Our Governors
Governing Body – What do our Governors Do?
Governors work with senior leaders in the strategic development of the school and in raising standards of achievement. Duties include setting the school’s vision, aims & objectives, approving the school budget and appointing the Head teacher.
Governors must both support and challenge the Head teacher, so need to gain an understanding of the school’s overall performance in order to explain its decisions and actions. They do this by attending regular meetings, carrying out school visits and meeting with senior leaders. They also attend training in order to keep up to date with the requirements of their role. Governors work as a team and make collective decisions.
Your School Needs You:
We currently have vacancies for school governors: 2 Foundation governors. If you are interested in becoming a school governor, please contact the Clerk to Governors for more information and an informal discussion of what is involved: admin@st-josephs.brighton-hove.sch.uk
If you are a member of the school or local community and are interested in supporting St Joseph’s, please get in touch!
If you wish to contact the governors for any reason, please contact either the Clerk at the email address above, or the Chair of Governors Lyndsey Gravenor, via the school.
Structure of the Governing Body:
The Governing Body for St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School members are listed below. The Full Governing Body (FGB) meets six times a year and consists of all members. At these meetings, the governing body carries out its three core functions, as identified by the Department for Education in the Governors' Handbook:
-ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
-holding the Head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
-overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent.
The current Chair of Governors is Lyndsey Gravenor and the Vice Chair is Tad Matus. Chair of Resources Committee: Tad Matus. Chair of QSE Committee: Canon Kieron O’Brien.
There are two Committees of the Governing Body (GB) which meet regularly and report to the FGB. These are the Resources Committee (RES) which meets each half term, and the Quality, Standards and Ethos Committee (QSE) which meets once a term. There are two panels: Admissions, and the Head Teacher Review Panel who meet as needed and report back to the Governing Body with recommendations. The GB adheres to the Brighton and Hove Code of Conduct for Governing Bodies. Associate members do not have voting rights on committees but are welcome to attend meetings if they would like to. They can offer advice to the GB if requested.
Staff attendance at meetings: the Resources Committee is attended when needed by the school Business Manager. There is a staff representative on the Governing Body, as well as the Head teacher. Other guests or staff may be invited to attend a meeting as and when advice or information is required.
Full Governing Body and Committee Minutes are available from the Clerk, or the school Business Manager, James Muschamp on request:
Governing Body Membership:
Current list of Governors as at July 2017 including names, initials used in minutes, type of Governor and term of office.
Name of Governor |
Type of Governor |
Date Appointed & by whom |
Term of office end date |
1. Lyndsey Gravenor LG |
(Chair) Foundation |
10.11.2014 Diocese of Arundel & Brighton |
09.11.2018 |
2. Tad Matus (Vice-Chair) TM |
Foundation |
11.10.2016 Diocese of Arundel & Brighton |
10.10.2020 |
3. Fran Morrison FM |
Staff - Head teacher |
01.09.2013 Ex-Officio (a member by virtue of their position at the school) |
N/A due to role on GB |
4. Gillian Foan GF |
Staff |
01.12.2013 Elected by staff |
30.11.2017 |
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|
||
6. John Parfitt JP |
Parent |
17.04.2015 Elected by parents |
16.04.2019 |
7. Canon Kieron O’Brien KO |
Foundation |
18.12.2012 Diocese of Arundel & Brighton |
renewal in progress |
8. Alison Childs AC |
Foundation |
14.12.2015 Diocese of Arundel & Brighton |
13.12.2019 |
9. Vacancy |
Foundation |
|
|
10. Cyril D ike CD |
Foundation |
dates tbc Diocese of Arundel & Brighton |
|
11. Vacancy |
Foundation |
|
|
12. Vacancy |
Foundation |
|
|
13. Edgar Tshuma ET |
Parent |
Governing Body (no election needed) 17.11.2016 |
16.11.2020 |
Jon Gravenor JG |
Associate Member |
14.03.2013 requested by GB |
13.03.2017 |
In the past 12 months we have also had the following members on the Governing Body:
Emmanuel Nimo Foundation Governor Spring 2017 - RESIGNED Summer 2018
George Vaz- Foundation Governor 21.3.17- RESIGNED Spring 2018
Attendance record as at July 2017 (updated six monthly)
Governor |
FGB meetings (6 total) |
RES meetings (5 total) |
QSE meetings (3 total) |
LG |
5 |
4 |
N/A |
TM |
5 |
4 |
1 |
FM |
6 |
5 |
3 |
GF |
6 |
5 |
3 |
ET |
1 |
N/A |
N/A |
JP |
5 |
4 |
N/A |
AC |
5 |
5 |
3 |
KO |
5 |
N/A |
3 |
GV |
2 (1 as a visitor) |
N/A |
N/A |
CD |
1 as a visitor |
N/A |
N/A |
No Associate members attended any of the meetings held during this period.
Register of Governor Business and Pecuniary Interests 2016 - 2017
The Register is updated annually after September meetings.
Name |
Declaration signed |
Interest Declared |
Nature of conflict |
Lyndsey Gravenor |
24/02/2017 |
None |
N/A |
Tad Matus |
15/09/16 |
None |
N/A |
Fran Morrison |
15/09/16 |
None |
N/A |
Gillian Foan |
15/09/16 |
None |
N/A |
Julian Taylor |
RESIGNED |
N/A |
N/A |
John Parfitt |
15/09/16 |
None |
N/A |
Alison Childs |
15/09/16 |
None |
N/A |
Kieron O’Brien |
03/11/2016 |
None |
N/A |
Edgar Tshuma |
28/11/2016 |
None |
N/A |
George Vaz |
28/05/2017 |
None
|
N/A |