Governors

As an Academy, the school has a contract with the Department for Education which requires the school to perform effectively in return for which the school receives funding from central government. This contract requires the school to be a registered company with Directors (we call them Governors)

The Governing Body elects a Chair and a Vice-Chair of Governors at the beginning of each academic year. The Governing Body has a Clerk.

There are four main governor committees and these are: Learning & Achievement, Personnel & Pay, Finance & Premises, Admissions

There are agreed terms of reference for each committee. Each committee elects its own Chair at the first committee meeting in the academic year. Whilst each committee has specific areas of responsibility the support of other governors may need to be sought before decisions can be implemented. The committees usually meet once a term or as required.

Responsibilities of The Governing Body

The primary role of the Governors is to carry out the day to day running of the Academy Trust in accordance with its Articles of Association and with company law.

The governing body has specific responsibilities including:

  • To ensure the quality of educational provision
  • To ensure that the school sets challenging targets
  • The responsibility for the conduct of the school
  • Ensuring policies relating to the School’s operation are prepared and reviewed
  • Providing information for parents
  • Managing the Academy Trust’s finances and property
  • Personnel matters including staff appointments
  • Pupil discipline and behaviour
  • Monitoring and evaluating the activities of the school
  • Ensuring that the Academy Trust complies with both charity and company law
  • Preparing for and responding to OfSTED and SIAMS inspections

As part of our continuing development as a governing board we have drawn up an Effective Governance Plan, which is available to read here:-

Effective Governance Plan

Our Governors are:

 

Appointment in accordance with Articles

  Name

Appointed

Expires

Business Interests

Incumbent

Revd. Fran Smettem

23/10/ 23

22/10/2027

 Curate  - Benefice of Chew Valley West

3 x Persons nominated by the Trustees

VACANCY

     
  Michael Brayne 11/05/2023

 

10/05/2027

Nil
  VACANCY      

2 x Persons nominated by the DBE

Rosie Pool

10/03/2022

9/03/2026

Owner - The Nursery at New Manor Farm

  Mary Usher-Clark 10/03/2022 9/03/2026 Nil

3 x Persons nominated by the Foundation Members who are parents of a registered pupil at the academy at the time of appointment

Marita Mary Price 

22/09/2020

21/09/2024

Director - Bestaward

Director - Hello Performance

  Nicholas David George (CHAIR) 01/09/2023 31/08/2027 Nil
  Tom Attfield 10/03/2022 9/03/2026 Nil

2 x Staff Governors through such process as they may determine

Victoria Louise Hennessy

12/11/2021

11/11/2025

Siblings' businesses - Hennessy Fire and Security & Hennessy Installations

  Suzanne Denise Lewis 12/11/2021 11/11/2025 Employed by Chew Stoke Out of School Club

The Principal

Benjamin Paul Hewett

 7/10/13

 

 

Governor at Court de Wyck Church School

2 x Parents elected by parents of registered pupils at the Academy at the time of election

Stephen Priday

 

 

23/10/2020

 

 

 

22/10/2024

 

 

 None

 

 

 

  Genevieve Whitby 27/01/2023  26/01/2027 None

GOVERNOR VACANCY

 We currently have a vacancy for a parent governor on our governing board.  If you are interested in finding out more or obtaining a nomination form, please contact our Clerk to Governors, Liz Dagger, via our School Office.  The closing date for returning nomination forms is 12 noon on Friday 27th September 2024.

Diversity

At Chew Stoke Church School, our governance roles are composed of approximately 85% white British, 5% minority ethnic background* and 10% wishing not to share their information.

Similar to pupil data, any individual who is of any origin other than white British is defined as being of minority ethnic background.

 

Membership of Committees 2023-24

Premises & Finance Committee

Marita Price

Ben Hewett

Genevieve Whitby (committee chair)

Nicholas George

Sally Connell (SBM) 

Personnel & Pay Committee

Fran Smettem

Marita Price 

Rosie Pool (committee chair)

Ben Hewett 

Mike Brayne

Learning and Achievement Committee

Chris Chorley

Ben Hewett

Vicki Hennessy

Steve Priday

Marita Price

Tom Attfield (committee chair)

Mary Usher Clark

Admissions Committee

Ben Hewett

Sue Lewis

Fran Smettem

Marita Price

Liz Dagger (Clerk)

 Governors with Special Interests

 

Safeguarding Rosie Pool
Early Years Chris Chorley
SEND Nicholas George
Health & Safety Genevieve Whitby 
Church School Distinctiveness Revd. Fran Smettem
Risk Register VACANCY
Monitoring Visits Liz Dagger (clerk)
Pupil Premium Tom Attfield
Phonics Mary Usher-Clark

Attendance at Meetings 2022 - 23

Full Governing Board

Tom Attfield 10 out of 11
Mike Brayne 6 out of 6
Christopher Chorley 6 out of 11
Susan Cook 5 out of 8
Nicholas George 7 out of 14
Vicki Hennessy 10 out of 11
Ben Hewett 21 out of 21
Sue Lewis 8 out of 9
Susan McKay 8 out of 10
Marita Price 19 out of 21
Steve Priday Sick leave
Rosie Roberts-Pool 9 out of 10
Mary Usher-Clark 10 out of 10
Genevieve Whitby 12 out of 13

 

Finance & Premises Committee

Nicholas George 3 out of 6
Ben Hewett 6 out of 6
Marita Price 4 out of 6
Genevieve Whitby 6 out of 6

 

The Clerk to the Governors is Liz Dagger.

The Governors and Clerk may be contacted through the School Office.