Our Governors
Bede Primary School, like all state schools, has a governing body, which works with the head teacher and the local authority in the overall management of the school. The governing body is a legal requirement and governors have a number of legal duties to perform, but overall their focus is on getting the best for the children in the school.
The main roles of the governing body are:
- To plan ahead to make sure the school has the right strategies and resources to get the best outcomes for the children; this includes overseeing the delivery of the curriculum.
- To monitor and evaluate the school’s effectiveness.
- To oversee the school’s budget so that it is used in the best way; the governing body is responsible for the proper and efficient management of the school’s funds and cannot plan for a deficit.
- To make sure that children and adults are safe at school.
- To act as a ‘critical friend’ to the Head Teacher, who reports to the governing body on the school’s performance and how plans are going.
The Head Teacher is responsible for the day to day management of the school.
Who are our Governors?
School governors are unpaid volunteers (except school staff) and come from all walks of life. Some are appointed by the local authority, some have been asked to represent the local community, some are elected parent governors, and some are members of the school staff. The Head Teacher and the School Business Manager are governors. The whole governing body meets each term, with governor committees meeting more often.
Governor Information 2024-25
Register of Interests
Membership & Vacancies
2024 25 membership and vacancies bede community primary school.pdf
Governors are appointed/elected as follows:
- Co-opted – appointed by the governing body
- Foundation – appointed by the Diocese
- Local Authority – appointed by the governing body, following approval of the nomination from cabinet
- Parent/Staff – elected by parents/staff respectively
Governing bodies must have at least seven governors, including the Headteacher; one and only one Local Authority governor; one and only one Staff governor; at least two Parent governors; and for Voluntary Aided schools, there must be exactly two more Foundation governors than all other categories combined.
The total number of Co-opted governors who are also eligible to be elected as Staff governors, when counted with the Staff governor and the Headteacher, must not exceed one third of the total membership of the governing body.
The term of office for any governor shall be four years (unless otherwise stated in the Instrument of Government), save that this time limit shall not apply to any post which is held ex officio. Associate Members can be appointed for between one and four years. Parent governors may serve out their term of office when their child leaves the school, but Staff
governors must resign when they leave the school.
Associate Members and governors who are members of staff cannot be Chair or Vice-Chair. Associate Members also do not count towards a quorum and do not have voting rights for governing body meetings (but can be appointed with voting rights on committees).
The governing body must hold at least three meetings in every school year, and the quorum for a meeting of the governing body and for any vote on any matter at such a meeting, is one half (rounded up to a whole number) of the membership of the governing body, i.e. the number of governors in post at the date of the meeting.
Every question to be decided at a meeting of the governing body is to be determined by a majority of the votes of the governors present and voting on the question, and where there is an equal division of votes the Chair, or as the case may be, the person who is acting as Chair for the purposes of the meeting (provided that such person is a governor), will have a second or casting vote (the governing body may approve alternative arrangements for governors to participate or vote at meetings of the governing body including but not limited to by telephone or video conference).
Meeting Attendance
Committee Membership
2024 25 committee membership bede community primary school 1 .pdf
Committee Meeting Attendance
Governor Information 2023-24
Register of Interests
Disclosures by members of Bede Community Primary School’s governing body with financial decision-making responsibility of pecuniary interests in contracts, proposed contracts or other matters.
|
Name of Governor |
Date of disclosure |
Nature of interest / business relationship with company or personal (including membership of other GB and relationship with staff |
Signed in person or electronically |
|
Nick Anderson |
December 2023
|
None |
Nick Anderson |
|
Margaret Mackay |
December 2023
|
None |
Margaret Mackay |
|
Tracy Anderson |
December 2023
|
None |
Tracy Anderson |
|
Joanne Nicholson |
December 2023
|
Works for BWCET |
Joanne Nicholson |
|
Ray Foster |
December 2023
|
None |
Ray Foster |
|
Gillian McTeer |
December 2023
|
Chair of governors Dunston Hill CPS Undefined Group |
Gillian McTeer |
|
Jacqui Ridley |
December 2023
|
Work for BWCET |
Jacqui Ridley |
|
Sue Hingley |
December 2023
|
None |
Sue Hingley |
|
Victoria Pepper |
December 2023
|
None |
Victoria Pepper |
|
Sarah Tate |
December 2023
|
None |
Sarah Tate |
Membership & Vacancies
2023 24 membership and vacancies bede community primary school.pdf
Governors are appointed/elected as follows:
- Co-opted – appointed by the governing body
- Foundation – appointed by the Diocese
- Local Authority – appointed by the governing body, following approval of the nomination from cabinet
- Parent/Staff – elected by parents/staff respectively
Governing bodies must have at least seven governors, including the Headteacher; one and only one Local Authority governor; one and only one Staff governor; at least two Parent governors; and for Voluntary Aided schools, there must be exactly two more Foundation governors than all other categories combined.
The total number of Co-opted governors who are also eligible to be elected as Staff governors, when counted with the Staff governor and the Headteacher, must not exceed one third of the total membership of the governing body.
The term of office for any governor shall be four years (unless otherwise stated in the Instrument of Government), save that this time limit shall not apply to any post which is held ex officio. Associate Members can be appointed for between one and four years. Parent governors may serve out their term of office when their child leaves the school, but Staff
governors must resign when they leave the school.
Associate Members and governors who are members of staff cannot be Chair or Vice-Chair. Associate Members also do not count towards a quorum and do not have voting rights for governing body meetings (but can be appointed with voting rights on committees).
The governing body must hold at least three meetings in every school year, and the quorum for a meeting of the governing body and for any vote on any matter at such a meeting, is one half (rounded up to a whole number) of the membership of the governing body, i.e. the number of governors in post at the date of the meeting.
Every question to be decided at a meeting of the governing body is to be determined by a majority of the votes of the governors present and voting on the question, and where there is an equal division of votes the Chair, or as the case may be, the person who is acting as Chair for the purposes of the meeting (provided that such person is a governor), will have a second or casting vote (the governing body may approve alternative arrangements for governors to participate or vote at meetings of the governing body including but not limited to by telephone or video conference).
Meeting Attendance
2023 24 governing body meeting attendance bede community primary school.pdf
Governing body regulations (maintained schools)
- A governor, without the consent of the governing body, has failed to attend governing body meetings for a continuous period of sixth months beginning with the date of the first such meeting the governor fails to attend, is disqualified from continuing to hold office as a governor of that school.
NA – No apologies
AA – Apologies Accepted
A – Attended
Committee Membership
2023 24 committee membership bede community primary school.pdf
Committee Meeting Attendance
2023 24 committee meeting attendance bede community primary school 1 .pdf