Governors offer highly effective support and robust challenge to the school. The Chair of the Governing Body is very knowledgeable and experienced and offers clear, extremely well-informed leadership’ Ofsted 2014.
Welcome to Willington Primary School governing body. We are a team of voluntary elected staff, parents and other interested parties. We are responsible for raising school standards by:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the schools and its pupils
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).
Governing Body Committee Structure
For further information about each of our governors please view below.
| Name | Position | Committee | First Appointed | Term of Office Ends | Representing | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor Olwynn Gunn | Chair of Governors | Curriculum and Standards Committee Finance and Premises Standards Committee First Pay Review Headteachers Performance | 09/03/2009 | 14/04/2025 | Local Authority | Safeguarding Early Years Well Being |
| Miss Sue Hine | Vice Chair of Governors | Curriculum and Standards Committee Finance and Premises Standards Committee First Pay Review Headteachers Performance | 03/04/2012 | 28/04/2024 | Co-opted | LAC English/Reading Science |
| Mrs Julie L Walker | Governor / School Business Manager | Curriculum and Standards Committee Finance and Premises Standards Committee | 24/01/2005 | 30/08/2026 | Co-opted | GDPR Training and Development |
| Mrs Katherine B Harker | Staff Governor / Deputy Headteacher | Curriculum and Standards Committee Finance and Premises Standards Committee | 09/01/2012 | 28/09/2024 | Staff | |
| Mr Ben Tulip | Governor | Curriculum and Standards Committee First Pay Review Headteachers Performance | 24/01/2021 | 09/05/2025 | Co-opted | |
| Mrs Angela Smith | Governor | Appeals Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee | 06/04/2022 | 05/04/2026 | Co-opted | |
| Mrs Karen Turner | Governor | Appeals Committee Curriculum and Standards Committee | 10/06/2021 | 09/06/2025 | Parent |
Governors who have resigned/reached term of office within the last academic year.
| Name | Category | Date of Resignation/Reached Term of Office End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs H Wilson | Parent Governor | 10/06/2022 |
Committee Voting Rights
All governors on the above committee(s) have the same status and are eligible to vote when required.
Governor Attendance
Schools are required to display a record of Governor’s attendance at meetings for each school academic year.
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee
Record of Attendance 2022 – 2023
| Name | Full Governing Body Meeting 5th October 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr O Gunn | |||||||
| Miss S Hine | |||||||
| Mr S Cornforth | |||||||
| Mrs K Harker | |||||||
| Mrs J Walker | |||||||
| Mr B Tulip | |||||||
| Mrs A Smith | |||||||
| Mrs K Tuner |
Record of Attendance 2021 – 2022
| Name | Full Governing Body Meeting 6th October 2021 | Full Governing Body Meeting 2nd March 2022 | Full Governing Body Meeting 15th June 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs S Hine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mr B Tulip | A/A | N | N |
| Mr S Cornforth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mrs K Harker | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mrs J Walker | A/A | ✓ | ✓ |
| Councillor O Gunn | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mrs H Wilson | A/A | A/A | N/A |
| Mrs A Smith | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
| Mrs K Tuner | ✓ | A/A | ✓ |
Register of Governor Interests
Governors are asked to complete a Register of Governors’ Interest form on an annual basis. The following Governor(s) have registered an interest.
Councillor Olwyn Gunn – Durham County Councillor
Councillor Olwyn Gunn is also a governor at Hunwick Primary School and Parkside Academy
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
Willington Primary School 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 (2017)
How To Become A School Governor
In simple terms the Governing Body has three main roles. Firstly, to provide a strategic overview that ensures the pupils learn most effectively and achieve the highest standards. Secondly, to act as a “critical friend” of the school by providing the headteacher and staff with support, advice and information. We monitor and evaluate to school’s effectiveness and promote the interests of the school and pupils. Thirdly, to ensure accountability. We are accountable to parents, pupils, the community, the Local Authority and Ofsted.
Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), as part of a team Governors play an important role in improving children’s education and supporting the school’s staff. The post also allows you to develop new skills as well as applying existing ones that make a positive contribution to the community. Do I need special qualifications? No! You need interest, enthusiasm, time and genuine desire to support our students. Schools need people from their local community who can offer energy, experience and fresh ideas. However all your existing skills and experience will be very welcome and as you acquire more, you will be able to apply these to other areas of your life.
Can I become a school governor? Yes, anybody over 18 who has a child of school age. All applicants are subject to checks to ensure the safety and protection of the young people in our school. How much time does it take? Meetings are held once every term at the end of the school day and usually last and hour and a half. However, this may vary depending on the amount of committee work that you choose to do. Governors act as a team and support each other by taking on additional roles in order to be as effective as possible. How do I find out more? You can contact the headteacher or Mrs Walker in the school office who will support you in your application.
If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.
Committee Terms of Reference
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