Governance

School Governors

Please find below details on our school governing body and information about our experienced group of governors.

Governing Body:

Every school has a governing body consisting of a specific number of governors. Generally, governors fall within the following categories:

Parent Governors
Staff Governors
Authority Governors
Co-opted Governors
Foundation, Partnership and Sponsor Governors

Our Governing Body is involved in all aspects of school life. They meet as a Full Governing Body once a term and in addition they also meet in sub-committees each term. We are fortunate to have a wide variety of expertise within our governor team: local government, faith ministry, local business, buildings, Quality Care commision, legal profession, Educational IT consultant, HR/Training, Clinical Psychology, Social services, Financial as well as experience from other educational establishments. We draw on the expertise of each member and the governing bodies of other schools to ensure that our school governance is as strong as possible. Frequently we share training with the governors of the other Alliance Schools as well as staff CPD and moderation of assessments and standards. The other Alliance Schools are: Lancaster Lane, Clayton-le-Woods CE Primary, Manor Road CP School, Westwood CP School, Clayton Brook CP School, St Bede’s Catholic Primary School.

The school is also in the CHIP alliance of Chorley schools

We are currently seeking a new parent governor. Declarations of interest by noon on Friday 22nd March 2024 via email to office@whittle-le-woods.lancs.sch.uk

Governors:

Emma Last Chair of Governors

Foundation Governor since 9 November 2019. Term ends 8 November 2023. Standards, Finance and Resources, Performance management/Pay, Maths Governor

Director, Progressive Minds. Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee

Rev Philip Venables Incumbent

Foundation Governor since taking up post. Term ends February 2024 Standards Committee

Vicar of St John’s the Evangelist also a governor at Clayton-le-Woods CE Primary and a Director of Blackburn Diocese Board of Education

Marian Fraser

Foundation Governor Term starts October 2023 Term ends October 2027

Joy Grimshaw

Foundation Governor Term starts October 2021. Term ends October 2025

John Bidder Vice Chair of Governors

Foundation Governor since November 2019. Term ends November 2023. Standards Committee, ICT Governor

Foundation Governor, Owner/Director of Blippit IT company. Husband to a teacher in school Mrs Bidder (SENDCO)

Catharine Cummins

Now a Foundation Governor term ends September 2025. Previously Staff Governor (Teacher EYFS) for a number of years left the school August 2021. Became Foundation Governor October 2021 Standards Committee, Early Years Governor, Pupil Voice Governor Chair of the Standards Committee

Employed as the Early Years Consultant for Lancashire Authority. Wife of a teaching assistant in school

Deborah Metcalfe Headteacher

Governor since taking up post 1 September 2014. Term ends 31 August 2025 Standards, Finance and Resources

Director of Blackburn Diocese Board of Education

Jackie Haughin

Staff Governor (Deputy Head Teacher) for a number of years. Term ends September 2025 Standards Committee, Pupil Voice Governor

Nilesh Patel

Parent Governor since May 2022. Term ends May 2026. Standards/Finance and Resources

Parent of a child in Reception

Stacey Story

Parent Governor since November 2019. Term ends November 2023. Standards Committee SEND Governor

Clinical Psychologist, works for Lancaster University has two children in the school (Year 2 and Year 6)

Parent Governor Vacancy

Foundation Governor Vacancy

A vacancy has come available for a parent governor. If you are interested in becoming a parent governor please contact D Metcalfe by Monday 5th February 2024

Previous Governors

Linda Dunstan Parent Governor Until November 2015

Janet Hanrahan Foundation Governor July 2015

Ian Whiteside Foundation Governor July 2015

Mik Green Foundation Governor July 2015

Rosemary Trustram LA Governor until July 2019

Gaynor Simons Foundation Governor until October 2019

Ian Kearney Foundation Governor until July 2020

Alistair Davies Foundation Governor until February 2021

Tony Cliffe Foundation Governor until September 2021

Peter Sanderson October 2019-April 2022

John Walker 1988-September 2023

Craig Wheatley until July 2023

We have three main sub-committees that meet during the academic year as well as others like the Pay, Appeals, Appraisal and Chairs Committees etc (these may only meet once a year as a minimum):

Standards Committee (formerly Teaching and Learning): This committee reviews school data and the academic performance of the school, reviews policy relating to Teaching and Learning, staffing, the curriculum offered and school improvement priority.

Building and Finance: This committee is responsible for reviewing spending and allocation of financial resources as well as ensuring the Health and Safety of the school site. They are responsible for reviewing the fabric of the building.

Ethos Committee: This committee reviews and discussed development of our school as a church school and sits within the Standards Committee

Attendance at meetings of the Board of Governors can be seen below

Attendance at meetings of the Board of Governors 2021/22 can be seen below

Standards Committee Autumn 2021

P Venables, E Last, D Metcalfe, S Storey, C Cummins, J Haughin, C Wheatley, J Bidder, J Grimshaw

Finance and Resources Autumn 2021

D Metcalfe, E Last, P Sanderson, J Haughin

Full Governors Autumn 2021

S Story, E Last, J Bidder, J Grimshaw, P Venables, C Cummins, D Metcalfe, J Haughin

Standards Committee Spring 2022

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, P Venables, E Last, S Story, J Bidder

Finance and Resources Spring 2022

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin

Full Governors Spring 2022

D Metcalfe, E last, S Story, J Walker, J Haughin, C Wheatley, P Venables, C Cummins, J Bidder

Standards Committee Summer 2022

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, P Venables, E Last, N Patel, J Bidder

Finance and Resources Summer 2022

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin, N Patel

Chairs Committee Summer 2022

D Metcalfe, E Last, C Cummins, J Walker, C Wheatley

Full Governors Summer 2022

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin, N Patel, C Wheatley, S Story, J Grimshaw, P Venables, C Cummins

Attendance at meetings of the Board of Governors 2022/23 can be seen below

Standards Committee Autumn 2022

D Metcalfe, C Cummins, J Haughin, P Venables, E Last, N Patel, J Bidder, C Wheatley

Finance and Resources Autumn 2022

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin, N Patel

Standards Committee Spring 2023

D Metcalfe, C Cummins, J Haughin, S Story, P Venables, E Last, N Patel, J Bidder, C Wheatley, J Grimshaw

Finance and Resources Spring 2022

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin

Full Governors Spring 2023

D Metcalfe, E Last, J Haughin, S Story, C Cummins, P Venables, N Patel, J Bidder

Standards Committee Summer 2023

D Metcalfe, E Last, J Haughin, S Story, P Venables, C Cummins

Finance and Resources Summer 2023

D Metcalfe, J Walker, E Last, J Haughin

Full Governors Summer 2023

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, E Last, S Story, C Cummins, J Walker, J Bidder, J Grimshaw, N Patel, C Wheatley,

Attendance at meetings of the Board of Governors 2023/24 can be seen below

Standards Committee Autumn 2023

D Metcalfe, E Last, J Haughin, P Venables, C Cummins, N Patel

Finance and Resources Autumn 2023

D Metcalfe, J Bidder, E Last, J Haughin

Full Governors Autumn 2023

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, E Last, C Cummins, P Venables, J Bidder, J Grimshaw, N Patel,

Standards Committee Spring 2024

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, E Last, J Bidder, P Venables, C Cummins, M Fraser, N Patel

Finance and Resources Spring 2024

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, E Last, M Fraser, J Bidder

Full Governors Spring 2024

D Metcalfe, J Haughin, E Last, M Fraser, J Bidder, J Grimshaw, N Patel, C Cummins