St Peters C of E Primary School

In order to support the achievement of our vision Love Learn Shine St Peter’s School Local Governing Board plays a key role in ensuring the school is strategically well led. Governors are volunteers who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education.

The three core functions of governance are;

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
Overseeing financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

Local Governing Board Membership Designations

Four elected parent governors
One elected staff governor
One Headteacher
Three foundation/academy governors
There is also the scope for the board to co-opt additional governors to support their work

Regardless of their designation all governors embrace their role of supporting, upholding and developing the distinctiveness of the school as a Church of England School. Governors work collectively on this priority.

Local Governing Board Operation

The Governing Body meets at least once a term in full. Much of its work is carried out through two committees; Quality of Education and Finance & Resources.

Governors at St Peter’s regularly visit school bringing with them a whole host of skills and experience. They play a key role in monitoring and evaluating the impact of provision though the lens of the vision.

Current Local Governing Committee Members

Linda McPhee – Chair of Governors

Linda has 25 years of secondary teaching and management experience. For 12 years she was a curriculum adviser and education planner for a London Borough Local Authority. Her final professional role was at Brunel University where she was responsible for planning and facilitating links to higher education for students from across London schools, contributing to research projects and teacher education.

Since moving to Yorkshire, Linda is able to spend more time with her two grandchildren, train as a volunteer guide at York Minster, and is a member of St Peter’s Church.

Alan Garrow- Vice Chair of Governors

Alan is the vicar at St Peter’s Church. Within the Governing Body, Alan is the Vice Chair and also the Chair of the Faith sub-group. He is married to Emma and their two children attend St Peter’s School.

Paul Griffiths – Headteacher

Paul is the current Headteacher of St Peter’s CE Primary School. He qualified as a teacher in 2000 from Nottingham Trent University and holds a BA in Primary Education with QTS. Paul holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) as well as an ILM5 in Leadership Coaching and Mentoring. Paul has a long standing connection with St Peter’s having served as its Deputy Headteacher from September 2007 – January 2011. Paul returned to St Peter’s as Headteacher in September 2021 having worked as Headteacher of the Federation of Follifoot & Spofforth Schools for 10 years.

Ella Potter – Staff Governor

Ella is the elected staff governor. She teaches in Year 2 and is the early reading and music lead.

Gina Clarke – Parent Governor

Gina has worked in the education sector for the vast majority of her career, having worked in government communications in Whitehall for almost a decade. In that time, Gina led the Department for Education’s 24/7 news desk, as well as advising education secretaries and their advisers on schools policy communications and strategic communications planning. She has also held media roles at Number 10, the Government Equalities Office and the Department for Transport.

Since moving back to Harrogate, Gina worked has an account director at a specialist communications consultancy in the education sector, primarily supporting multi-academy trusts across the country and national education charities. She is now the Corporate Communications Lead at National Highways.

Gina has two children, her daughter joined St Peter’s in 2021, and her little sister hopes to join in 2025.

Jessica Eaton Parent Governor

Jessica joined as a Parent Governor in the summer of 2023. Jessica has worked in communications for almost 20 years, developing and delivering communications strategies and campaigns for a variety of organisations across a range of sectors. Having spent ten years in a senior management position in one of the UK’s largest charities, Jessica also has experience across a range of core operational functions including safeguarding, data protection, HR and finance.

Having spent almost a decade in London, Jessica returned to her hometown of Harrogate with her young family in 2018. Her eldest daughter attends St Peter’s and she will hopefully be joined by her younger brother and sister in the coming years.

Will Naylor – Parent Governor

Will joined as a Parent Governor in the early part of 2022. Will’s career started in Westminster where he worked most latterly managing the Parliamentary office of the Minister of State for Victims. In moving back from London to Harrogate, via York for a few years, Will’s continued working in the public sector. He moved into policing and community safety governance, going onto become the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire. Will recently moved into the private sector, now using his experience to as a public sector consultant for a large digital transformation consultancy. His interest in safeguarding is reflected in the work he does as a Parent Governor.

He lives in Harrogate with his wife and two young children, one of whom is currently in Year 2 and another who hopes to join her big sister at St Peters in 2023.

Janet Parker – Co-opted Governor

Janet has recently retired to Harrogate from the North West, where she spent over 20 years as a senior manager in Further Education Colleges specialising in Science and College Based Higher Education. Her most recent post was as Head of Higher Education at Wigan and Leigh College which included developing higher and degree apprenticeships for local engineering companies.

Janet is married with two sons. She is a member of St. Peter’s Church and volunteers for North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice and Law Centre. She enjoys learning new skills and is currently learning to play bridge and golf.

Sarah Thompson – Parent Governor

Sarah is a registered nurse and has spent most of her career working with children and families. After starting her profession in Neonatal Intensive Care, Sarah studied to become a public health nurse, working in various roles in areas including research, addictions services and delivering a preventative safeguarding programme. Sarah has also worked in NHS strategic commissioning, implementing changes to health service planning to focus on reducing health inequalities.

Sarah is currently a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, teaching students studying adult and mental health nursing degrees and apprenticeships. She teaches content relating to health promotion, communication skills and safeguarding. She is also the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian for the School of Health.

Sarah moved to Harrogate in 2023 and has a son and a daughter who both attend St Peter’s

Previous Local Governing Committee Members

The following have served on the Local Governing Board in the last twelve months.

Helen Bromley 31.7.2024

Jacqui Thomson Co-opted Governor. End Date – 17.11.2022.

Charles Stones, Parent Governor. End Date – 24.3.2023.

The Role and Responsibilities of Governors

The Governing Body has responsibility for ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding the Head Teacher 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 spent effectively.

The Governing Body meets once a term in full but most of its work is carried out at the sub-committees. The Teaching & Learning, Finance, Inclusion and Faith committees also meet at least once a term with additional meetings held as required.

Governors at St Peter’s also do much more than this; they regularly visit school bringing with them a whole host of skills and experience.

The Role of Governors – ‘Eyes on Hands off.’