Academy Governance
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Become a Parent Governor
What is a Parent Governor?
School governors are volunteers who help in the leadership of the school. Most schools work with a group of school governors - together they are called the 'governing body' or ‘board of directors/trustees’ (if the school is an academy). They get involved at a strategic level, eg overseeing the budgets and curriculum, not the day-to-day running of the school.
Governors also help to make decisions about the school’s long-term goals. At St Mary’s School, they support the Head Teacher, but also ask questions to make sure the Senior Leadership Team is taking the school in the right direction.
St Mary’s School believes very strongly that it is important to have parents involved in the governance of the school, so please think about applying for the role of Parent Governor.
How To Apply
Below are the documents that you will need to apply to join the Governing Body of St Mary’s School.
The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 4th November 2024.
Click here for Parent Letter
Click here for Nomination Form
Click here for Disqualification Form
Click here for Personal Statement
Click here for Information Leaflet
Declaration of Business Interest
Amelia Penfold - Clerk to Governors
Clerk to Governors at:
- Ridgeway School
- Shaw Ridge Primary School (Grove Learning Trust)
- St Catherine's Catholic Primary School
- Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Academy Trusts are all charitable companies limited by guarantee and have two layers of governance: the members of the Trust, who operate at a strategic level (they are the owners of the company, rather like shareholders) and the governors (who together make up the governing body) who have the responsibilities delegated to them by the Academy Trust. The constitution of an academy is set out in its Articles of Association which are agreed with the secretary of state.
The Members of the Trust are:
- The Clifton Catholic Diocesan Education Consortium
- The Diocesan Bishop
- The Chair of Governors
All the Governors of St Mary's are Trustees and Directors of the Company Limited by Guarantee. To find a list of our Governors, please see the Governors page under the contact us tab.
Directors of St Mary's - our School Governors
School governors play an important role in the life of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School. They provide strategic leadership and accountability and support the school in delivering its aims and objectives and ensuring the correct policies, plans and procedures are in place.
At St Mary's, the role of Governors also includes the promotion of the school’s Catholic character and mission. The majority of our Governors are Foundation governors who are appointed by the Bishop and they are responsible for ensuring the religious character of the school is upheld and the school is run in accordance with Diocesan policies.
In addition to this, Governors are responsible for overseeing and agreeing the school budget, premises and admissions. Governors appoint and work closely with the Headteacher who manages these responsibilities alongside the day to day management and control of the school, delivery of the curriculum and implementation of policies on their behalf on a daily basis. The Governors meet regularly to provide challenge and support for the school - they are the Headteacher’s “critical friend”.
If you would like to speak to any of the Governors about their role or their vision for the school or any other matter, please get in touch via email: Clerk@st-marys.swindon.sch.uk
The Directors of the Board of Governors
THE DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AT ST MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2024/25