Our Governing Body Mission Statement

The Governors place Christ at the centre of all we do, and play a vital role in making sure every child gets the best possible education in line with our ethos and mission statement as a Catholic school. The Governing Body supports the Mission Statement of the school by ensuring that the school provides a safe, caring, and stimulating learning environment where every child can realise his or her full potential.

Our Role

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, the Governing Body comprises of governors, including parents, teachers and volunteers from our Parish Church and local community. We will follow the example and teachings of Christ and everything we do will be inspired by Gospel values. We work together to provide independent oversight of the leadership and operation of the school, with the aim of shaping the school’s future direction, improving the quality of education provided and ensuring that the school provides a safe, caring, and stimulating learning environment where every child can realise his or her full potential.

Our main responsibilities are:

• Setting the school's vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Act as a “critical friend” in challenging and supporting the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: the implementation and effectiveness of the policy framework; progress towards targets; the implementation and effectiveness of the school improvement strategy; the budget and the staffing structure; and conducting quality self-evaluation; and
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of its staff.

Our Structure

The Full Governing Body meetings are attended by all Governors and considers any strategic issues that affect more than one area of School Life, receives reports from the Headteacher and its key Committees, and approve matters reserved for it.

Most of the work of the Governing Body is undertaken through its three key Committees and through targeted Governor visits.

The Committees

Buildings, Finance, Health & Safety Committee

The Buildings, Finance, Health & Safety Committee’s aim is to provide support and guidance for the Headteacher on all matters relating to the financial running of the school, maintenance, security and enhancement of the school premises and health and safety matters. We will ensure a strategic approach to budget planning that reflects the schools' educational objectives as well as its vision and values.

Standards, Evaluation, Target Setting (SETS) Committee

Our aim is to support the Head and teachers in delivering inspirational teaching that ensures that each child fulfils their true potential. We will do this by: careful consideration of the curriculum and by upholding school initiatives that support the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum; ensuring that the quality of learning and teaching is monitored and evaluated effectively and that staff are provided with outstanding development opportunities, the impact of which is monitored and evaluated; ensuring expectations of achievement and progress remain high for all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged; monitoring progress and attainment against the school development plan and against the school’s vision, and ensuring that effective self-evaluation processes are in place.

Personnel Committee

The personnel committee oversees aspects of personnel matters relating to staff deployment, staff wellbeing, staffing structure and planning.  Additional committees are available to oversee any staffing grievances utilising untainted governors.  New appointments are made in school with representatives of all governor committees present based on governor availability.

To contact the Governing Body, please email:

bursar@st-marys-morecambe.lancs.sch.uk

Our Governor representation is as follows:

Mrs H Stephenson - Parent Governor

Mr S Aimson - Parent Governor

Father Darren – Foundation Governor (Chair)

Mrs C Campbell - Foundation Governor (Vice Chair)

Mrs J Thompson – Foundation Governor

Mrs Rebecca Starr– Foundation Governor (Safeguarding)

Mrs N Coombes – Foundation Governor 

Mrs J Lunan – Foundation Governor

Mr Ian Pendlebury- Foundation Governor

Mrs Martina Butler-Foundation Governor

Mrs Kathryn Charnley - Staff governor

Vacant -  Local Authority Governor

Committees

Standards, Evaluation, Target Setting (SETS)             

Chair: Mrs N Coombs          Secretary: Mrs H Stephenson

Personnel

Chair: Mrs N Coombs          Secretary: Mrs C Campbell

Finance/Buildings/H&S

Chair: Mrs C Campbell       Secretary: Mr S Aimson