Neville's Cross Primary School & Nursery

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Governing Body

Our Governing Body is made up of staff, parents of children in our school and members of the local community who all volunteer their time to oversee the work of our school.  Our Governing Body has three key functions:

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

Our Governing Body is not involved in the day to day running of the school; it is there to provide support and challenge and to ensure all decisions are well informed and made with the best interests of the children in mind.  We review and approve policies for various areas of school life, agree budgets and keep an eye on finances across the year. We discuss and vote on major strategic decisions, for example we agreed the new school nursery should be run by the school.  The governing body is not involved in the day to day running of the school – that is the job of qualified staff.

Our Governing Body meets every half term to discuss key issues and to review the work of the school.  Governors are also provided with updates from the Local Authority regarding any new local or national advice and any changes to legislation they need to be aware of.

Our Governors

Chair: Rory Whaling

Vice Chair:  Jenny Search

Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference Full Governing Body

Please see table below for statutory information that we are required to publish regarding the governing body.

Name of Governor Representation Term of office  Committee Membership Link Roles Register of Interest Relationship to Staff
Mr Rory Whaling Co-opted Governor 3.5.22 - 2.5.26

Chair

Finance committee

Curriculum committee

SMSC committee

First committee

HTPM committee

Geography & outdoor learning

History

Data Protection

Complaints

Disciplinary

None None
Dr Jenny Search Co-opted Governor 6.10.20 - 5.10.24

Vice Chair

Curriculum committee

HTPM committee

Appeals committee

SMSC committee

 

Science

Design & Technology

None None
Mrs Sophie Herd Parent Governor 21.3.23 - 20.3.27

First committee

Curriculum committee

Finance committee

SMSC committee

Governor training

governor induction

English

None None
Mrs Jane Simmons-Thomas Parent Governor 17.12.20 - 16.12.24

Appeals committee

Curriculum committee

Finance committee

First Committee

EYFS

Music

Art

MFL (French)

None None
Mrs Rebecca Blackwood Co-opted Governor 26.10.23 - 25.10.27

Curriculum committee

Finance committee

First committee

Safeguarding

Online safety

Website

Computing & online safety curriculum

None None
Mr Darren Knowd Co-opted Governor 11.5.21 - 10.5.25

Appeals committee

Curriculum committee

Finance committee

HTPM committee

Pupil premium

Recovery Premium

County Council Employee Married to Lisa Knowd (Staff)
Mrs Michelle Harvey Parent Governor 1.9.22 - 31.8.26

Appeals committee

SMSC committee

Curriculum committee

P.E.

School Sports

Sports Premium Funding

None None
Miss Alison Suggate Staff Governor 1.9.22 - 31.8.26

Curriculum committee

SMSC committee

N/A Friends with H Putt - runs Colorbuzz Art Club School staff member
Mrs Nicola Oxnard Co-opted Governor 17.10.23 - 16.10.27

Curriculum committee

SMSC committee

N/A None School staff member
Cllr Elizabeth Brown Local Authority Governor 19.7.21 - 18.7.25 Curriculum committee

DCC councillor

City of Durham parish Councillor

Deputy Mayor

Other governor role

None
Miss Megan Rimmer Co-opted Governor 26.10.23 - 25.10.27 Curriculum committee Maths none  None
Mr David Milligan Co-opted Governor Curriculum committee

SEND & Inclusion

Children Looked After

Behaviour

Attendance

Mr Chris Metcalfe Parent Governor Curriculum committee

Health & safety

GDPR

Mrs R Brannan Head Teacher 1.4.21 - ongoing

Finance committee

First committee

Curriculum committee

SMSC committee

Head Teacher None School staff member

Committee Terms of Reference

Members of our Governing Body also meet as smaller sub-committees where we look at specific areas of the school such as finances, the school’s results and the progress children are making (as a whole group) as well as non-academic (social) development of the children. These subcommittees report back to the full governing body.  We look at what the school is doing to improve, what impact it has on children’s progress and make sure money is well spent.  We try to make sure our discussions are well informed and balanced and we have the interests of the children at the core of all our decision making.

Finance and Premises Committee

Chair: Rebecca Blackwood

Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference Finance and Premises Committee

Appeals Committee

Chair: Darren Knowd

Terms of reference:

Terms of Reference Appeals Committee

Staffing and Pay Review/First Committee

Chair: Sophie Herd

Terms of reference:

Terms of Reference Staffing and First Pay Review Committee

Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Committee (SMSC)

Chair: Jenny Search

Terms of reference:

Terms of Reference SMSC Committee

Curriculum Committee

Chair: Rebecca Blackwood

Terms of reference:

Terms of Reference Curriculum and Standards Committee

Head Teacher Appraisal Committee

Chair: Darren Knowd

Terms of reference:

Terms of Reference Head Teacher Performance Committee

Governor Attendance 2023-2024

Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year.

KEY
✓   – Attended meeting
Apologies   – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N   – Did not attend
– – Not a member of the committee

Full Governing Body Meeting

25/10/23

Full Governing Body Meeting

7/2/24

Full Governing Body Meeting

8/5/24

Curriculum Committee Meeting

29/11/23

Curriculum Committee Meeting

20/3/24

Curriculum Committee Meeting

Finance Committee Meeting

18/10/23

Finance Committee Meeting

6/12/23

Finance Committee Meeting

13/3/24

Finance Committee Meeting

22/5/24

Finance Committee Meeting

3/7/24

SMSC Committee

27/9/23

SMSC Committee

24/1/24

SMSC Committee

24/4/24

First/Pay Review Committee

25/10/23

First/Pay Review Committee

13/12/23

HTPM Committee

7/12/23

Mr Rory Whaling / / / / / / / / apols apols apols -- / / /
Dr Jenny Search / / / / apols -- -- -- -- / / / -- -- apols
Mrs Sophie Herd / / / / apols / / -- -- apols / / / / --
Mrs Jane Simmons-Thomas / / / / apols / / apols apols -- -- -- / -- --
Mrs Rebecca Blackwood / / / / / / / / / -- -- -- -- / --
Mr Darren Knowd / / apols N apols -- apols apols / -- -- -- -- -- N
Mrs Michelle Harvey apols / apols / apols -- -- -- -- apols / apols -- -- --
Miss Alison Suggate / / / / / -- -- -- -- / / / -- -- --
Mrs Nicola Oxnard / / / / / -- -- -- -- / / / -- -- --
Cllr Elizabeth Brown / apols / N / -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Miss Megan Rimmer / / / / / -- -- -- -- -- -- / -- -- --
Mr David Milligan -- / apols -- / -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Mr Chris Metcalfe -- / apols -- apols -- -- / / -- -- -- -- -- --
Mrs Rachel Brannan / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Governor Attendance 2022-2023

Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year.

KEY
✓   – Attended meeting
Apologies   – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N   – Did not attend
– – Not a member of the committee

Governor Code of Conduct

NX Governor Conduct Policy

Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies

Neville’s Cross Primary School  adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download the full document below.

The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools (2017) 

How To Become A School Governor

If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.

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