Message from the chair
Message from Chair of Governors, Fr Dave Heywood
In accordance with Government requirements, the three core strategic functions of the Governing Body of St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the School and its children.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the School and making sure its money is well spent.
The Governing Body fulfills these functions by:
- Strategic leadership that sets and champions vision, ethos, and strategy.
- Accountability that drives up educational standards and financial performance.
- Ensuring the membership of the Governing Body is made up of people with the right skills, experience, qualities, and capacity.
- Implementing structures that reinforce clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
- Ensuring compliance with statutory and contractual requirements.
- Regular evaluation to monitor and improve the quality and impact of governance.
The Governing Body is made up of 7 Foundation Governors, 2 Parent Governors, the Headteacher, 1 Staff Governor and 1 Local Authority Governor. Each member brings different skills, knowledge, and experience to the Governing Body.
The full Governing Body meets once a term, but much of the work of the Governors is carried out by committees that meet more regularly to consider different aspects of the school in greater detail (i.e. Curriculum, Finance & Personnel, Admissions, and Premises). In addition, each Governor has an area of responsibility (e.g. Safeguarding, Early Years Foundation Stage, Pupil Premium, Wellbeing, etc).
Governors visit the school regularly and each Governor is linked with a year group.
The Governors are passionate about ensuring St Oswald’s provides the very best education for every child we serve under our mission to “love, learn, respect and appreciate”. We seek to do this in a warm, welcoming, safe and stimulating environment in which children can enjoy learning and thrive. We want every child to be happy in school, grow in confidence, and aspire to learn so that when they leave St Oswald’s they do so “with a love of learning, a thirst for knowledge, an understanding and appreciation of their faith and religion, and the world they live in and, above all, many happy memories”.
Fr Dave Heywood
Governing Body
| Type of Governor | Name | Term Starts | Term Ends |
| Foundation Governor | Fr Dave Heywood | 1/9/23 | 31/8/27 |
| Foundation Governor | Mr Paul Caswell | 30/1/20 | 29/1/24 |
| Foundation Governor | Mrs Susan Ellison | 1/9/23 | 31/8/27 |
| Foundation Governor | Mr Stephen McNicholls | 1/9/21 | 31/8/25 |
| Foundation Governor | Mr Wai-Keung Mui | 23/3/23 | 22/3/27 |
| Foundation Governor | Vacancy | ||
| Foundation Governor | Vacancy | ||
| Parent Governor | Mrs Alison Horner | 26/10/20 | 25/10/24 |
| Parent Governor | Mrs Sophie Jones | 10/11/21 | 9/11/25 |
| Staff Governor | Mrs Jill Thomason | 12/7/23 | 11/7/27 |
| Head Teacher | Ms Helen Lennon | ongoing | |
| LA Governor | Mr Matthew Bluck | 18/4/23 | 27/4/27 |
| Associate Governor | Miss Philomena Barrett |
Governor Attendance
A summary of Governors’ attendance at Full Governing Body and committee meetings can be found below. In addition to Full Governing Body termly meetings and committee meetings, weekly information/documentation is shared with Governors each Friday during term time. A central record of all correspondence is held in the school.