Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).
Governor Committee Structure
Find out more about our governors by clicking on their name below:
| Name | Appointed by | From | To | Committee | Responsibilities | Register of Interests | Relationship to Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Kathryn Costello - Head Teacher | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principle | 1st September 2023 | Not recorded | Finance & Premises First/Pay Review Well-being Personnel Curriculum & Standards | tbc | None | Headteacher |
| Mr Dennis Ramsey - Chair | Appointed by GB/board | 10 April 2024 | 9 April 2028 | Finance & Premises First/Pay Review Headteacher's Performance Personnel Curriculum & Standards | History Geography | None | NA |
| Mrs Jane Brown | Appointed by GB/board | 6 Feb 2023 | 5 Feb 2027 | Health, Safety & Wellbeing Curriculum & Standards | None | Staff | |
| Mrs Julie Smith | Appointed by GB/board | 23 September 2023 | 22 September 2027 | Health, Safety & Wellbeing Curriculum & Standards | Behaviour Child Protection Health & Safety | None | Staff |
| Mrs Margaret Berry | Appointed by GB/board | 13 March 2024 | 14 March 2028 | Finance and Premises Personnel First/Pay Review Curriculum & Standards | RSHE Safeguarding Music | None | NA |
| Ms Joanne Weallens | Appointed by GB/board | 6 September 2023 | 5th September 2027 | Finance and Premises First/Pay Review | Maths P.E Training GDPR | None | NA |
| Rev Canon Paul Tyler | Appointed by GB/board | 5 July 2021 | 4 July 2025 | Health, Safety & Wellbeing | Religious Education PSHE | None | NA |
| Mrs Maxine Braithwaite nee Stokes | Appointed by GB/board | 1 July 2023 | 2 July 2027 | Appeals, Curriculum | EYFS, SENCO | Parent of children in school | NA |
| Miss L Smith | Staff governor | January 2023 | January 2027 | Well-being | None | Staff | |
| Ms C Parkinson | Elected by parents | January 2024 | January 2028 | Appeals | GDPR | Parent of children in school | NA |
| Ms Y McLaren | Elected by parents | January 2024 | January 2028 | Curriculum, Appeals | Sports Premium | Parent of children in school | NA |
| Ms D Staddon | LA Governor | September 2023 | September 2027 | Appeals, Finance & Premises | Behaviour | None | NA |
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.
Induction Guidance for New Governors 2017
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
West Cornforth Primary School adheres to the statutory guidance from the Department for 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)
19-20 Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body
Governor Attendance
Schools are required to display a record of governor attendance at governing body and committee meetings over the last academic year. The information can be found in the table below.
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X or blank – Not a member of the committee
Record of Attendance 2023-2024
| Committee Meetings | Mr Dennis Ramsey (CoG) | Mrs Kathryn Costello Headteacher | Mrs Jane Brown | Mrs Julie Smith | Mrs Margaret Berry | Ms Joanne Weallens | Rev Canon Paul Tyler | Mrs Maxine Braithwaite | Mrs Laura Smith | Ms Yvonne McLaren | Ms Danielle Staddon | Mrs Caroline Parkinson | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum & Standards 23/07/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||
| FGB 27/06/24 | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Well-being 24/06/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Finance & Premises 22/05/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ||||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 07/05/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 24/03/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| FGB 14/03/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Well-being 11/03/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 11/03/24 | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| Finance & Premises 06/03/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| FGB 18/01/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||
| Well-being 15/01/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 16/01/24 | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| Finance & Premises 10/01/24 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 22/11/23 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| First Pay Review 16/11/23 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| FGB 12/10/23 | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | A/A | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||
| Well-being 09/10/23 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 10/10/23 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||
| Curriculum & Standards 28/09/23 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Committee Terms of Reference
The Finance and Premises Committee
CHAIR: Mr D Ramsey
Terms of Reference:
- In conjunction with the Headteacher to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, for approval by the full Governing Body.
- To establish and maintain an up-to-date 3-year financial plan.
- To monitor income and expenditure, including virement decisions, significant anomalies from the anticipated position and report termly to the Governing Body.
- To ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the County Council and the requirements of the DfE Schools Financial Value Standard.
- To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds kept on behalf of the Governing Body.
- To annually review charges and remissions policies and expenses policies.
- To make decisions in respect of service level agreements.
- To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees.
- To prepare financial statements for inclusion in any reports to parents.
- To ensure as far as is practical that any Health and Safety (H&S) issues are appropriately funded in accordance with priorities.
- To ensure that Pay Review Committee and Pay Appeal Committee decisions are appropriately funded.
- To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure.
- To review Data Protection policies and procedures.
Meetings: termly, or each half term, planned to coincide with Smartstream.
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; a fair hearing is required; or a pecuniary interest. Associate members may not vote.
Pay Review Meetings: Autumn Term and as necessary
Disqualifications: school staff, pecuniary interest
First / Pay Review Committee
CHAIR: Mr D Ramsey
Terms of Reference:
- To act in accordance with the Teachers’ Pay Policy adopted by the Governing Body.
- To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure.
- To make any decisions under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body, eg disciplinary, grievance, ill health, capability etc where the Headteacher is the subject of the action.
- To make any decisions relating to a member of staff (other than the Headteacher) under the Personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (unless delegated to the Headteacher).
- Staffing reductions.
Appeals
CHAIR: Mrs M Braithwaite
Terms of Reference:
- To consider any appeal against a decision to dismiss a member of staff made by the First/Pay Review Committee (or Headteacher if delegated).
- To consider any appeal against a decision under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (eg disciplinary, pay review, capability for teachers etc).
- To consider any appeal against selection for redundancy.
Virement and Expenditure Limits
| Virement Limits | Expenditure Limits |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit set for Headteacher without prior written approval of Chair or Governing Body | £ 7,500 | Any items of expenditure up to | £ 10,000 |
| Limit set for Headteacher with approval from Chair of Governors | £ 10,000 | Above this limit if item was previously notified to the Governing Body. Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity. |
|
| Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity. | |||
NB Any goods/services purchased and works to be carried out are subject to
Durham County Council Contract Procedure Rules (January 2014) for quotations.
Personnel Committee
CHAIR: Mrs M Berry
Terms of Reference:
- To carry out an annual review of the staffing structure in consultation with the Headteacher and the Finance Committee.
- To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
- To establish and review an appraisal policy for all staff.
- To keep under review work/life balance, working conditions and well being, including the monitoring of absence.
- To make recommendations to the Finance Committee on Personnel-related expenditure.
- To act as the Pupil Discipline Committee.
Meetings: Half termly/when required
Disqualifications: Pecuniary interest, prior knowledge on involvement, spouse/partner
Delegation to the Headteacher:
Appointments:
- Temporary staff
Delegation to Staffing Committee appointments of:
- Permanent Staff
Dismissals:
Delegated to the Headteacher:
- Up to and including final written warning
All Dismissals to the First/PR Committee.
The Governing Body agreed that should the Headteacher be the subject of any conduct, capability, performance or discipline proceedings, delegation was to the Chair of the Governing Body.
Achievement and Learning Committee
CHAIR: Mrs J Brown
Terms of Reference:
Overall Responsibility: To take a strategic role in ensuring that the school provides high quality teaching and learning which leads to the highest possible levels of attainment and progress for all pupils.
A minimum of 3 full governors must attend each meeting in order to be quorate.
Meetings will be held 3 times a year. Dates for the following academic year will be determined at the summer term meeting of the Full Governing Body. A reminder will be sent to Governors at least one week in advance of the meeting, by the circulation of an agenda and related papers.
Areas of Responsibility of the Learning and Achievement Committee
1. Standards
To ensure that strategies are in place to raise achievement for all pupils:
- To understand the performance data for the school.
- Agree targets (statutory and non-statutory) for attainment & progress in consultation with the head teacher.
- Consider the school’s analysis of all pupils’ achievement during the year by monitoring the progress towards these targets especially for any underperforming groups:
-
- SEN pupils
- Ethnic Minority pupils
- EAL pupils
- FSM pupils
- LAC
- Boys/girls
- Any other vulnerable or previously underperforming group
- Explore differences in outcomes between different subjects
- Agree further strategies for improvement in consultation with the Headteacher to incorporate in the SDP
- To undertake monitoring visits to the school and record appropriately
- Monitoring and assessment of the following policies:
-
- Calculation Policy
- English Policy
- Maths Policy
- PE Policy
- Anti-bullying Policy
- Behaviour Policy
- Equality Opportunities Policy
- Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct
- Marking and Feedback Policy
- Attendance Policy
- Pupil Premium Policy
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy and Information sheet
2. Teaching and Learning
To ensure there is high quality teaching & learning across all year groups:
- Monitor that there is reliable assessment and high quality tracking information for all learners to support learning
- Monitoring tracking and progress reports on teaching, learning and progress on all year groups through termly summary reports.
3. Curriculum
To monitor and review academic and pastoral arrangements to ensure the school delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in keeping with the ethos of the school and the requirements of the National Curriculum:
- Monitor progress against the curriculum and targets of the School Improvement Plan and action plans
- To deal with complaints about GB actions in the National Curriculum and in accordance with the school’s complaints procedure
- Ask Headteacher to demonstrate that the school is meeting statutory requirements on curriculum
- Review the curriculum and intervention programme for SEN; EAL; G&T and any other underperforming groups
- To plan and evaluate Governor Activity Day to take place in annually in March
Reporting
The committee shall report to the Full Governing Body each term. All minutes, with the exception of confidential minutes, will be distributed to all governors within the term.
Governor Development
The committee will regularly review their competence and experience and instigate any training and development which is considered beneficial.
Review
The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually.
Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee
CHAIR: Canon Paul Tyler
Terms of Reference:
- At the first meeting each academic year: review the arrangements for having a Chair; review the terms of reference and remits for the committee.
- Report on matters discussed by the Wellbeing committee to the next meeting of the FGB
- Ensure that there is a clerk at each meeting and minutes are produced and distributed at the next FGB meeting.
- Operate with a quorum of at least 3 governors.
- To annually monitor staff wellbeing through an optional whole-staff questionnaire and interviews, and to feed back the findings to the FGB.
- To continually monitor pupil wellbeing through feedback from staff, pupils and guardians.
- To come up with ideas and practical strategies which will enhance the wellbeing and health and safety of all those connected with the school.
Meetings: termly/or more frequently if circumstances demand.
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; a fair hearing is required; or a pecuniary interest. Associate members may not vote.
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