Governance

The Governing Body has three core functions:

  • Ensuring the clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
  • Holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school’s staff and pupils.
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

As well as working as a collective group, governors also take on individual responsibility for particular areas. Every year governors review the school’s performance and help the leadership team to set the strategic priorities.


Our governors produce a newsletter each term to keep you up to date with their work. If you’d like to get in touch with your governing team, please email [email protected]

Members of the school governing body stand for four years. Your governing body is currently made up of the following members:

As Headteacher of Thurgoland CE Primary School, I am a member of our Governing Body. My role within the Governance Structure is to translate the school’s strengths and areas of improvement to the Governance Team being accountable for those strengths and weaknesses. In essence, this means regular meetings with the Governing Body to discuss the progress of pupils and the performance of staff. The finances of school; maintaining a fulfilling education for our pupils under ever increasing budgeting concerns are also reported to our Governors. Together, we decide our Action Plans, ensuring the pupils at Thurgoland CE Primary remain very well educated. I bring many years of experience to our school’s governance in the roles of leadership and teaching. From outside school life I also bring the perspective of being a committed parent and am very much aware of how important a consistent education is to our families.

As Chair of Governors my responsibilities are to strategically look at the now, next and future of our team and school. Manage with the rest of the Governors the finances of the school and hold the leadership team to account for the safety, well-being and education of the children. I have a duty of care to all the staff at school - teachers, teachings assistants, caretaker, office team, catering and Leadership team. Together they manage the day to day of the school for and on behalf of the children. 

Alongside the Headteacher we are responsible for all matters relating to school including staff development, safety, policy, financial, welfare, risk, wellbeing and assuring our focus is on the children. 

Outside school I’m a Governor on the Foundation trust at the grammar school and on the local council in Penistone with responsibility for Finance and HR and leading a work stream on road safety. For the financial year 22/23 I have the honour of Leading the Council as Mayor. As well as the running of the Council operations I work with a number of charities to raise awareness and funds for - Age UK Barnsley , Lullaby Trust - an organisation focussed on finding solutions for SIDS ( sudden infant death syndrome ) and supporting impacted families and IDAS Barnsley - Independent Domestic Abuse Services charity supporting people & families impacted by domestic abuse.

We have twin boys who both went through primary, secondary and sixth form in Penistone and have gone on to further education very successfully. One of our boys is teaching Physics at a secondary school and the other is doing a PHD in glaciology so we are very proud of them and their efforts so far. 

My wife Helen and I are involved with Penistone Round table family as well doing a number of initiatives every year including bonfire and fireworks, Remembrance marshalling, Santa Sleigh and a number of other community facing initiatives

To relax we enjoy reading, walking and the cinema and spending time with friends.

I am extremely pleased to join Thurgoland Primary School as a co-opted governor. My son attends the school and he is flourishing in what is clearly a most supportive and encouraging environment.

I have worked in Human Resources for 18 years, in both Higher Education and in my current role as Strategic Recruitment Lead for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. I have a wide breadth of HR and recruitment knowledge and I am passionate about making a difference to environments in which people learn and work.

I will be a safety lead for the board.

 

I am the Local Authority governor.  My role within the Governing Body is on the Progress and Attainment Key Pupil group and the link Governor for SEND/Key Pupil groups.  My background is within education and school improvement and I am able to bring this experience to ensure that we support but also to ask challenging questions to support school development.  I am committed to the local community and want to ensure that the children who attend Thurgoland Primary School love learning and reach their full potential. 

My role is to provide continuity, to ensure that a Christian voice is present within the Governing Body and provide support to the teaching staff and to encourage implementing a Christian ethos of the School.
 
I have recently been appointed as a Foundation Governor, as the Priest of the Tankersley Benefice, and have oversight of the churches at Tankersley (inc Pilley), Thurgoland and Wortley.
I have been a Priest for 7 years, previously overseeing two churches and working for the Diocese of Sheffield as the Safeguarding Training Manager. I continue to train safeguarding to Senior Clergy, Bishops, Archbishops and Cathedral Deans and I am a member of the national Safeguarding Learninng & Development committee for the Archbishops Council.
Previously I was a manager in Health and Social Care,  a qualified trainer for Cornell University New York in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, that supports children in a trauma-sensitive environment, and in Citizenship (Person centered support). I am a qualified teacher for adult learning and a Positive Behaviour Support advisor.
I have over 10 years experience in quality assurance, as a national Accreditation Leader for the National Autistic Society, visiting and inspecting schools, colleges and care homes.
I have held other roles as a Manager in retail and catering.
My hope is that these varied skills, experience and knowledge will help support spirituality and the leadership, teaching, and learning at this school.

A Foundation Governor is appointed, for a 4 year term of office, by the Diocese of Sheffield. The role is to provide continuity, ensure that a Christian voice is heard in the deliberations of the Governing Body and provide support to the teaching staff in implementing the Christian ethos of the School.

I have recently been appointed as a Foundation Governor, as a member of the Parochial Church Council at Holy Trinity Church. I am a member of the Health and Safety Committee.

I have enjoyed living in Thurgoland for over 30 years. On my retirement I have taken the opportunity to become more involved in village activities, especially with those linked with the church.

I have been employed in education my whole working life, in primary and secondary schools, in teacher training and for the Local Education Authority. My last position was as Head of School at a Junior School, in North Sheffield.

I have always believed in encouraging and supporting children to achieve their full potential, in all areas of school life; in preparation for the next stage of their education, with roots to grow and wings to fly.

I hope my skills, experience and knowledge will help me to support the leadership, teaching and learning at our school.

 

My role is staff governor and I am responsible for bringing a staff perspective to the board, whilst supporting the team to meet statutory duties and achieve strategic priorities. I have worked at Thurgoland Primary School since 1989; for the majority of that time serving as the headteacher. Since my retirement in 2013 I have had the privilege of working part time, teaching across all year groups, alongside many talented members of staff. In recent years I have extended my experience of governorship, filling various roles at three local schools. Currently, I am Chair of the Attainment Committee, Safeguarding Governor and Link Governor for literacy at Silkstone Primary School. I have also had the opportunity to act as a Local Authority Clerk to Governors and to work with Sheffield Diocese supporting schools preparing for SIAMS Inspections. I remain passionate about Thurgoland Primary School, immensely proud of the amazing young people associated with it and committed to helping in any way possible to support its continuing success. On a personal level, two of our own children are in leadership roles in education so we have additional first-hand knowledge of the joys and challenges facing those currently working in schools.

 

I am a new Co-Opted Governor of the Governing Body at Thurgoland School. I have been a qualified teacher for 32 years and I currently work in an Alternative provision for SEMH youngsters. I am also a qualified SENCO and I am looking forward to working with other governors to ensure that the school continues to give the SEN pupils the very highest quality education possible to ensure they are given the very best life chances. I am passionate about education and as I come to the end of my teaching career I feel it is time for me to give something back to the Primary school which helped to set me on my career path all those years ago.

I am proud to be a parent governor at the school. My son currently attends and I am very happy with the start the school has given in him in his education. I am currently second in department of a large maths department, I have previously been a head of department and a lead teacher. My role will be as the link governor for maths in the school, and to sit on the quality of education committee, as well contributing to full governing board meetings.

In my current teaching role, my focus has been on staff wellbeing, curriculum design and student attainment, with none of the three being mutually exclusive.

I'm delighted to be filling the role of parent governor here at Thurgoland School. I have two boys who attend the school, and we've been very happy by the quality of learning and support they receive. I have a background in education, having taught both secondary and primary, leading in curriculum and staff development. I currently work as a regional advisor for Jigsaw Education Group who focus on supporting school’s whole-school approach to whole-child development, with programmes in RE and PSHE. I'm passionate about contributing to the school's continued success as a member of governing body and the Quality of Education Committee, ensuring that every child receives the best possible learning experience.

Governing Body Structure

Values that are at the heart of Thurgoland

#LEARNINGTOGETHERINFAITHANDJOY

Getting here

Thurgoland C of E Primary School
Halifax Road
Thurgoland
Sheffield
S35 7AL

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