Governors Roles & Responsibilities

Download: Governors Visits Spring 1-2 2023 [PDF]
Download: St Matthew’s Governors List [PDF]

View our Equal Opportunities Policy Statement on our Policies page

At St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School governors, staff, parents and children work as a team, building on success, working together to develop the whole person through respect.

We are proud of the high standards our pupils achieve across the curriculum.

As Governors we become involved with a variety of issues including finance, pupil welfare, public relations, building/grounds maintenance and staff appointments. However, without a doubt, we consider that our most important role is to monitor the welfare and education of the pupils.

Governors are appointed to ensure that objectives are met and that planning for the future is both visionary and realistic. We are here to support and encourage the Headteacher and all school personnel so that children have access to an enriched education and the opportunities they deserve.

I am available to parents for any matter relating to the school, once you have discussed it with the Headteacher. Parents and governors have key roles in helping St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School to maintain high standards for all our children both now, and for future generations.

With my best wishes,

Ron Burke
Chair of Governors

School governors are members of a school’s Governing Body. They have responsibility for raising school standards through their three core strategic functions of:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Our governing body was reconstituted in 2015 and is made up of 7 Foundation Governors, 1 Local Authority Governor, 1 Staff Governor, 2 Parent Governors and 1 Head Teacher Governor and a Clerk to the Governing Body.

Our Governing Body meets half termly.

Committees such as Admissions, Pupil Discipline, Staff Grievance, Complaints against the Head Teacher and Dismissal Appeal are convened as and when required. Please note, our associate governors hold no voting rights at committees or full governing board meetings.

Training and Skills

Our governors bring various skills and attributes to their role. They have undergone training in areas such as Prevent, Keeping Children Safe, Impact of Equality Act 2010 for Schools, Assessment and Standardisation, Safe Guarding Children and Information Governance, IOSH, Safer Recruitment, Disciplinary, Pupil Premium.

Governor Pen-Portraits

The Reverend Canon Conor Stainton-Polland

Foundation Governor

I have been a foundation governor of 16 years having taken the role on arriving here as Parish Priest. I have served as vice-chair and temporary chair. I’m also a foundation governor at St. Cecilia’s Infant and Junior schools.

Maria Murphy

Parent Governor

My name is Maria and my husband and I have 3 children, Hazel (9) Christie (3) and Nicholas (3 months). I am currently a Project Manager at Barclays and have been with the company for 16 years.

I am in my second year as parent Governor, an opportunity I truly value and recognise as a privileged position. I have relished the opportunity to learn about the challenges we face as a school community, celebrate our successes and support our children and staff whenever possible.

In my application for Governor, I highlighted my admiration for the teaching profession. Since becoming Parent Governor, this respect has only grown as I learn more about various aspects of school life, the curriculum and more. As governor, I am currently focussing on the Academisation agenda and what this means for us as a school now and in the future, working with Mrs. Sime, the Leadership Team and other Governors, always keeping the children we serve at the heart of all we do. I look forward to the next academic year and us continuing to Love, Learn and Shine as a school community.

Ratified Minutes

2022-2023 Academic Year

Download: FGB – St Matthews 2023-01-19 [PDF]
Download: FGB – St Matthews 2022-11-10 [PDF]

2021-2022 Academic Year

Download: FGB – St Matthews 2022-07-07 [PDF]
Download: FGB – St Matthews 2022-05-26 [PDF]
Download: FGB – St Matthews 2022-04-07 [PDF]
Download: FGB – St Matthews 2022-01-20 [PDF]
Download: FGB – St Matthews 2021-11-24 [PDF]

Terms of Reference

Download: TOR – Full Governors 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – EYFS Governor 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – Pay Committee 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – PP-PE Governor 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – RE Governor 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – Safeguarding Governor 2022-2023 [PDF]
Download: TOR – SEND Governor 2022-2023 [PDF]