SCHOOL GOVERNORS
A Guide to the Work of the Governing Body
What do Governors do?
The Governing Body of a school provides strategic leadership and accountability, and is responsible for both the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards.
The Governing Body of our school has:
- 17 Governors appointed by the Members of the Academy Trust
- 2 Parent Governors
- 4 Staff Governors
- 1 Governor nominated by the Local Authority
- The Dean of Carlisle and an Ex Officio Governor – there is currently a vacancy with regard to the Dean of Carlisle and The Revd Canon Missioner, Michael Manley is Interim Dean of Carlisle
The three core functions of the Governing Body are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its students, and the performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
In real terms, this involves key actions, such as:
- Approving the school budget.
- Determining the school’s Admissions Policy.
- Approving the School Improvement Plan.
- Appointing and appraising the Headteacher.
- Approving key policies that regulate how the school operates.
- Ensuring that the school is compliant with legal requirements.
- Determining employment practices as the employer of its staff.
Most importantly, the Governing Body has a key duty to monitor the work and performance of the school, by acting as a ‘critical friend’ – a source of challenge and support to the staff – working in partnership with the Headteacher. The day to day running of the school remains the responsibility of the Headteacher, not the Governing Body.
How does the Governing Body operate?
The full Governing Body holds four meetings per year – at least one per term. At each meeting, the Governing Body will go through reports from the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team, report on the work of its various committees and approve key decisions, and discuss pertinent issues relevant to the governance of the school.
The Governing Body has five committees, who meet throughout the academic year, and whose work it is to develop the strategic direction of the school, taking key decisions to the meetings of the full Governing Body for ratification. They Are:
- Church Foundation Committee: Under the leadership of the Dean of Carlisle, this committee reviews the school’s Christian ethos, and its activities that support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural life of the school and its students.
- Curriculum & Staffing Committee: With regard to the Curriculum, Governors review developments within school regarding the curriculum, and monitor the performance of the school in terms of the exam results, other key performance measures and the progress of key student groups. In relation to Staffing, as the employer of the school’s staff, this committee reviews employment policies and practices, ensuring that the school is fully compliant with legislation and is a fair and equitable employer. In addition, Staffing Governors also form a separate Pay Committee, which approves staff pay scales and pay decisions, and forms panels as required to hear any pay appeals.
- Finance & General Purpose Committee: The F&GP Committee monitors income and expenditure patterns of the school and ensures good financial management. It also approves key expenditures and works with the Headteacher and Business Manager to create the budget for approval by the full Governing Body.
- Pastoral Committee: The Pastoral Committee monitors the pastoral life of the school and the work of the pastoral team, ensuring that key policies are in place to meet legislative requirements and to support students in key areas such as: safeguarding and child protection, the year group system, careers guidance and work experience, Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), home-school links, vulnerable groups, and uniform.
- Premises Committee: This committee reviews the use, maintenance and development of the school grounds, site and buildings. It also reviews and monitors health and safety practices, ensuring that the school is fully compliant legally, as well as being a safe place to visit and work.
Transparency of Governance Information
In the interests of transparency, governing bodies are required to publish up-to-date details of their governance arrangements on the school website. Below are full details of all Trinity Governors, their roles, dates of appointment, terms of office and attendance at meetings. Any relevant business and pecuniary interests are also listed, including governance roles in other educational institutions and any close relationships with other Governors or school staff.
Attendance at meetings for 2019/2020
Attendance 2019 to 2020
Senior Governors
The Chairman of Governors, who is also Chairman of the Academy Trust, Mr Armstrong, has an association with the school spanning many decades, as a pupil of the Creighton School, as a parent of past pupils at Trinity School and as a governor since the 1980s. He served as Vice Chairman for 15 years and was elected Chairman in May 2007. Trinity School became an Academy on 1st September 2011.
Mr D B Armstrong
Chairman of Governors
Date appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2023
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
The Joint Vice Chairman is Mr Leach, a long-standing Governor. Mr leach, A Legal Consultant, is retired and was former Managing Partner at Burnetts Solicitors. He chairs the Curriculum & Staffing Committee.
Mr T Leach
Vice Chairman of Governors
Chair: Curriculum & Achievement Committee, F&GP Committee and Staffing Committees
Date appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2022
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Director of Make Print Ltd (Property Lettings)
Appointed Governor
Chair: F&GP Committee
Committees attended: F&GP and Pastoral
Date of appointment: 1 September 2021
Current term of office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interest: None
Mr C Jefferson
Local Authority Governor
Chair: Premises Committee
Date appointed: 1 September 2013
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mr A Hanson
Chair of the Pastoral Committee
Date Appointed: 1 January 2019
Current Term of Office: 4 years to December 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Mentoring at Nudge Education.
Mr A Hanson – Appointed Governor
Dr E Borlase
Appointed Governor
Chair: Church Foundation Committee
Committees Attended: Church Foundation and Pastoral
Date Appointed: 1 September 2013
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Self – Salaried GP at Brampton Medical Practice, Spouse – Finance Officer at Operation Mobilisation (a charitable organisation);
The other Governors on the school’s Governing Body are:
Appointed Governors:
Mrs S Aglionby OBE
Committees Attended: Church Foundation and Pastoral
Date Appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to January 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mr M Carigiet
Committees Attended: Premises
Date Appointed: 1 December 2012
Current Term of Office: 4 years to December 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mr D Carter
Committees Attended: F&GP and Premises
Date Appointed: 1 September 2016
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Self – Director at Bell Park Kerridge (Solicitors) and Director at BPK Estate Agents; Spouse – Director at BPK Estate Agents
Mr T Dawson
Committees Attended: Pastoral and Premises
Date Appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mr J Johnston
Committees Attended: Curriculum & Staffing Committee and the F&GP Committee.
Date Appointed: 1 January 2019
Current Term of Office: 4 years to January 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Self – Partner at Burnetts (Law Firm)
Committees attended: Curriculum and Staffing
Date of Appointment: 1 September 2021
Current term of office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interest: None
Mrs D Libby
Committees Attended: Church Foundation, F&GP and Premises
Date Appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Revd Canon M Manley
Committees Attended: Church Foundation
Date Appointed: 1 September 2011
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2024
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Trustee/Director at Carlisle Cathedral.
Mr S McDermott
Committees Attended: F&GP and Chair of the Audit Committee (Sub-Committee of F&GP Committee)
Date Appointed: 1 December 2013
Current Term of Office: 4 years to November 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mrs L Walkingshaw
Committees Attended: Church Foundation and Pastoral
Appointed: 1 October 2018
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Parent Governors:
Mr P Healy
Committees attended: Pastoral and Staffing
Date of appointment: 1 September 2021
Current term of office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interest: None
Mr P Uppard
Committees Attended: Curriculum & Achievement and Premises
Date Appointed: 1 January 2019
Current Term of Office: 4 years to December 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Self – None
Staff Governors:
Dr I Barker
Committees Attended: F&GP
Date Appointed: 1 September 2013
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2025
Business & Pecuniary Interests: School Employee at Trinity School, Spouse – School Employee (Head of English) at Trinity School
Ms L Wedderburn
Committees Attended: Pastoral
Date Appointed: 1 September 2018
Current Term of Office: 4 years to August 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Ms J Hawkin
Date appointed – 1 September 2019
Term of Office: Ex Officio Governor
Committees attended: Church Foundation, F&GP and Staffing. Ex Officio Member of Curriculum and Achievement, Pastoral and Premises.
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mrs A Wylie Committees Attended: Curriculum & Staffing
Date Appointed: 1 September 2022
Current Term of Office: 4 Years to August 2026
Business & Pecuniary Interests: None
Mr G Edwards was a Staff Governor from 1 May 2016 to 20 May 2022. He attended the Pastoral Committee up to 1 August 2019 and the Curriculum & Achievement Committee from 1 September 2019 onwards.
The normal period of office is 4 years, although Governors can be re-appointed or elected again.
The work of the Governors is supported by the Secretary to the Academy Trust & Governing Body, Mrs Minns, who was appointed in September 2016.
The Trinity Academy Trust
The Members of the Trust are:
Mr D B Armstrong
Chairman of Governors
Mr J Johnson
Diocesan Board of Finance Member appointment – representing the Diocesan Board of Finance
Date Appointed: 28 November 2017
The Reverend Canon M Manley
Interim Dean of Carlisle
Date Appointed: 21 October 2022
The Right Reverend J Newcome
Bishop of Carlisle
Date Appointed: 1 September 2011
The Venerable V Ross
Archdeacon of Westmoreland and Furness and Acting Archdeacon of Carlisle
Date Appointed: 9 November 2022
Previous Members:
The Very Revd M Boyling, Dean of Carlisle retired October 2022
The Venerable L Townend, Archdeacon of Carlisle, resigned August 2022
When and how to contact the Governing Body
Sometimes, Parents/Carers may wish to contact the Governing Body about a school matter that is affecting them.
In all situations, please contact the Headteacher in the first instance. The Headteacher is operationally in charge of the school and can most effectively deal with any issues. The Headteacher is also a Governor and is therefore best placed to bring any strategic matters to the attention of the Governing Body.
There are also formal processes in place within school to deal with admission and exclusion matters, and complaints. Parents/Carers involved in these processes will be contacted directly by school staff and informed of how to appeal.
However, if you do still wish to contact the Governing Body directly, please contact the Secretary to the Academy Trust & Governing Body for advice and guidance:
Mrs L Minns
Secretary to the Academy Trust & Governing Body
Trinity School
Strand Road
Carlisle
CA1 1JB
Tel: 01228 516051
Email: clerk@trinity.cumbria.sch.uk
ANNUAL REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Download Our Annual Report and Financial Statements Ending 31 August 2022
Download Our Annual Report and Financial Statements Ending 31 August 2021
Download Our Annual Report and Financial Statements Ending 31 August 2020
Download Our Annual Report and Financial Statements Ending 31 August 2019
Download our Annual Report and Financial Statements Ending 31 August 2018
Download our Annual Report and Financial statements ending 31 August 2017
Gross Annual Salaries of 100k+ at 31/08/22
Schools are required to have policies in place covering all aspects of the life and work of the school. Many are a legal requirement and others are recommended by the Department for Education (DfE). The Governing Body, together with the Senior Leadership Team, is responsible for the constant review of policies.
Parents/carers might find it helpful to know what policies are in place at Trinity School. The main areas of interest come under the headings of Pastoral, Curriculum and Premises. In addition the school does have policies that cover Leadership and Management, Staffing and Finance. For your information you will find on this website relevant Pastoral, Curriculum, Premises and Leadership and Management Policies.