Neville's Cross Primary School

Relly Path, Durham, DH1 4JG

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Home / About Us / Governing Body

Governing Body

Our governing body is made up of parents, staff and community members who all volunteer their time.  The governing body is responsible for overseeing the strategic running of the school.  This means we review and approve policies for various areas of school life, agree budgets and keep an eye on finances across the year. We discuss and vote on major strategic decisions, for example we agreed the new school nursery should be run by the school.  The governing body is not involved in the day to day running of the school – that is the job of qualified staff.

Our Governors

Please see table below for statutory information that we are required to publish regarding the governing body.

NameRepresentingTerm of Office
Start Date
Term of Office
End Date
Committee MembershipLink RolesRegister
of
Interest
Relationship
to
Staff
Mrs Charlotte FergusonActing Head Teacher01/09/2018ongoingFinance
SMSC
First / Pay Review
Curriculum
Head TeacherNoneStaff
Dr Jennifer Search - ChairCo-opted6/10/202019/9/2024Finance
SMSC
First / Pay Review
HT Performance
Curriculum
Chair of Governors
KS2 Achievement and Standards
Maths
Science
KS2
Covid Premium
NoneNone
Mr Rory Whaling - Vice ChairParent03/05/201802/07/2022Finance
HT Performance
Curriculum
EYFS
Data Protection
Geography
Safeguarding
Child Protection
NoneNone
Dr Kate GarbashParent01/12/201619/9/2024SMSC (Chair)
Appeals
English
SRE
Governor training
NoneNone
Mr Darren Knowd Co-opted23/03/201722/03/2021Finance
HT Performance
Appeals
Data Protection
Pupil Premium
Sport Premium
SEND
County Council EmployeeMarried to Lisa Knowd
Mrs Nicola OxnardCo-opted18/10/201931/8/2023SMSC-NoneStaff
Mrs Claire BovillStaff 18/10/201917/10/2023Curriculum-Staff
Mrs Sophie HerdParent21/03/201920/03/2023Finance
First / Pay Review
KS1
Health & Safety
Safeguarding
Child Protection
None
Cllr Elizabeth BrownLocal
Authority
17/07/201716/07/2021AppealsHistoryNone
Mrs Lynsey FinnemoreCo-opted25/04/201902/07/2022SMSC
Appeals
Cultural Education
Foreign Languages
None
Mrs Leona MorganCo-opted19/03/201918/03/2023First / Pay Review
HT Performance
Curriculum
Foreign Languages (tbc)None

Find out more about our Governors on our Meet the Governors page

Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies

Neville’s Cross 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) 

Governor Information (downloads)

Please click below for further statutory information that all schools are required to publish regarding their governing body.

Governing Body Information including term of office, register of interests and governor responsibilities

How To Become A School Governor

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.


Governor Attendance

Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year.

KEY
✓   – Attended meeting
Apologies   – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N   – Did not attend
– – Not a member of the committee

Record of Attendance 2020-2021

Record of Attendance 2020/2021

 Mrs FergusonDr SearchCllr BrownMrs FinnemoreDr GarbashMrs HerdMr KnowdMs MorganMrs OxnardMr WhalingMrs Bovill
SMSC Committee
15th Sept 2020
✓✓-✓✓---✓--
Finance Committee
22nd Sept 2020
✓✓---✓✓--✓-
Safeguarding Training
5th Oct 2020
✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
Full Governing Body Meeting
14th Oct 2020
✓✓✓✓✓✓✓Apologies✓✓✓
First Committee
20th Oct 2020
✓✓---✓-✓---
Record of attendance for Governing Body meetings 2020 / 2021.

Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.


Committee Terms of Reference

The governing body meets every half term to discuss key issues and are updated by the County Council of any new advice or legislation that we need to be aware of. We also meet as smaller sub-committees where we look at specific areas of the school such as finances, the school’s results and the progress children are making (as a whole group) as well as non-academic (social) development of the children. These subcommittees report back to the full governing body.  We look at what the school is doing to improve, what impact it has on children’s progress and make sure money is well spent.

We try to make sure our discussions are well informed and balanced and we have the interests of the children at the core of all our decision making.

Finance and Premises Committee

Terms of Reference:

  •  In conjunction with the Headteacher to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, for approval by the full Governing Body.
  • To establish and maintain an up to date 3 year financial plan.
  • To monitor income and expenditure, including virement decisions, significant anomalies from the anticipated position and report termly to the Governing Body.
  • To ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the County Council and the requirements of the DfE School Financial Value Standard.
  • To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds kept on behalf of the Governing Body.
  • To annually review charges and remissions policies and expenses policies.
  • To make decisions in respect of service level agreements.
  • To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees.
  • To prepare financial statements for inclusion in any reports to parents.
  • To ensure as far as is practical that any Health and Safety (H&S) issues are appropriately funded in accordance with priorities.
  • To ensure that Pay Review Committee and Pay Appeal Committee decisions are appropriately funded.

Meetings: termly, or each half term, planned to coincide with Oracle.
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; a fair hearing is required; or a pecuniary interest. Associate members may not vote.

Appeals Committee

Terms of reference:

  • To consider any appeal against a decision to dismiss a member of staff made by the First/Pay Review Committee (or Headteacher if delegated)
  • To consider any appeal against a decision under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (eg. Disciplinary, pay review, capability for teachers etc.)
  • To consider any appeal against selection for redundancy.

Meetings: as and when required. Must have no fewer members than the Hearing.
Disqualifications: Headteacher. Any Governor who was involved in the hearing Spouse/partner

Pay Review/First Committee

Terms of reference:

  • To act in accordance with the Teachers’ Pay Policy adopted by the Governing Body
  • To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
  • To establish and review a performance management policy for all staff.
  • Ensure the staffing structure is implemented in line with budget constraints and appropriate human resource policies and procedures.
  • To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
  • To make any decisions under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing body, eg disciplinary, grievance, ill health, capability etc where the Headteacher is the subject of the action.
  • To make decisions relating to a member of staff (other than the Headteacher) under the personnel procedures, adopted by the Governing Body (unless delegated to the Headteacher)
  • Ensure the staffing structure is implemented in line with budget constraints and appropriate Human Resources policies and procedures

Meetings: 2/3 per year with additional meetings to be arranged when the need arises. Pecuniary interest.

Delegation to the Headteacher

School Staffing (England) Regulations 2003.

Appointment: The Governing Body can delegate the power to appoint outside the leadership group to:

  • The Headteacher

Delegate to the Headteacher as above for:

  • Permanent teaching staff posts
  • Permanent support staff posts
  • Temporary staff.

Dismissals:

The dismissal of staff will be the responsibility of the Pay Review / First Committee.

Disqualifications: School staff if a declaration of interest is present. Pecuniary interest The Headteacher, the Chair of Governors (if he/she has prior knowledge or involvement) spouse/partner

Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Committee (SMSC)

  • To report back to the Governing Body issues regarding children’s Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Development (SMSC).
  • To monitor and review attendance
  • To monitor, review and develop school improvement plan priorities associated with behaviour and SMSC.
  • To monitor and review community links ensuring they reflect the demographic of the school population.
  • To monitor racist incidents, bullying and behaviour
  • To monitor equality policies and monitor and review provision for different groups of pupils
  • To monitor and review safeguarding policies and procedures.
  • To review pupil and parent voice
  • To monitor the school’s promotion of British Values
  • To monitor the provision of Relationships and Sex Education
  • To keep under review work/life balance, working conditions and well being, including the monitoring of absence.
  • To monitor pupil exclusions.
  • Review online safety policies and procedures for all stakeholders.

Meetings: termly before each full Governing Body meeting.
Meetings: At least 2 per year.
Disqualifications: None.

Virement & Expenditure Limits

Virement LimitsExpenditure Limits
Limit set for Headteacher without
prior written approval of Chair or
Governing Body
£1,000Any items of expenditure up to£5,000
Limit set for Headteacher with
approval from Chair of Governors
£5,000Above this limit if item was previously
notified to the Governing Body.

Prior Governing Body approval to be
sought outside of this limit.

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CEOP

BIG 2015 2016

Bullying Intervention Group

Toilet twinning

Toilet twinning

School Games

Food for life Partnership Bronze

Food for life

Arts Council Artsmark Award

Arts Council England

Healthy School

Healthy School

Local Offer

Neville’s Cross Primary

Copyright © 2021 Neville's Cross Primary School

Relly Path

Durham

DH1 4JG

Tel 0191 384 2249· Email nevillescross@durhamlearning.net



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