Governors

Chair of Governor

Laetitia Rocha is our Chair of Governors and also our safeguarding governor.

She can be contacted via the school office. 

Structure and Membership of St Paul’s Governing Body

A governing body is made up of Local Authority, parent, staff and co-opted governors from which a Chair and Vice Chair are elected.

2012 regulations require schools to have at least 7 governors including 2 parents, 1 ex-officio head, 1 elected staff, 1 Local Authority, with the remaining places filled with co-opted governors.

St Paul’s governing body re-constituted in 2015. It was decided to form a governing body of 12 members which comprises:

• 3 Parents

• 3 Foundation governors

• 1 Local Authority

• 1  Head Teacher

• 1 staff (elected)

• 3 co-opted

(Co-opted governors can be parents, staff or community governors but the proportion of staff on a governing body, including the Head, cannot exceed one third of the total.)

A Chair of Governors and a Vice Chair are elected from the parent, Local Authority and co-opted governors (staff and the ex-officio head cannot take on these roles). 

Full governor meetings are clerked by an appointed Clerk to the Governors.

Special Responsibilities

Governors also choose, or are appointed to oversee different priorities of the School Development Plan.

Safeguarding- Laetitia Rocha

Vulnerable Groups- Lee Westley

Anti-Bullying- Lee Westley

Committees

The Governing Body have decided to cover the majority of tasks within the full governors' meeting. However, a Pay and Personnel Committee is in place and this committee makes decisions about Teachers' pay.

Governors Laetitia Rocha (Chair) and Jackie Jacques  form this committee.

Other committees can be convened as and when they are needed.

Full Governors' Meetings

St Paul’s governing body meets half-termly for meetings.

These are chaired by the chair of governors and clerked by a trained clerk.

The head teacher is also present at all regular meetings.

The head teacher presents a half-termly report which outlines the progress of teaching and learning in the school based on the results of lesson observations and data from assessments, along with progress on the School Improvement Plan, staffing, concerns, absences, exclusions and budget.

A typical meeting includes:

• Declaration of interests
• Ratifying minutes of previous meetings
• Matters arising from previous meetings
• Head teacher's report
• Reviewing and approving policies
• Reports from governors with special responsibilities
• Correspondence sent to the Chair
• Any other urgent business

Paper copies of minutes from the governors meetings, are available, upon request, from the school office.

Please find our Instrument Of Government and a table of governor pecuniary or business interests.

Purpose of the Governing Body

The Department for Education describes the purpose of a governing body as follows. The governing body should:

• help the school to set high standards by planning for the school's future and setting targets for school improvement

• prioritise school improvement

• be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice

• help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community

• make the school accountable to the public for what it does

• work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review

• exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the head teacher and staff

• not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action.

Applying to be a Governor

Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to become a school governor. Terms of office usually last for 4 years. If you are interested in becoming a governor at St. Paul’s CE Primary School you can enquire at the school office or apply online at www.gov.uk.

The National Governors' Association website has more information about the role of school governors and how to apply.

We currently have no governor vacancies.