The Governing Body plays a vital role in the life of the school. It is responsible for setting the overall strategy, vision and ethos of the school, formulating and reviewing school policies and overseeing the educational and financial performance of the school. Our aim is to provide the best possible education, in the best possible environment for the children who attend Eccleston Primary School.
What Our School Governors do
Our school has its own governing body which has specific duties given to it by law including:
- Agreeing school developmental priorities
- Monitoring and evaluate the performance of the school
- Setting school targets
- Making sure the curriculum is balanced
- Agreeing school policies
- Agreeing an annual budget detailing planned spending and staffing
- Appointment of Headteacher and other senior staff
An effective governing body, like ours, is a source of enormous strength to our school. Governors provide the Headteacher with support and advice. They ask searching questions whilst respecting the Headteacher’s position as professional leader of the school. They share in formulating the school’s aims and vision. Being a school governor means being committed to giving time and energy to the role. Each governor, as a volunteer, contributes to the work of the governing body and shares the load. Governors are asked to take part in regular meetings, read lots of papers and find out about the issues being discussed. In practice, this means going to at least one full governing body meeting each term, together with two committee meetings, lasting approximately 2 hours each, plus regular visits to the school during the school day and helping out with school events.
All governors have a duty to act in the interests of all children in the school and maintain discretion and confidentiality. Our Governors do not all have previous experience of education but are very effective governors. Everyone has skills and knowledge from everyday life and work which is of enormous benefit to our governing body. Common sense and the ability to listen and make reasoned decisions together with a commitment to give a few hours of your time are vital ingredients.
The Governing Body acts collectively and the first loyalty of every governor must be to the school. Governors support the staff and headteacher of our school but will also act as a ‘critical friend’. The role is strategic not operational. The head and staff manage the day to day running of the school. Parent governors are elected by parents of children at the school. Although they are there to represent parents’ views, they are not delegates, and other parents cannot mandate them on how they should vote, or what they should say in Governing Body meetings. Likewise, you should not become a Governor to enable you to be proactive in your own agendas. Sometimes parent governors find they are approached by parents with individual concerns. In this case, it would not be appropriate to take the issue to the Governing Body and they should encourage the parents to take the matter up with their child’s class teacher or the headteacher.
In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the 3 core strategic functions of Eccleston Primary School Governing Body are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, values and strategic direction;
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governance Structure and Meetings
The Governing Body of Eccleston Primary School is made up of:
1 Staff Governor
1 Headteacher Governor
2 Elected Parent Governors
1 Local Authority Governor
8 Co-opted Governors (currently 2 Co-opted Governor vacancies)
Co-opted governors
Co-opted governors are only in schools with governing bodies constituted on or after 1 September 2012. Governing bodies constituted before that date have community governors.
Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body and are people who the governing body believes have skills which will contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
There is no restriction on the categories of people who can be appointed as co-opted governors.
Parent governors
Parents, including carers, of pupils at the school are eligible to stand for election as parent governors. They are elected by other parents. If not enough parents stand for election, the governing body can appoint parent governors.
The law does not allow elected members of the local authority, or people who work at the school for more than 500 hours in a year, to become parent governors.
The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a parent governor at the school.
Staff governors
Staff governors are elected by the school staff. Both teaching and support staff employed to work at the school are eligible for staff governorship; volunteers are not eligible.
The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a staff governor at the school.
Local Authority governors
Local authority governors are appointed by the local authority (Lancashire County Council) or nominated by the local authority and appointed by the governing body.
Anyone who is eligible to be a staff governor cannot be appointed as a local authority governor, but any other eligible person can.
Rachel Faris
Chair of Governors
I’m Rachel Faris – I have been a governor at Eccleston Primary School since 2017 and became Chair in June 2022. I have a son and daughter who both attend the school. Most of my spare time is currently spent in Cafe Manna or the library, but when I have time for myself, I enjoy yoga and supporting Blackburn Rovers. I am also the People Operations’ Manager for a legal financial services outsourcing company, responsible for HR, H&S, Compliance and Cyber Security. Having learned so much since joining the board, I am very passionate about doing all I can to help our children move on to the next stages of their life, with the best possible foundations for reaching their potential, in whatever way they dream of.
Alison Arthington
Vice Chair of Governors
Hello, I’m Alison, I was a Parent Governors at the school and became Vice Chair in June 2022. I am mum to Gracie in Year 3 and have an older daughter in Year 10 at Bishop Rawstorne. The other little girl in our family is Willow, our 3-year-old Cockapoo.
I work as a self-employed graphic designer and copywriter. That means I get to spend most of my day thinking of ideas and writing. As part of my Governor role, I am the Link Governor for the Year 5 class and will also have a focus on English, Reading and Literacy. I was previously a Governor at a primary school in Leyland for 5 years and hope my experience means I can make a valuable contribution to the Governing body and the school. I enjoy Latin American and Ballroom dancing – which I’ve done since the first series of Strictly in 2014 – and I also sing in a local choir. I recently fulfilled a long-held ambition and started singing lessons too!
Lisa Banks
Co-opted Governor
Hi, I’m Lisa Banks, co-opted governor at Eccleston Primary School. I joined the governing board in the summer term of 2022. I am the Deputy Principal at a two-form entry primary school in a trust in Bolton where I am also the staff governor. Throughout my teaching career, I have had experience of working in a number of diverse schools and I look forward to being able to share my skills with the team at Eccleston as we prepare our pupils for life in modern Britain.
Outside of school life, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband, two children and our dog at our caravan in Wales. I love reading and can often be found with my head in a book. Over the summer holidays, I have enjoyed reading The Day I Fell Into A Fairytale by Ben Miller with my daughters and a book called Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.
Danielle Battersby
Co-opted Governor
Hello! I’m Danielle and I’ve been a governor at Eccleston Primary School since 2021. I have a 9 month old son called Arto and a 3 year old maltipoo called Dexter. I am currently a reception teacher in a primary school in Walton Le Dale and enjoy spending time at the gym or out walking with the pram and dog!
Although I don’t live in Eccleston, I have strong links to the village with my husband growing up there. Interestingly, my mother in law is the school’s lollipop lady! I hope I can make a valuable contribution to the school to gain the very best for the children.
Dave Brennand
Co-opted Governor
Hi, I am Dave Brennand and a co-opted governor. I have two children who were at Eccleston Primary School in the late 90’s. One is now a teacher and the other a doctor. I have worked in Education for the whole of my career initially as a secondary teacher through various leadership roles finishing up as an education advisor. I have been a governor of EPS before for a significant period of time and was asked to return to support the school at this time. I am also a governor of a secondary school. I have lived in Eccleston since 1989 and continue to be passionate about the education of children and enjoy working with teachers and governors, even though I am fully retired now.
Sarah-Bennett
Co-opted Governor
Hi, I’m Sarah and a Co-opted Governor. I live in the village but work in Skelmersdale for Citizens Advice helping people with their gas and electricity supply problems. I love books and am interested in all things arty and crafty. My son went to this school many years ago and the teachers here helped him make a really positive start to learning. I wanted to give something back to the school as a thank you and to help my local community.
I’m the link Governor for Year 4, Wellbeing and PSHE. I try to get into school as much as I can to see all the amazing and enthusiastic learning going on and I especially enjoy listening to children read.
Kate Hodgson
Staff Governor
Hello, I am the School’s Office Administrator and have been working at the school now for 5 years. Previously I worked in my family’s design company, dealing with all aspects of the business, from brochure design and photography, to illustrating and painting.
I have lived in the village most of my life and my daughter was a pupil of Eccleston Primary School a few years ago. During that period, I was very much involved with FEPs and enjoyed helping in school and organising fund raising events.
As Office Administrator I now enjoy being part of Eccleston school life and the daily interaction with children, parents and colleagues, to assist in making school life run smoothly.
Dean Skelton
Co-opted Governor
Hi, I’m Dean and I joined as a School Governor at Eccleston Primary in Summer 2024.
Whilst being a Governor I am also a Police Sergeant with Lancashire Constabulary and have worked in the county for a number of years.
I am passionate about giving our pupils the best start in life and have a real interest in developing our children to be a success in the future.
I am excited for the future of Eccleston primary and the challenges I shall face as a governor.
Julie Ridley
Parent Governor
Hello, I am Julie and am delighted to have become a parent governor in September 2022. I am Mum to twin boys who are currently in Year 4 of the school and I am married to Mark. I grew up in Eccleston, moved away to go to university and then lived in several __cpLocations across the UK with my career. We now live in Eccleston, having moved back in 2007. I love reading, spending time together with all my family and friends and love travelling to different countries and learning all about them.
I have worked in Retail for over 25 years and my most recent role was to set up Academy stores for Marks and Spencer. These are stores of excellence and are used for all colleague learning, which I am passionate about. I hope to use my business and leadership experience to support the school to be the best it can be.
Arjun Singh
Co-opted Governor
Hello, I am Arjun a school governor at Eccleston Primary School, I joined the governing board in November 2022.
While also being a school governor, I am a Chorley Borough Councillor for Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard but also an accountant. When I do get any spare time, I do enjoy reading, learning about new and exciting things.
Having always enjoyed school and having the scepticism to always want to learn more, I want to share this feeling and to help children to get more out of their school adventure.
Meetings
The Full Governing Body meets three times in the year. We have two committees, which meet at least termly, sometimes more often if required. We have used these meetings to monitor progress of targets in the school improvement plan and challenge and hold senior leaders to account on all aspects of the work of the school.
- Curriculum and Standards
- Staffing/Finance and Premises
Curriculum and Standards
Chair: Alison Arthington
Remit: Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Staffing/Finance and Premises
Chair: Rachel Faris
Remit: Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent. Ensuring that staffing is appropriate to the needs and resources of the school.
Eccleston Primary School Governor Impact Statement 2024/2025
Introduction
This impact statement outlines the contributions of the Governing Body to Eccleston Primary School during 2024/2025. The Governing Body is dedicated to ensuring high educational standards, supporting school leadership, and promoting the welfare of all students, staff, and the wider school community. Our focus remains on Eccleston Primary School's core values, vision, and objectives.
Governor’s Whole School Aim
Knowing the core purpose of our school is crucial to motivating our children and colleagues and a core purpose sharpens our focus on what really matters. The Governors reflect on the core purpose regularly, to ensure that our children and their success, now and in the future, remain at the forefront of our decision-making process.
Our core purpose at Eccleston Primary School is ‘inspiring independent learners to thrive in a changing world’.
In many ways, a school's values system is the most important element of building a truly great school. What we value influences how we conduct ourselves in every interaction we have with others. Our values dictate our behaviours as we go about the difficult work of realising our school vision.
Living by our shared values is key to cultivating healthy relationships. At Eccleston Primary School our values are:
Kindness
Resourcefulness
Resilience
Relationships
Fairness
The Governor’s Role
A Governing Body is an essential part of the leadership of our school. Our Governing Body is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers, who invest a huge amount of goodwill, hard work and time for the sole purpose of improving the education of every child in our school. As Governors, we are accountable for the performance of our school and we are measured by how well we execute 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
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure the money is spent well
The full Governing Board meets three times a year in school, with two sub-committees also meeting termly in school. All meetings are clerked by a trained professional and Governors have good attendance at these meetings.
Governor training is an important part of the role and this year we have undertaken whole board training around our safeguarding responsibilities. Additional training is expected from each of our Governors and will cover a range of subject matters including financial management, Health & Safety, SEND and good governance practices.
School Development and Improvement
Governors work co-operatively with the Headteacher and wider senior leadership team in the writing and monitoring of the School Improvement Plan. A School Improvement Plan (SIP) sets aims for the forthcoming year and our current SIP is based on priorities identified from school and pupil data, school self-evaluation and Ofsted priorities. The SIP is set out with clear aims, the key tasks that will be completed to achieve these aims and the success criteria to measure outcomes. The SIP is monitored and review termly, with an evaluation overview being completed and presented to governors as part of the Headteacher report. Each item on our SIP has one or two Governors assigned, linking to their expertise, to provide closer strategic oversight of each aim.
Governor Impact
Through Governor meetings we receive regular reports from the Headteacher and Governors submit reports from any visits to school. There are regular Governor visits to monitor and feed back on the effectiveness of our school practices in relation to Safeguarding, Health & Safety, SEND, Pupil Premium and other areas, as required, in line with the SIP.
Information that is regularly reported on includes:
- Quality of teaching and learning including self-evaluation reporting, pupil progress and staff performance monitoring
- External financial reporting relating to the school budget, in-year spending and the future financial outlook
- Impact on learning across the curriculum including staff reporting, pupil feedback and assessment scores
- Results and findings from stakeholder surveys and feedback
- Attendance
Each spring term the Governing Body approves the school budget for the next year. This is regularly monitored to ensure value for money, long term viability of our provision (including Beechbuds, wraparound care and extracurricular activities), and that the school operates within the Financial Regulations of the County Council and meets the requirements of the Financial Management Standard in Schools (FMSiS).
Throughout the year, the Governors monitor and approve various policies to ensure the school is following regulatory requirements and best practice. We also specifically monitor Pupil Premium and Sports Premium spending to assess impact and ensure that our Safeguarding and SEND provisions are effective.
The Governors appointed Mr Todd as the new head teacher from the summer term of the last academic year. The Governing Board believes that Eccleston Primary School will remain on the right strategic path under Mr Todd’s leadership and management. We continue with our aim to become an outstanding school.
Away from the delivery of education, the Governing Body has recently upgraded the car park gates and CCTV to better support the safeguarding of our pupils. We have approved changes to our online monitoring processes to improve the safety of our children online and we are actively seeking additional sources of revenue for school to enhance the children's experience while at Eccleston Primary School.