Governors
Hello and welcome to the governors’ page of the school website where you can find out more about the school’s governors and the work that we do.
I believe that learning is a life-long journey. I took on the role of Chair of Governors so that I could share my knowledge and experience of education and be a part of the decisions that help to shape the lives of young children in the area that I have come to love.
The Governors are all volunteers drawn from the Staff, Parents, Local Authority and the wider community. We come from a range of backgrounds and contribute a variety of skills, knowledge and expertise to the Governing Body. We meet as a Full Governing Body at least once every term. Sub-committees, which also meet once a term, focus on specific areas: The Curriculum, Premises, Resources and Finances.
As a small village school, the role of the governors at St Bees Village Primary School is vital, as we ensure that your school leaders are providing the best possible education to help raise standards for all children who attend. We monitor and evaluate the work of the school by reviewing the effectiveness of the policy framework; progress towards targets; the effectiveness of the School Development Plan. Our main role is to challenge and support the Head Teacher and the staff; the term often used to describe this role is ‘critical friend’. As such we: are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress the school is making towards these targets. We also ensure that the school is spending its money in way that allows the school to flourish. We do all this by acting with integrity, objectivity and honesty and always in the best interests of the pupils at St Bees.
The last academic year saw our pupils move forward with renewed confidence after the challenges of the pandemic and lockdown. The governors are delighted to be able to visit the school in person once again and to celebrate and monitor the brilliant work done by staff and the fine achievements of our pupils.
For the last school year some of the governors have managed to carry out curriculum visits to Subject Leaders, we are very fortunate to have staff with such a high level of commitment, expertise and ingenuity. The governors have continued to monitor pupil progress throughout the year and have continued to work on improvement points outlined in our last OFSTED. As funding has become less and less, we have continued to monitor the budget and hold monthly budget meetings ensuring money is well spent. Our governing body is dedicated to supporting the Head and staff in providing a well-rounded and rich curriculum. We continue to undertake training and development to help us understand and monitor all aspects of the school.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents/carers, and professionals from other settings for their continuing support and collaboration particularly as we move forward with our consultation process to academy status and to wish you all the best as we embark on another inspiring year.
The Governing Board
St Bees Village Primary School
Autumn / Winter 2023
Kate Davis |
Headteacher |
January 2028 |
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Anne Blaney |
LA Governor (Chair)
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June 2026 |
I have been associated with St Bees Primary School for over 20 years. I started working as a Teaching Assistant; throughout my time there I became a High-Level Teaching Assistant, Learning Mentor and a tutor for adult education in the C.D.C (A prime example of it’s never too late to learn). Becoming a tutor and working in the CDC enabled the school to acquire a computer suite.
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Alan Bowes |
Co-opted Governor(Vice Chair) |
30 September 2027 |
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Hayley Monaghan |
Staff Governor |
18 September 2027 |
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Simon Ritson
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Co-opted Governor |
3 November 2025 |
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Jon Mellor |
Co-opted Governor |
3 November 2025 |
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Mark Pollard
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Parent Governor |
25th April 2026 |
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Victoria Dixon |
Parent Governor (Vice-Chair) |
10 July 2027 |
My name is Victoria Dixon and I have been a parent governor since July 2019. I have lived in Cumbria all my life and attended the village school as a child. My son James is now a pupil and I wish to see the school continue allow children to have the same opportunities and experiences that I was fortunate enough to enjoy.
I am a veterinary surgeon with experience in management and client care and am now currently self-employed at the family farm where my responsibilities include animal health and welfare, human resources, health and safety and many other things in-between!
I am a passionate believer in all children having equal opportunity to learn and develop their social and personal skills. St Bees Village school is a friendly, inclusive, and safe learning environment for children, I enjoy helping to support the school to achieve this. I am the link governor for Maths, Science, and computing. I also sit on the curriculum and resources committee. I have recently taken on the role of SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disability) governor. |
Clerk to Governors |
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At St Bees Village School our governors are the strategic leaders of our school and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education.
The purpose of our governing bodies is to support the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school.
The governing body will have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governance Arrangements
The full Board of Governors meets at least once each term with supporting committees to consider different aspects of the school in more detail. At St Bees Village School we have committees that look at; finance, personnel, curriculum and premises. We align each governors skill set with the committee of most relevance to encourage full involvement from governors.
To download the full document 'Annual Governance Statement' click here.
To download the 'Governor Responsibility Document' click here.
To download a full copy of 'Attendance Record of Governors' click here.
The Board of Governors was newly constituted in May 2014 in line with the Statutory Guidance on School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012.
If you would like to contact one of our governors, fill in the form below. If the query is for a particular governor, please state this in your e-mail, thank you.