Our Governors
The Governing Body is the school’s critical friend. It has a vital role in setting St Mary’s strategy, vision and values and making sure that it provides the best possible education for our pupils. We also promote and encourage the development of St Mary’s Christian ethos. In every school, governors have three core functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governors set policies and procedures, monitor standards and make sure that St Mary’s remains a safe and secure environment. We support the Headteacher and staff, whilst monitoring and evaluating the progress our pupils make – both academically and in their personal and social development – and the effectiveness of the School Development Plan.
We do NOT get involved in operational matters or the day-to-day running of the school, which are the responsibility of the headteacher and senior leadership team.
|
Name |
Category of Governor |
Appointed by |
Appointment date/ End of term of office |
Committee Membership |
Business Interests |
Full Governing Body meetings attended 2022-23 |
Committee meetings attended 2022-23 |
|
Tracey Harrison Co-Chair of Governors
|
Local Authority |
Essex County Council |
1.09.2020 31.08.2024
|
Community & Ethos; Personnel & Pay Safeguarding governor |
None |
5/7 |
6/6 |
|
Jo Culhane Co-Chair of Governors |
Co-opted |
Governing Body |
20.05.2020 19.05.2024 |
Education Community & Ethos SEND governor |
None |
6/7 |
5/6 |
|
Matthew Curzon Headteacher |
Staff |
Ex-officio |
N/A ex-officio |
All committees |
None |
5/7*
*illness |
9/11
*illness |
|
Julia Dowson Teacher
|
Staff |
Staff |
21.05.2022 20.05.2026 |
Education |
None |
6/7 |
3/3 |
|
Ian Pledger
|
Co-opted |
Governing Body |
29.01.2020 15.03.2024
|
Finance & Premises Pupil Premium Governor |
None |
5/7 |
2/3 |
|
Britta Crawford |
Parent |
Parents |
17.01.2021
16.11.2025
|
Education
|
None |
4/7 |
2/3 |
|
Pete Simmonds |
Parent |
Parents |
27.05.2021
26.05.2025
|
Education
|
None |
6/7 |
3/3 |
|
Daniel Bryan
|
Associate |
Governing Body |
28.09.2023
|
Finance & Premises; Personnel & Pay |
None |
3/7 |
5/9 |
|
The Revd Dr Colin Fairweather
|
Foundation |
Ex-officio |
14.05.2021 |
Community & Ethos |
None |
7/7 |
3/3 |
|
Revd Helen Flack |
Foundation |
Diocese |
31.09.2021
30.09.2025
|
Community & Ethos
Staff wellbeing governor |
None |
4/7 |
3/3 |
|
Kara Power |
Associate Governor
|
|
n/a |
Education; Community & Ethos
|
None
|
7/7 |
6/6 |
|
Sonia Strickland |
Co-opted |
Governing Body |
17.05.2023 16.05.2027
|
Education |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
|
John Elliot |
Foundation |
Parochial Church Council |
01.09.2023
|
Finance & Premises; Personnel & Pay |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Craig Lewis |
Parent |
Parents |
22.11.2023 |
Education |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Victoria Pounder |
Parent |
Parents |
22.11.2023 |
Personnel & Pay |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Kim Radford Clerk |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Governors who have resigned during the past 12 months |
Daniel Bowen
Will Woodward |
Parents
Parents |
01.09.2021 – 22.03.2023
01.09.2021- 02/11/2023
|
|
|
|
|
Contact us:
If you would like to speak to a governor, you can contact us via the school office, which will pass on your request. We will then get in touch with you as soon as possible.
If you have a concern or complaint, please do remember that governors must not get involved initially. As a first stage, complaints should go to the relevant staff member or headteacher. If you are not satisfied with the school’s response, then this is the time for the complaint to be passed up to the governors for further investigation or appeal. See our Complaints Procedure (on the website) for more information.