Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

 

Our School Vision

For each child to have a love of learning, hope, confidence, wisdom and respect for all. – Life in all its fullness John 10:10

About school governance

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. It is the governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is the governors who work with the Headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Each individual governor is a member of a governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing board; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.

The role of the governing board is a strategic one, its key functions are to:

1) Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

2) Hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils

3) Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.

Volunteering to be a School Governor takes a very committed person who brings with them a wide range of knowledge and skills that should enhance the leadership process of the school.

All school governors have to follow a robust application process and are appointed in a number of ways: through the Diocese, if the school is a Church school; by the Local Authority; or appointed (co-opted) by the governing body.

The structure of St Peter’s Brafferton governing body:

  • 7 Foundation Governors
    Appointed by the Diocese of York. Main role is along with the other members of the Governing Body,  is to ensure that the Christian ethos and character of the school is secured, preserved and developed.
  • 1 Local Authority Governor
    Appointed by the Local Authority
  • 2 Parent Governors
    Appointed by the Parents of the school and who are parents of the school
  • 2 Staff Governors
    Appointed by the staff of the school and who are staff within the school
  • Associate Governors (2 at present)
    Appointed by the Governing body, based on the skills and experience they have to offer. They do not have voting rights.

The Headteacher of St Peter’s Brafferton Primary School is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school. The role of the Governing Body is to provide strategic management support and advice, and to act as a “critical friend”, supporting the work of the Headteacher and other members of staff. The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing board.

Contact the Governing Body

To contact St Peter’s Brafferton Governing Body, please email the Chair of Governors on:

cofg@st-peters-brafferton.n-yorks.sch.uk

Peter’s Brafferton Governors’ Term of Office and Attendance

Name and category of Gov. Appointed by Term of Office end date (4 year term)      Committee Membership Position Business Interests/other educational establishments governed Relationship between govs and members of staff Non attendance at meetings Sep 2022 – July 2023
Virginia Arrowsmith (Parent Gov/associate Gov.)

Parents

End of term of office

23.03.19

Now an associate Gov (sept 2019)

 23.03.23 FGB Literacy Link None None

Sept 2022

May 2023

 

Tom Spilman (Foundation Gov.) York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton 12.4. 2026 FGB PP None None

Nov 2022

Feb 2023

May 2023

Sarah Anderson (Staff Gov.) HT/Staff Governor 21.01.23 FGB None None
Pete Hambling (Foundation Gov) York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton 1.9.2026 FGB Science Link/Finance None None

Nov 2022

Dec 2022

Feb 2023

May 2022

July 2023

Shirley Sowray (Foundation Gov.) York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton 01.02.24 FGB

 Chair of Govs

EY Link

None None
Laura Wise (Foundation Gov.) York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton 01.12.2026 FGB/Vice Chair Numeracy Link None None

 

 

 

 Claire Dwyer (Parent Gov)

Parents

LEFT NOV 2022

12.11.22 FGB SEND/Wellbeing Link  None  Yes, school caretaker. N/A

 

John Rhodes

(Foundation Gov)

 

York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton

Left July 2023

 

1.9.23

 

FGB

 

RE/Wellbeing Link

 

None

 

None

 

Dec 2022

May 2023

 

Stephen Baker (Parent Gov)

 

 

Parents  20.01.2024  FGB Sports Premium Link  None None

Nov 2022

Dec 2022

May 2023

 Mike Dennett (Foundation Gov)

 

 York Diocese in consultation with Parochial Church of Brafferton  19.11.2024  FGB  SG Link  None  None  Nov 2022
 Sarah Atkinson (Staff Gov)  Staff  1.9.2024  FGB  SENCo  None None  Sept 2022
Geoff Arnott (LA Gov)  LA

 

1.9.2026

 

FGB

 

H and S Link

 

None

 

None

 Dec 2022

May 2023

Anna Blackwell (parent Gov)  Parents  10.1.2023  FGB  SEND, Art, DT  None  None

 

Jim Brown

 Co-opted by the

FGB

 1.9.2022  FGB Finance  None None  Attends at another school

Katy Cowen (Foundation Governor)

York Diocese in consulatation with Parochial Church of Brafferton

12.9.27 FGB RE Wellbeing  None  None