Governors

 

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Our School Governors are at the heart of our school leadership.

Their responsibilities include:

• The school's provision for pupils
• The performance of the school
• The strategic development of the school
• Managing the school budget
• Supporting the appointment of senior staff

How do they do this?

The Governors carry out their responsibilities through Full Governing Body Meetings, Governor Leadership Group Meetings and monitoring visits to school.

The Full Governing Body meet six times a year.

Governors are responsible for:

• Monitoring school performance against strategic objectives
• Ratifying the school budget
• Ratifying statutory school policies

• Monitoring pupil attainment and achievement
• Monitoring additional school funding - e.g. pupil premium grant, SEND budget, sports premium

• Health and safety and associated policies
• Safeguarding and associated policies, safeguarding audit, single central record
• HR with reference to safer recruitment practices 
• School Site
• School Finance
• Website Compliance

Co-opted Governors 

Co-opted Governors are invited to join by the Governing Body. Co-opted Governors are usually a member of the local community and may well have been involved in business locally or bring some additional expertise to the Governors. They serve a 4-year membership.

• Mrs Rebecca Lofthouse – Chair of Governors
  • Term of Office: 28^th September 2026 to 27^th September 2030
  • Safeguarding & attendance governor 

• Ms Victoria Foster
• • Term of Office: 10^th December 2025 to 9^th December 2029
  • Inclusion, SEND, Pupil Premium and Vulnerable children governor

We currently have 2 vacancies for co-opted governors

Local Authority Governors

The local authority appoints these Governors - anyone can apply to the LA to become an LA Governor. LA Governors serve a 4-year membership.

• • Mrs Rebecca Garrity - Vice Chair

• • Term of Office: 2^nd February 2026 to 1^st February 2030
  • EYFS and Curriculum & Standards

Staff Governor

Staff and teacher Governors are elected by and represent the support & teaching staff of the school and serve a 4 year membership.

• • Mrs Emma Wilkinson
    • Term of Office: 30^th November 2025 to 29^th November 2029
    • Staff wellbeing

Headteacher Governor

The Headteacher is a Governor whilst in service at the school.

• Miss Suzie Brown

Parent Governors 

Parent Governors will have a child at school and are elected by parents. They then serve  a 4 year membership, even if their child leaves. Parent Governors are on the Governing Body to represent their own view as a parent as opposed to being a conduit for the views of other parents.

• Mrs Donna Ryan
  • Term of Office: 16^th November 2022 to 15^th November 2026
  • PSHE and wellbeing (staff and children) & Personal Development
• Mrs Jess Austin
  • Term of Office: 30^th November 2025 to 29^th November 2029
  • Health & Safety and Premises and Allergens

Clerk to the Governors

The clerk assists the Governing Body in planning their strategic support of the Senior Leadership Team and records minutes of all Full Governing Body meetings. All minutes are available on request.

•  Mrs Kathryn Robbins

Relevant Business and Pecuniary interests of governors.

Associate Governor:

• Mrs Nicola Moorhouse

Governors who have left in the last 12 months.

• Mr Neil Roe
• Mrs Sue Walker
• Mrs Debbie Joyce

Are you interested in becoming a school governor?

The work of our Governors affects most aspects of the school’s work. They establish, with the Headteacher, aims for the school, and approve policies for the curriculum, behaviour and discipline. They are responsible for the school’s budget and the use and maintenance of the premises. More generally, they are expected to be in touch with the local community and to help guide the school to meet the community’s educational needs. Governors are also expected to help the school explain to the community what the school is working to achieve for their children.

What skills do Governors need?

Membership of the GB requires a focus on a range of skills, experience and interests; this could include:

• Leadership experience in education, governance or another sector
• Communication with a variety of audiences
• Innovation, research
• Financial management
• Personnel management
• Special educational needs /disability
• Buildings and maintenance
• Health and safety
• Marketing
• Literacy, maths or other curriculum interests

What is the role of a governing body?

Establishing the strategic direction, by:

• Setting the vision, values and objectives for the school
• Agreeing the school improvement strategy with priorities and targets
• Meeting statutory duties

Ensuring accountability by:

• Monitoring progress towards targets
• Carrying out the Performance Management of the head teacher
• Engaging with stakeholders e.g. parents, staff and children.
• Contributing to school self-evaluation

Ensuring financial probity, by:

• Setting the budget
• Monitoring spending against the budget
• Ensuring value for money is obtained
• Ensuring risks to the organisation are managed

The governors, together as a body, have a range of legal responsibilities; being a governor is an important commitment, and the Local Authority and school will provide induction training.

What is expected of governors?

• To acknowledge that accepting office as a governor involves the commitment of significant amounts of time and energy.
• To strive to work as a team in which constructive working relationships are actively promoted.
• To observe complete confidentiality when matters are deemed confidential or where they concern specific members of staff or pupils, both inside or outside school
• To accept collective responsibility for all decisions made by the board or its delegated agents. This means that we will not speak against majority decisions outside the governing board meeting.

The Chair of governors is Rebecca Lofthouse, she can be emailed directly on rlofthouse@thornton-in-craven.n-yorks.sch.uk

Vacancies: We currently have two co-opted governor vacancies

Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Body.

LA Governors are appointed by the LA.

Staff Governors are appointed by the staff.

Parent Governors are appointed by a parent vote.

 

Safeguarding & Attendance Governor

Rebecca Lofthouse

Contact: rlofthouse@thornton-in-craven.n-yorks.sch.uk

PSHE and Wellbeing Governor

Donna Ryan

Contact: dryan@thornton-in-craven.n-yorks.sch.uk

SEN Governor

Victoria Foster

Contact: vfoster@thornton-in-craven.n-yorks.sch.uk

Health & Safety Governor and Allergens

Jess Austin

Foundation Subject Governors

Rebecca Garrity

Complaints Panel 

Vacancy

Vic Foster

Suzie Brown

Finance is discussed as pat of the full governing body meetings

A link to the financial benchmarking website can be found HERE

There are no individuals currently earning over £100000 per annum.