Governing Body
Our Governing Body is made up of staff, parents of children in our school and members of the local community who all volunteer their time to oversee the work of our school. Our Governing Body has three key functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
Our Governing Body is not involved in the day to day running of the school; it is there to provide support and challenge and to ensure all decisions are well informed and made with the best interests of the children in mind. 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 Governing Body meets every half term to discuss key issues and to review the work of the school. Governors are also provided with updates from the Local Authority regarding any new local or national advice and any changes to legislation they need to be aware of.
Our Governors
Co - Chairs: Rory Whaling and Megan Rimmer
Vice Chair: Beccy Blackwood
Terms of Reference:
Please see table below for statutory information that we are required to publish regarding the governing body.
| Name of Governor | Representation | Term of office | Committee Membership | Link Roles | Register of Interest | Relationship to Staff |
| Mr Rory Whaling | Co-opted Governor | 3.5.22 - 2.5.26 |
Co - Chair Finance committee Curriculum committee SMSC committee First committee HTPM committee |
outdoor learning Data Protection Complaints Disciplinary |
None | None |
| Mrs Sophie Herd | Parent Governor | 21.3.23 - 20.3.27 |
First committee Curriculum committee Finance committee SMSC committee |
Governor training Governor induction English Pupil Premium Funding |
None | None |
| Mrs Jane Simmons-Thomas | Parent Governor | 30.01.25 - 29.01.29 |
Appeals committee Curriculum committee Finance committee |
EYFS Music Art MFL (French) |
None | None |
| Mrs Rebecca Blackwood | Co-opted Governor | 26.10.23 - 25.10.27 |
Vice Chair Curriculum committee Finance committee First committee |
Online safety Website Computing & online safety curriculum |
None | None |
| Mr Mason Beirne | Co-opted Governor | 23.10.25 - 22.10.29 |
Curriculum committee
|
History Geography |
None | None |
| Miss Emma Roffe | Co-opted Governor | 12.3.25 - 11.3.29 |
curriculum committee First Committee |
PE Sports Premium Funding |
||
| Mrs Maddie Appleby | Staff Governor |
30.4.25 - 29.4.29 |
Curriculum committee
|
N/A | None | School staff member |
| Mrs Nicola Oxnard | Co-opted Governor | 17.10.23 - 16.10.27 |
Curriculum committee SMSC committee |
N/A | None | School staff member |
| Cllr Elizabeth Brown | Local Authority Governor | 19.7.21 - 18.7.25 | Curriculum committee |
DCC councillor City of Durham parish Councillor Deputy Mayor Other governor role |
None | |
| Miss Megan Rimmer | Co-opted Governor | 26.10.23 - 25.10.27 |
Co-Chair SMSC Committee Curriculum committee |
Maths | None | None |
| Mr David Milligan | Co-opted Governor | 7.12.23 - 6.12.27 | Curriculum committee |
Safeguarding SEND & Inclusion Children Looked After Behaviour & Attendance |
None | None |
| Mr Chris Metcalfe | Parent Governor | 19.1.24 - 18.1.28 | Curriculum committee |
Health & safety GDPR |
None | None |
| Mrs R Brannan | Head Teacher | 1.4.21 - ongoing |
Finance committee First committee Curriculum committee SMSC committee |
Head Teacher | None | School staff member |
Committee Terms of Reference
Members of our Governing Body 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
Chair: Rebecca Blackwood
Terms of Reference:
Appeals Committee
Chair: Jane Simmons - Thomas
Terms of reference:
Staffing and Pay Review/First Committee
Chair: Sophie Herd
Terms of reference:
Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Committee (SMSC)
Chair: Megan Rimmer
Terms of reference:
Curriculum Committee
Chair: Rebecca Blackwood
Terms of reference:
Head Teacher Appraisal Committee
Chair: Rory Whaling
Terms of reference:
Governor Attendance 2025-2026
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
Apologies – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
– – Not a member of the committee
|
Full Governing Board 27.10.25 |
Full Governing Board 4.3.26 |
Full Governing Board 6.5.26 |
Curriculum Committee 26.11.25 |
Curriculum Committee 18.3.26 |
Curriculum Committee 8.7.26 |
First Pay review 26.11.25 |
HTPM Committee 6.11.25 |
||
| Mr Rory Whaling | / | / | / | / | |||||
| Mrs Beccy Blackwood | / |
|
apologies | apologies | -- | ||||
| Miss Megan Rimmer | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mrs Sophie Herd | / | / | / | -- | |||||
| Mrs Jane Simmons-Thomas | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mr Chris Metcalfe | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mr Mason Beirne | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mr David Milligan | / | / | apologies | / | |||||
| Mrs Maddie Appleby | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Cllr Elizabeth Brown | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mrs Nicola Oxnard | / | / | -- | -- | |||||
| Mrs Emma Roffe | / | / | / | -- | |||||
| Mrs Rachel Brannan | / | / | / | / |
|
Finance Committee 15.10.25 |
Finance Committee 10.12.25 |
Finance Committee 11.3.26 |
Finance Committee 20.5.26 |
Finance Committee 24.6.26 |
SMSC Committee 1.10.25 |
SMSC Committee 21.1.26 |
SMSC Committee 29.4.26 |
||
| Mr Rory Whaling | / | / | |||||||
| Mrs Becky Blackwood | / | -- | |||||||
| Miss Megan Rimmer | -- | / | |||||||
| Mrs Sophie Herd | -- | / | |||||||
| Mrs Jane Simmons- Thomas | / | -- | |||||||
| Mr Chris Metcalfe | apologies | -- | |||||||
| Mr Mason Beirne | -- | -- | |||||||
| Mr David Milligan | -- | apologies | |||||||
| Mrs Maddie Appleby | -- | -- | |||||||
| Cllr Elizabeth Brown | -- | -- | |||||||
| Mrs Nicola Oxnard | -- | / | |||||||
| Mrs Emma Roffe | -- | -- | |||||||
| Mrs Rachel Brannan | / | / |
Governor Code of Conduct
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)
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.
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