Our Governing Body

Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from our Trust.

Welcome from the Chair of Governors

Hello, my name is Judith Robson and I feel very privileged to be Chair of Governors of Castleside Primary School, working with such a professional and caring team of staff and governors.

Governors are volunteers and our main role is to work with the school ensuring that your children receive the best education in a supportive and safe setting. To this end we have three core strategic functions which are:

Making sure that everyone, including yourselves, is clear about the school’s vision for your children and how the school plans to realise the vision.

Working with the Headteacher to ensure that your children do the best they can and that all staff are supported and trained, to work with them to the best of their ability.

Making sure funding is well spent, by seeking value for money and targeting resources to areas that will best help children achieve their full potential.

We also try to visit the school as often as possible to see for ourselves how well the school is functioning. We do this by observing lessons, doing book scrutinies and talking to staff and children.

The governors come from a range of backgrounds and have different skills, but we could not do our job without the expertise of the Headteacher, Leadership Team, Staff Governors and fantastic staff at Castleside School. On a personal note, my passion is our community and I firmly believe that the children at Castleside Primary School benefit greatly from being at the very heart of our local community, from the choir singing at local events to children delivering parcels of fruit to the elderly, this all serves to give our children a sense of belonging. I believe we should aim to give all of our children ‘Roots and Wings’

Best Wishes

Judith Robson
Chair of Governors

Governing Body Committee Structure

Name	Representing	Term of Office	Committee	Special Interest	Register of Interests	Relationship to Staff
Mrs J Woodhall	Head Teacher	01/09/2024			Governor at another primary school	N/A
Mrs Judith Robson- Chair	Local Authority	22/01/2018 -	Curriculum & Standards Finance, Premises & Staffing First / Pay Review Head Teachers performance Pupil Discipline	Chair of the Governing Body EYFS SEND Child Sexual Exploitation Safeguarding	Parish Council	N/A
Ms Victoria Morris	Parent	13/05/2021 -	First / Pay Review Pupil Discipline		N/A	N/A
Mrs Heather Farrimond	Parent	19/05/2021 -	Appeals		N/A	N/A
Mrs Ruth Stanton	Co Opted	19/03/2021 - 18/03/2025	Appeals Finance, Premises & Staffing		N/A	N/A
Mrs Ann Penny	Co Opted	22.06.22 - 21.06.26	Curriculum & Standards	-	N/A	N/A
Mrs Stephanie Hughes	Staff	08.11.22 - 07.11.26	-	-	-	-

Governing Body Resigned Members

Mr Adam Pearson

Parent

18/10/2018 - 17/10/2023

Finance, Premises & Staffing
First / pay review
Pupil Discipline

Healyfield Parish Council Chair
Governor and staff member at Wellfield School

N/A

Mrs Denise Franklin

Co Opted

Curriculum & Standards
Finance, Premises & Staffing

N/A

Mrs A Spence

Headteacher

01/09/2016

N/A

Ms Julie Tyers - Vice Chair

Parent

14/06/2019 - 13/09/2024

Appeals, Children & Community, Personnel, Headteacher Performance Management

N/A

Lisa Sunley

Co-Opted

02/11/2022 - 16/09/2024

N/A

How To Become A School Governor

We currently have vacancies on our school governor team! Get in touch for more details - now is an exciting time to be part of Team Castleside!

If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, please contact our Head of Governance.

Castleside Primary adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of 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

Governor Attendance

Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year.

KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
n/a – Not a member of the committee

Record of Attendance 2023-2024

Mrs Judith E Robson - Chair	✓	✓	✓
Ms Julie Tyers - Vice Chair	✓	n/a	n/a
Mrs Alison Spence	✓	✓	✓
Victoria Morris	✓	n/a	n/a
Heather Farrimond	✓	n/a	n/a
Mr Adam Pearson	✓	✓	n/a
Denise Franklin	✓	✓	✓
Ruth Stanton	✓	✓	n/a
Mrs Ann Penny	n/a	n/a	✓
Lisa Sunley	-	-	-
Miss Stephanie Hughes	✓	n/a	✓

Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.

Governor Roles & Responsibilities

  Strategic Leadership and Accountability: 

In collaboration with school leaders determine a clear and explicit vision for the future.  Ensure this is communicated to the whole organisation. 
Set strong and clear values and ensure these are embedded across the organisation and adhered to. 
Determine the strategic direction for the school. 
Monitor and evaluate pupil progress and attainment by receiving reports and information from the Headteacher and other school leaders; compare against national and local benchmarks over time.  
Receive reports from committees, working parties or individuals and agree actions. 
Approve the SEF and monitor throughout the year. 
Approve the School Improvement Plan priorities and monitor throughout the year progress towards agreed actions. 
Ensure there is a transparent system for performance management of all staff which is clearly linked to the school’s priorities.  Have oversight of staff performance throughout the year. 
Ensure there are mechanisms in place to listen to and respond to the views of parents/carers, pupils, staff, local communities and employers. 
Agree recruitment process to be followed in relation to Senior Leader posts; where delegated ratify appointments. 
Final approval of the annual budget plan. 
Monitor the school’s budget throughout the year. 
Agree virement and expenditure limits for the Headteacher. 
Hold at least 3 meetings each academic year.  Ensure that committee meetings are held in accordance with the agreed terms of reference.

People and Structures: 

Elect and/or remove Chair of Governors and Vice Chair of Governors. 
Consider and agree delegation of functions to individuals or committees. 
Agree committee terms of reference and membership. 
Establish a register of Governors business interests. 
Ensure Governors information on the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register and the school website is up to date and compliant with current requirements. 
Confirm the Instrument of Government and subsequent amendments. 
Appoint Co-opted, Local Authority and where necessary Parent Governors to the Board. 
Review and monitor the Governor Induction Process. 
Have regard for Governors professional development.  
Where necessary, suspend or remove Governors from the Board. 
Appoint/dismiss the Clerk to the Governing Body.

Compliance and Evaluation: 

Consider business provided by The Trust and other sources 
Suspend or end suspension of staff members. 
Ensure all statutory policies are in place and there is an effective policy review cycle. 
Review and agree the Governor Code of Conduct. 
Confirm arrangements for completion of a Governor Skills Audit. 
Ensure there is regular self-evaluation and review of individual’s contribution to the Board as well as the Board’s overall operation and effectiveness. 
As necessary, consider an external review of the Board’s effectiveness. 
Ensure school website is up to date and compliant with current DfE requirements.

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