Governors
Governing Body
Strong leadership is central to our Christian Vision of ‘Love, Learn, Thrive’.
It focuses on creating outstanding, nurturing provision that improves outcomes, develops a lifelong love of learning and values uniqueness. Every member of the Federation plays a significant part in its success.
We have a full complement of active and skilled governors who support the school in its work to achieve its vision. As you will see from the information below governors are appointed to represent different bodies or organisations. Regardless of their designation all governors embrace the Federation principle of serving all the children across the schools. Led by our foundation governors all governors understand and embrace their role of supporting, upholding and developing the distinctiveness of the schools as Church of England Schools. Governors work collectively on this priority.
Governors are volunteers who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education. They have a wide range of responsibilities, with priority being the strategic direction of the school and with fellow governors, being accountable for the performance of the school.
On 15th October 2015 Follifoot School federated with Spofforth Primary School, a decision approved by the Governing Bodies of both schools in July 2015. The joint Governing body has a range of duties and a general responsibility for the conduct of both schools with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. It’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
– setting and monitoring the strategic direction of the school
– managing the school’s finances
– making sure the curriculum is balanced and broadly based
– appointing new staff
– reviewing staff performance and pay
The structure and makeup of the Federated Governing Body is set in statue:
-2 Parent Governors-From either school (elected by the parents of each school)
-1 Staff Governor- (elected by staff from both schools)
-1 Local Authority (LA) Governor (appointed by the Local Authority)
-1 Head teacher Governor
-2 Foundation Governors (appointed by the Diocese)
In addition we have 3 Co-Opted Governors so that the total number of Governors is 10. Co-Opted Governors can include parents at the schools, staff at either school and other members of the community. They were co-opted by the seven appointed and elected Governors.
As you can see from the above, the number of elected Parent and Staff Governors is set in statue. However this does not prevent parents or staff becoming Co-Opted Governors. Members of the existing Governing Bodies were eligible to continue to serve as Governors in elected or co-opted roles or appointed roles. In addition the Governing Body has the ability to bring on board parents, staff or members of the local communities as Associate Governors if necessary. The Full Governing Body meets a least 6 times each year but usually more often than this, as well as separate meetings for the School Development Governors together with individual Governors conducting monitoring and evaluation visits to the schools regularly.
Our Governors:
Mr David Harrington
Role: Chair and Foundation Governor
Appointed by: The Diocese
Term of Office: 15th October 2019 to 14th October 2023
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: Director of Simpson Millar LLP
Attendance for 2020/21: 100%
Attendance for 2019/20: 100%
Attendance for 2018/19: 100%
David has been a school governor since 2015 and has a key role in Quality of Education and Church School Distinctiveness.
Mrs Katie Barnett
Role: Head teacher
Appointed by: Ex-Officio
Term of Office: 22nd September 2021 to 21st September 2025
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: One other North Yorkshire School.
Declarations of interest: None
Mrs Sarah Giddings
Role: Staff Governor
Term of Office: 15th February 2022 to 14th February 2026
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Mr Lawrence Pomeroy
Role: Co-Opted Governor
Appointed by: The Governing body
Term of Office: 5th December 2018 to 4th December 2022
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Attendance for 2020/21: 90%
Attendance for 2019/20: 100%
Attendance for 2018/19: 100%
Lawrence is a Co-opted governor and been in place since the end of 2018. He lives In Spofforth with a daughter at Spofforth school. As a chartered accountant and Head of Finance at Candlelighters, a children’s cancer charity, he supports with a lot of the Federation’s financial matters and Chairs the Resources Committee.
Mrs Zoe Webb
Role: Co-Opted Governor
Appointed by: The Governing Body
Term of Office: 5th December 2018 to 4th December 2022
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Attendance for 2020/21: 100%
Attendance for 2019/20: 64%
Attendance for 2018/19: 100%
Zoe has a key role in looking after the finances of our Federation.
Ms Emma Booth
Role: Parent Governor
Appointed by: Parents
Term of Office: 1st October 2020 to 30th September 2023
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Attendance for 2020/21: 78%
Attendance for 2019/20: 75%
Emma is our SEND governor.
Mr Adam Jackson
Role: Co-Opted Governor
Appointed by: The Governing Body
Term of Office: 11th March 2020 to 10th March 2024
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Attendance for 2020/21: 66%
Attendance for 2019/20: 100%
Adam has a role in Quality of Education.
Miss Rose Hall
Role: Parent Governor
Appointed by: Parents
Term of Office: 21st April 2021 to 20th April 2025
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Attendance for 2020/21: 100%
Rose has a role in Quality of Education.
Mrs Marianne Tharby
Role: Local Authority Governor
Appointed by: Local Authority
Term of Office: 8th December 2021 to 7th December 2025
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Mrs Hilary Staves
Role: Associate Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 15th February 2022 to 14th February 2026
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Mr Alan Dewey
Role: Co-Opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Term of Office: 23rd March 2022 to 22nd March 2026
Relationships between governors and members of staff including spouses, partner and relative: None
Governor holding governance role in other schools: None
Declarations of interest: None
Alan is a Co-opted governor. He lives in Spofforth, is a parent and has volunteered locally with a children’s section of a charity. He still competes in Triathlons. Alan is a qualified business leader with considerable experience of developing individuals, teams and organisations. It is in these areas that Alan hopes to contribute to school governance.
Ms Sian Henderson
Role: Clerk to Governors, employed by North Yorkshire County Council.
Attendance for Governors who have resigned or reached the end of term:
2020-21
Paul Griffiths (Headteacher)-75%
Sue Foster (LA) – 56%
Sam Corderoy (Foundation) – 78%
2019-20
Paul Griffiths (Headteacher) – 100%
Sam Corderoy (Foundation) – 91%
Sue Foster (LA) – 88%
Natalie Akinson (Parent) – 88%
Rebecca Simpson (Staff) – 83%
Sandra Dewey (Associate) – 100%
Greg Robinson (Associate) – 100%
2018-19
Natalie Atkinson (Parent) – 80%
Sam Corderoy (Foundation) – 100%
Sandra Dewey ( C0-Opted) – 100%
Sue Foster (LA) – 80%
Paul Griffiths (Headteacher) – 100%
Rebecca Simpson (Staff) – 40%
Chris Winspear (Foudation) – 100%
Simon McInerney (Co-Opted) – 100%
Steve Milner (Co-Opted) – 100%
2017/18
Sam Corderoy (Foundation) – 100%
Sandra Dewey (Co-Opted) – 1 apology
Sue Foster (LA) – 1 apology
Simon McInerney (Co-Opted) – 3 apolgies
Rebecca Simpson (Staff) – 100%
Chris Winspear (Foundation) – 1 apology
Steve Milner (Co-Opted) – 1 apology
2016/17
Simon Cox (Co-Opted) – 1 apology
Paul Griffiths (Headteacher) – 100%
Sam Corderoy (Foundation) – 100%
Sandra Dewey (Co-Opted) – 1 apology
Sue Foster (LA) – 1 apology
Simon McInerney (Co-Opted) – 3 apologies
Rebecca Simpson (Staff) – 100%
Alexandra Johnson (Parent) – 2 apologies
Chris Winspear (Foundation) – 1 apology
Steve Milner (Co-Opted) – 1 apology
