Meet the Governors
Welcome to our Governors’ section.
Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
Our School Governors
The Local Governing Body of St Thomas CE Primary School plays a crucial role in the life and work of our school. It is made up of 10 volunteers from the local and wider community, plus the Headteacher and two members of staff. The role of the Local Governing Body is defined in its constitution.
Our school is part of the Liverpool Diocesan School Trust (LDST), a multi academy trust led by Liverpool Diocese which, “welcomes young people of all faiths and none and is committed to providing each of them with a high quality education and environment where Christian values and principles permeate all that is done”. More information on LDST can be found on the school website and at https://www.ldst.org.uk/
The main work of the Local Governing Body is outlined below:
- Acting as a critical friend to the school and being accountable for its decisions.
- Continuously developing the partnership with parents, carers and pupils and seeking their views to help the Governing Body, Senior Leadership Team and all staff in moving the school forward.
- Establishing the strategic direction of the school by ensuring there is clarity of vision, values and objectives.
- Agreeing the school improvement strategy with appropriate priorities and targets.
- Ensuring accountability by appointing and performance managing the Head Teacher.
- Monitoring the educational performance of the school and progress towards agreed targets.
- Contributing to the school’s self-evaluation.
- Overseeing financial performance by setting the budget, monitoring spending against the budget and ensuring money is well spent and value for money is obtained.
You can find out what we have been doing by looking across the school website which has further information on governing teams, roles, biographies info and links.
St Thomas’ CE Primary School Local Governing Body 2022/23
Executive Headteacher: Mr Mark Ward
Head of School: Mrs Emily Alty
Co-Chairs of Governors: Mrs Rachael Baker and Mr Jack Snowdon
Vice-Chairs: Mrs Joely Gibbons & Mrs Debra Walker
Clerk to the Governors: Ms Anya Richardson
Name | Category | Term of Office Start Date | Appointed by | Term of | Roles and Committees |
Mrs Emily Alty | Head of School / Ex-Officio | 13/03/19 | Local Governing Body | N/A | Head of School Local Governing Body Safeguarding/SEND/ Pupil Premium |
Mrs Rachael Baker | Foundation | 12/10/21 | Diocese | 4 Years | Co-Chair of Governors Local Governing Body |
| Mrs Joely Gibbons | Foundation | 13/07/24 | Diocese | 4 Years | Co-Vice Chair of Governors Safeguarding / SEND / Pupil Premium Link Governor Local Governing Body |
Mrs Gina Harvey | Parent | 01/09/21 | Parents | 4 Years | Health & Safety Link Governor Local Governing Body |
Mr Mark Ward | Executive Headteacher / Ex-Officio | 01/01/16 | Local Governing Body | N/A | Executive Headteacher Local Governing Body
|
| Mrs Debra Walker | Foundation | 08/06/24 | Diocese | 4 Years | Co-Vice Chair of Governors Local Governing Body |
| Mr Peter Donaldson | Foundation | 01/12/21 | Diocese | 4 Years | Local Governing Body |
| Mr Rob Joy | Foundation | 01/12/21 | Diocese | 4 Years | Safeguarding / SEND / Pupil Premium Link Governor Local Governing Body |
| Mrs Helen Gray | Foundation | 10/05/23 | Diocese | 4 Years | Local Governing Body |
| Rev Dr Susan Salt | Ex-Officio | 10/05/22 | Diocese | NA | Local Governing Body |
| Ms Laura Ben-Ali | Staff | 01/01/22 | Staff | 4 Years | Staff Governor |
| Mr Jack Snowdon | Co-opted | 03/03/24 | LDST | 4 Years | Co-Chair of Governors |
Former Governors
Name | Category | Date Appointed | Appointed by | Term of | Stood Down |
| Mr Mark Wilks | Parent | 14/09/22 | Parents | 14/09/22-13/09/26 | 04/06/25 |
| Miss Claire Illingworth | Foundation | 18/07/22 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2024 |
| Mrs Jane Dunn | Foundation | 01/01/06 | Diocese | 01/03/22-28/02/26 | 01/03/23 |
| Mrs Cheryl Dahner | Foundation | 01/10/12 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2022 |
| Mr Paul Illingworth | Parent | 01/10/18 | Parents | 4 Years | 2022 |
Mrs. Kate Rogers | Staff | 01/01/20 | Staff | 4 Years | 2021 |
Mrs Sarah Ellis | Parent | 17/10/18 | Parents | 4 Years | 2021 |
Mr Paul Gradden | Foundation | 01/08/15 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2021 |
Mr Sean Reck | Foundation | 13/03/18 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2021 |
Mrs Jean Cropper | Foundation | 01/09/17 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2020 |
Mrs Karen Pouton | Foundation | 01/03/16 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2020 |
Rev Paul Robinson | Foundation | 01/09/17 | Diocese | 4 Years | 2020 |
| Mrs Holly Prince | Associate | 01/01/20 | Staff | 4 Years | 2020 |
Register of Interests
Name of Governor | Declared Interest |
Mrs E Alty | No business interest declared |
Mrs R Baker | No business interest declared |
Mrs L Ben-Ali | No business interest declared |
| Mr P Donaldson | No business interest declared |
| Mrs J Gibbons | Headteacher at Litherland Moss Primary School |
Mr M Wilks | No business interest declared |
| Mrs H Grey | Family relationship with member of staff |
Mrs G Harvey | No business interest declared |
| Mr R Joy | No business interest declared |
| Rev. Susan Salt | Rector of United Benefice of St Cuthbert's Halsall and St Thomas' Lydiate and Downholland. Governor at Haskayne Downholland School and St. Cuthbert's CE School |
| Mr J Snowdon | No business interest declared |
Mr M Ward | No business interest declared |
Please note: Any declaration of personal interests between Governors and staff of St Thomas’ CE Primary School are made to the Chair of Governors and Headteacher.
Record of Attendance 2023/24
Name | Scheduled Meetings | Meetings Attended | Apologies Accepted | Absent |
| Emily Alty | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Rachael Baker | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Mrs Laura Ben-Ali | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Mr P Donaldson | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Mr L Edwards | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mrs J Gibbons | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Mrs H Gray | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Mrs G Harvey | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Ms C Illingworth | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Mr R Joy | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Rev Dr S Salt | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr J Snowdon | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Mrs D Walker | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr M Ward | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr M Wilks | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
