Rufford CE Primary School

Governors

Rufford C of E Primary School has a Board of Governors, the majority of the governors being appointed by the Diocese, County Council and the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and the remainder elected by staff and parents.

 The governors hold regular meetings and have a wide range of responsibilities.  

 They:

• Maintain clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction: setting a long term vision and agreeing strategic priorities, aims and objectives for the school.
• Encourage an atmosphere in which the children are happy in order to gain as much as possible from their education.  
• Hold the Headteacher to account: questioning, supporting and strengthening the school leadership (but with no direct involvement in operational matters).
• Support the Headteacher and staff in their work with the children.
• Oversee financial performance: making sure the school’s money is well spent and ensuring that resources are allocated in line with strategic priorities.

They are responsible for the appointment of the Headteacher and Deputy.

Each governor has a specific role within the work of the school. The Governing Body works as a team and acts with integrity, objectivity and honesty, in the best interests of the children in our school.  The Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team run the school on a day to day basis, but the governors provide support, assistance and challenge, acting as a "critical friend" to ensure that the school continues to maintain and improve high standards in everything it does.

Above all, as a Christian school, the governors have an overriding responsibility to remain focused on the mission of the school to provide the best possible Christian education for every pupil.

Membership

There are 5 types of 'governor' :

1. Foundation Governor. Foundation governors are nominated by St Mary's Parish Church, Rufford. They have special care for the school’s Christian character.
2. Parent Governor. Parent governors are elected by other parents. A parent governor is a representative, and not a delegate of parents.
3. Co-opted Governor. Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing board. They are people who in the opinion of the governing board have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
4. Local Authority (LA) Governor. The local authority can nominate individuals with specific skills and knowledge to become LA governors on school Governing Board.
5. Staff Governor. Staff governors are members of school staff who are elected by other staff members to be a part of the Governing Board.

All governors have equal status, however they are appointed.

The Governor's Annual Impact Statement can be found in the documents below..

Becoming a Governor

If you would like to know more about the role of the Governing Board or you are interested in becoming a governor, please click on the link below:

 https://www.nga.org.uk/about/become-a-governor-trustee/  

If you are interested in becoming a foundation governor at Rufford Church of England Primary School, you should contact either Mrs Elleray,

(Headteacher) or Blackburn Diocese  www.blackburn.anglican.org

Rufford C.E. Primary Governing Board Members: November 2023

Mrs F Clague, Foundation Governor,  Chair, Child Protection and Safeguarding, H&S, Resources Committee, Learning Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 11/04/2019 

Mr D Ebden, Local Authority Governor, Vice-Chair, Online Safety, Chair of Resources Committee, First appointed 25/03/2022

Mrs A Normington, Parent Governor, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 07/11/2023

Ms L Black, Foundation Governor, SEND, Maths, Chair of Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 02/02/2017

Mrs B Caslake, Foundation Governor, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 12/11/2020

Mr C Coogan, Parent Governor, PPG/CLA, Science, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 23/11/2021

Mrs R Elleray, Headteacher, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, Resources Committee, First appointed 28/10/2016

Mr J  Kochanski, Foundation Governor, Resources Committee, First appointed 17/05/2024

Mr G Lyon, Foundation Governor, Training Link Governor, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 29/10/2020

Ms D Williams, Foundation Governor, Resources Committee, First appointed 24/08/2023

Mrs S Newsham, Co-opted Governor, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 27/03/2019

Revd Canon M Soady, Foundation Ex-Officio, Church School Link Governor, MH&WB, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee, First appointed 14/05/2020

Dr A Williamson, Foundation Governor, EnglishLearning, First appointed 12/11/2020

Mrs H Worden, Staff Governor, Resources Committee, First appointed 28/10/2020

Mrs T Barton, Clerk, Resources Committee, Learning, Teaching & Ethos Committee

Mrs S Shaw, School Administrator, Resources Committee

Historical members within the past 12 months:

Mr D Abraham, Foundation Governor, First appointed 21/03/2023, Date appointment ended 28/03/2024