This is made up of:
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Two parent governors – parents with a child or children at the school, elected by parents.
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Two staff governors – the Headteacher (if he or she chooses) plus one member of the school elected by school staff.
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One LEA governors – appointed by the Local Authority
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Five Community/Co-opted governors – people who live or work in the community served by the school appointed by the governing body
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Two Foundation governors – appointed by St Thomas Church to which the school is linked because we are a Church of England school.
Governing Bodies are responsible for the overall management of the school and have responsibility for raising school standards by:
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deciding on the strategic direction the school should take
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ensuring accountability
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monitoring and evaluating school performance.
Overall management of the school includes:
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admissions
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complaints about the school
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finance (setting the yearly budget)
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fixing the starting and finishing times of the school day
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agreeing how many children there should be on the roll and the maximum number in each class
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health and safety
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home-school agreement
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links with parents
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staff performance and pay
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school prospectus
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pupil attendance
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pupil behaviour
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school inspections
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safeguarding
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sex education
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staffing
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the curriculum
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the promotion of high standards of educational achievement
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the school’s aims and ethos
HOW GOVERNING BODIES PERFORM THEIR FUNCTIONS
The governing body can perform its duties and use its powers in three modes:
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itself as a body
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by delegation to a committee of governors
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by delegation to the head
We meet regularly, at least twice a term to hear progress reports from the Head and also reports from the various committees on which the governors sit. The governors also regularly attend training sessions.
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Governors can also, if they wish, volunteer to help children by, for example, hearing them read on a one to one basis, help with after-school extra curricular activities and accompany staff members on educational and leisure visits.
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Involvement of the governors in this way is considered very important by the Government-appointed Ofsted teams who carry out inspections at all schools on a regular basis to check the progress being made by the children and they are very keen to know about the work of the governors and their contribution to the life of the school.
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We have Governor Days every term, where Governors are invited to spend the day in school and in classes looking at their own responsibility and how it relates to the running of the school and the progress of our children.
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PREVIOUS GOVERNORS
Silva Scott
Julie-Ann Roy
Hayley Oldfield