Governors

The Role of a Governor

The governing body's main aim is to help raise standards of achievement and make sure the school provides a good quality education.

The day-to-day management of the school is the responsibility of the Headteacher and staff. Governors are there to help shape the school's future direction and focus.

Governors work as a team and are at the heart of how our school operates. It's important they get things right. How they do their job affects the interests of our children and staff, and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community. To make best use of the skills on the board, we operate two committees.  The Resources committee meet three times per year to examine the school finances and issues relating to staffing and management of the buildings and premises.  The Performance committee meet three times per year to consider the progress and performance of our pupils.  Both committees feed back to the Full Governing Body which meets a minimum of three times per year.

The governing body is responsible for how the school is performing. They have to be prepared to support and challenge their Headteacher by gathering views, asking questions and deciding what's best for the children.

See below for a full list of our Governors, their roles and review of their attendance at Governors meetings.

Governors do not manage the operational day-to-day functions of a school, but are required to oversee its long-term development.

For schools like ours there are five types of governor:

• Parent governors: are governors with children at the school. They are elected onto the governing body by other parents.
  • Staff governors: the head teacher and deputy head teacher attend governing body meetings. Also there is a representative from the teaching staff.
  • Local authority governors: are nominated by the local authority but appointed by the governing body.
  • Co-opted governors: are appointed onto the governing body by the other members because they possess a particular skill which can contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
  • Foundation governors: are appointed by the diocese and have responsibility to ensure that the Christian ethos of the school is maintained and developed.

• What do we do?

  We work as a team. We are responsible for making sure the school provides a good quality education for all our children. We do this by working closely with the head teacher and the school staff.

  Why do we do it?

  We all care deeply about St Paul’s C of E Primary School and Nursery and want the best for the whole school family – children, parents, staff and the wider community. We are a governing board that is passionate, committed and cares about the school’. BUT it’s really important that we, and you as parents, understand what our role is as governors – you never know, you may like to join us on the board as a parent governor when there’s a vacancy!! We work on the strategic direction of the school. We are ‘Eyes on, Hands off’! The head teacher and staff work on the day-to-day operational running of the school.

   

   

The Governing Body 2023-2024

Historic Information

About our Governors

Nicola Reeder

I'm Nicola, as a Mother of 2 I became a parent governor to help challenge the school to make sure we get what is for our children. I hope to gain experience in the school system and understand further how it works. I volunteer here reading with the children and love watching them progress and enjoy reading. I also join and attend with any trips I am able to. 

Margaret Ash

I have been a governor at St Paul’s since 2016 when both my children attended the school. As they have now both left I have been nominated as a local authority governor. I work, full time as an Occupational Health Manager for EDF Energy and I am passionate about health and safety and enjoy transferring my knowledge to our visionary and inclusive school.

Gayan Perera

I am a parent governor with a strong commitment to supporting our school. Professionally, I manage the administrative and switchboard operations at the NHS in Gloucester. With 20 years of experience as an IT professional, I have a strong background in technology and design, which I am eager to leverage for the benefit of the school. Additionally, my experience as a Russian teacher has equipped me with valuable teaching insights and cultural perspectives. I look forward to contributing my diverse skill set to help our school thrive.

Peter Millward

I am a minister at Gloucester Elim Church in Park End Road. I am married with four children (17, 15, 14, 12). As a member of Gloucester Elim Church I am passionate about seeing the lives of those in the vicinity of our church being blessed and improved and I support anyone trying to support the community in any way.  

Patricia Gifford

I am the Pastoral Care Lead and DDSL at St Paul's Primary School. I have 3 young children of my own and love being an active part of their learning journey, and relish in the lessons they teach me along the way. 

I have worked in education for over 25 years, ranging from children nursery aged to year 6. I believe that the role education plays in a young person's life is pivotal in providing the best opportunities for their, and our, future. 

I chose to be the staff governor as I know how hard educators (teachers, teaching partners, and all support staff) work and how under valued our job can be. I want to make a difference. I believe our voice should be heard, as the more staff are heard and recognised, the better they will be in shaping the lives of those children they are around everyday. 

My favourite word is Hope. I hope that the children we care for believe in themselves. I hope for a school, and a world,  where our children feel safe. I hope for a better future and I am proud to be part of the future of St Pauls.