Governors
Why schools have Governors
Governing bodies play three key roles – they provide a strategic overview, they act as a critical friend to the school, and they ensure accountability.
By working strategically, the governing body helps to provide the best possible education for the pupils at St Louis Academy. Through working as a corporate body with a clearly defined division of responsibilities between the headteacher and the governors, the governing body:
- Helps to set standards and targets for performance for the school.
- Has an overview of the curriculum.
- Helps to set policies for itself and the school.
- Delivers effective planning including planning the delivery of financial, personnel and post-inspection duties.
By being a critical friend, the governing body establishes an effective working relationship with the headteacher, through having clear division of duties delivered through effective meetings. This will help the governing body to:
- Know the school.
- Have an effective scheme of delegation between the governing body and the headteacher and the governing body and its committees.
- Monitor and evaluate attainment, achievement and the delivery of policies and plans.
To ensure accountability, the governing body will receive regular reports from the headteacher and will provide information to the LEA and the parents on a regular basis by:
- Publishing an annual report to parents and holding an annual parents meeting.
- Publishing a school prospectus.
- Producing a post-inspection action plan.
Governors’ involvement
Each Governor takes an individual interest in particular areas of the curriculum, with the intention of developing his or her own knowledge and understanding so as to properly support staff, contribute to the development of Curriculum areas, as appropriate, and increase and enhance the effective monitoring of all aspects of school development.
Governors also take particular interest and responsibility in other dimensions of school life, such as Health and Safety, Child Protection, Governor Training, School Admissions, School Brochures, Staff Recruitment and Pay and, of course, the School Budget.
Governors visit the school on a regular basis in supportive and advisory roles. Meetings of the full Governing Body take place once a term. Working Parties and Committees meet as is necessary throughout the term.
The Governing Body of St Louis Catholic Academy has adopted the policy of paying for Governors’ expenses. This is to ensure that nobody is deterred from serving as a Governor for financial reasons.
Officers
The Chairs of our governing body is Bethan Byrne and Co-Vice Chairs are Jenny Balmer and Marc Walker. They can be contacted via the school.
The Clerk to the Governing Body is Antoinette Jones
The Headteacher, Mrs Sue Blakeley, is a member of the Governing Body.
Governors Terms of Office
|
|
Remit | Appointed By |
Date of Appointment |
End of Term |
|
Bethan Byrne (Chair) |
Health & Safety | Parents |
28-09-2022 |
27-11-2023 |
| Kofi Atuah | Diocese | 1-11-2023 | 31-10-2027 | |
|
Jennifer Balmer (Deputy Chair) |
None | Diocese |
01-05-2022 |
30-04-2026 |
| Sue Blakeley (Headteacher) | - | - | 1-9-2020 | - |
|
Charles Dore |
None | Diocese |
1-6-2016 |
31-5-2024 |
|
Fr Leonard Michael |
None | Diocese |
17-9-2021 |
16-9-2025 |
|
Ann Sugrue |
None | Diocese |
1-6-2016 |
30-4-2024 |
|
Karen Varma |
Safeguarding/PP | Diocese |
1-4-2021 |
31-3-2025 |
|
Marc Walker (Deputy Chair) |
None | Diocese |
01-04-2022 |
31-03-2026 |
| Kiri Wyatt | Staff | 1-11-2023 | 31-10-2027 | |
| Previous Serving Governors | ||||
| Bianca Coetzee | None | Staff | 28-9-2022 | 27-9-2026 |
| Kathleen Das (Co-Chair) | Diocese | 1-4-2018 | 20-7-2022 | |
| Kathryn Feehan | Staff | 7-2-2018 | 6-7-2022 |
Governors' Attendance at Board Meetings 2023-2024
|
|
RES Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
TLS Meetings Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
|
Charles Dore |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Jenny Balmer (Deputy Chair) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Sue Blakeley |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Bethan Byrne (Chair) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Fr Leonard Michael |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Ann Sugrue |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Karen Varma |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Marc Walker (Co Chair) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Kiri Wyatt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kofi Atuah | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Governors' Attendance at Board Meetings 2022-2023
|
|
RES Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
TLS Meetings Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
|
Charles Dore |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
Jenny Balmer (Co Deputy Chair) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Sue Blakeley |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Bethan Byrne (Chair) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Bianca Coetzee |
1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
|
Fr Leonard Michael |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Ann Sugrue |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
Karen Varma |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Marc Walker (Co Deputy Chair) |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Governors' Attendance at Board Meetings 2021-2022
The Board of Trustees met formally seven times in the year 2021-2022, three RES Meetings and four TLS meetings, and attendance is shown on the table below.
|
|
RES Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
TLS Meetings Attended |
Number of Meetings Held |
|
Kathleen Das (Co-Chair) |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Charles Dore (Co-Chair) |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Jenny Balmer |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
Sue Blakeley |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Bethan Byrne |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Kathryn Feehan |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Fr Leonard Michael |
1 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
Ann Sugrue |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
Karen Varma |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Marc Walker |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |