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.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A GOVERNING BODY?

The DfE states that the key purpose of a Governing Body is to help schools provide the best possible education for pupils. Governing Bodies do this by:

• Working with the Head Teacher and staff to set strategic aims for the school, based on its mission and strategies

• Monitoring and evaluating performance, acting as a critical friend to the Head Teacher and Senior Management Team to support and challenge them in running the school

• Ensuring that the school is accountable to the children and parents it serves, to its local community, to those who fund and maintain it, as well as to the staff it employs

 

OUR MISSION STATEMENT AT ST JAMES’S

"St James's is a Catholic School in which each individual grows in the knowledge and love of Christ. In partnership with parents and the whole community, our purpose is to provide a high standard of education, giving the maximum opportunity to realise each person's potential"

Our focus as a Governing Body is to strive to ensure that the school is able to deliver that mission. We therefore focus our attention on making sure that:

• Every individual is able to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ

• Children and staff have the maximum opportunity to realise their individual potential

• The school provides a high standard and a broad based education

• We work in partnership with parents, staff, the local community and other stakeholders in the interests of the children and the community we serve

 

WHO MAKES UP THE GOVERNING BODY?

The Governing Body is made up of a combination of the following:

Parent Governors (2) are elected by, and act as representatives of the parent body. They serve a term of four years with the next elections in July 2020.

Foundation Governors (10) are appointed by the RC Diocese of Westminster and serve for four years. Under Diocesan guidelines, only two foundation governors can be parents who have children currently attending the school.

Staff Governors (2) The Head teacher is a member of the governing body by virtue of her position. School staff elects one other staff governor.

Local Authority Governor (1) is nominated by the Local Authority (LA) and appointed by the governing body. Appointments are made on the basis of the individual’s interests and experience at work, home or elsewhere which may be relevant to being a governor.

Co-opted Governors (3) are appointed by the Governing Body. Appointments are made taking into account the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school. We currently have two Co-Opted Governors but the board can appoint up to three depending on whether there are specific skill-set gaps.

 

HOW DOES THE GOVERNING BODY WORK?

The Board of Governors administers business through five sub-committees.

• The Admissions committee is chaired by Fiona Shepherd. The committee’s role is to set and annually review the school’s admissions policy to ensure compliance with legislation and the guidelines of the Diocese of Westminster. The committee checks all applications for entry to the school and prepares a ranked list of Reception applicants for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRuT) who administer school place offers. The committee also processes Nursery applications, in-year admissions and prepares a response to any appeals.
• The Finance committee is chaired by Edel Hindley. This committee is responsible for the strategic and efficient management of the school budget in line with the requirements set by the Local Authority and/or Department of Education. It regularly monitors expenditure and considers and approves budget priorities in order to ensure value for money. The finance committee also manages the Governors’ fund.

• The Pay & Personnel committee is chaired by Nicola Richards. The purpose of this committee is to ensure that all procedures relating to the recruitment, selection, appointment of staff and their related salaries comply with legislation and current LA guidelines. This includes review of the appropriate school policies, participation in interviews for new (and exiting) staff and in meetings relating to any disciplinary matters, as well as reviewing staffing structures with the Headteacher.  In addition the committee is responsible with the Chair of Governors for undertaking the performance management of the Headteacher and ensuring that the school’s performance management policy is operating effectively.

• The Safeguarding committee is chaired by Jane Palmer. Its purpose is to ensure the school is a safe and nurturing environment for all stakeholders. This includes child protection, school security and inclusivity.
• The Teaching, Learning and Assessment committee is chaired by Liz Green. It forms the link between the governing body and teaching and learning in the school. The committee reviews and seeks to maintain and/or enhance standards within St James’s by assessing relevant subject and curriculum areas, including statutory assessment requirements. It reviews relevant data to monitor progress, set targets and review subsequent actions, giving regular feedback on school actions and their intended outcomes, and reflecting systematically on the effectiveness of teaching approaches. It aims to inform and involve governors on the progress of teaching and learning as outlined in the School Development Plan and individual subject plans.
• In addition to the sub-committees, this year, some of the governors are involved in a working party organised by the Diocese of Westminster to consider implications of current educational strategic thinking around Multi-Academy Trusts.

 

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Chair of Governors – Julie Key, Foundation Governor

Julie was a parent at St James’s School for eleven years, having had a daughter and a son in the school. Before giving up work to focus on family life, she was a forensic accounting partner in a large London accountancy firm. She serves the school as a foundation governor, having joined the board in September 2015, and shares the rest of her time between her family, sitting on the board of St Giles Trust, a national charity, and being a magistrate.

Committees: Finance, Pay & Personnel, MAT working party

GB Posts held: Chair of Governing Board

  

Peter Cousins – Foundation Governor

Peter joined the governing board in March 2018. He is a qualified accountant and works as a management consultant at one of the major multinational professional services firms. Peter has a young daughter and lives in St. Margaret’s.

Committees: Finance, Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Chair)

GB Posts Held: Pupil Premium Link Governor

 

Lydia Cuddy-Gibbs – Local Authority Governor

 

 

Mary Cunnane – Foundation Governor

Mary is a parishioner of St James’s parish and joined the governing board in June 2019. She has two adult daughters, who both attended St James’s school.  Mary was a support teacher, then Sendco, at St James’s for 11 years.  She now works independently as a home-based teacher and assessor for children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.  Her interests include reading, theatre, cinema, music, learning French, walking and travel

Committees: Safeguarding, Teaching, Learning & Assessment, MAT working party

GB Posts Held: Inclusion Link Governor

 

 Ann Edes – Foundation Governor

Ann joined the governing board in January 2014. She has two grown-up daughters. Her professional career has been with a global management consultancy firm, with experience in the spheres of both finance and human resources. She now works in a voluntary capacity for the Citizens Advice Bureau and Home-Start, Richmond. Ann is a parishioner of St Margaret of Scotland.

Committees: Admissions, Pay & Personnel

GB Posts Held: Vice Chair

 

Liz Green – Foundation Governor

Liz has served as a foundation governor at St James's since 2008. Having worked in social policy research at universities, she now works in education policy at the Department for Education. She lives in Kew and has a young child.

Committees: Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Chair), MAT Working Party

GB Posts Held: EYFS Link Governor

 

Edel Hindley – Parent Governor

Edel has been a parent at St James for 6 years and has one daughter in the school. Edel was elected as a parent governor in January 2018 having recently completed 2.5 years as Chair of the PFA, and before that was a class rep and acting treasurer. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in her home city, Dublin, and worked in Central Europe for several years before moving to Twickenham. She is currently working in business process governance for a large multinational company.

Committees: Finance (Chair), Safeguarding

GB Posts Held: Sports Premium Link Governor

 

Dermot Main Thompson – Associate Member

Dermot is barrister of Grayʼs Inn and a part-time judge (Recorder), originally allocated to the Western Circuit and now with more of a “roving brief”. He adjudicates in civil, criminal and family cases and is a Deputy High Court Judge of the Family Division. Born in the Garden of England to Irish parents (Tipperary and Offaly) he is a dual national, educated in Kent, by Berkshire Benedictines at Douai and at the University of Cambridge (MA and LLM). A Munster-supporting Harlequinsʼ season ticket holder and faithful aficionado of The Arsenal FC (44 years and long-time season ticket holder), he numbers travel, the theatre, the countryside and gardening amongst his interests. He is a French and Spanish speaker. Dermot has been a parishioner of St Jamesʼs for nearly 20 years and joined the governing board in June 2020. 

Committees: Admissions, Pay & Personnel

 

Colin Messenger – Co-opted Governor

Colin’s two children were at St James’s during which time he was Chair of the PFA. His daughter is now a local primary school teacher. Colin’s work involves researching technology in schools across 70 countries. He was a member of the UK Government’s DfES’ Classroom of the Future Project and is a STEM Ambassador, where he visits schools enthusing on careers in Science and Technology.

Colin has a passion for cricket and is vice president of Twickenham Cricket Club, where he has been a coach for many years. Colin joined the governing board in March 2016.

Committees:  Admissions, Teaching, Learning & Assessment,

GB Posts Held: IT Vision Link Governor

  

Jane Palmer - Foundation Governor

Jane joined the governing board in September 2016. She is a qualified solicitor and following many years in private practice in both the City and Paris now works as legal counsel for a company supporting its European business. She lives in Teddington and enjoys travelling, theatre and spending time with family and friends. 

Committees: Safeguarding (Chair), MAT Working Party

GB Posts Held: Safeguarding & Looked After Children Link Governor

 

Robert Razzell – Co-Opted Governor

Robert joined the governing board in May 2019.  Robert has two daughters, both at St James’s.  He qualified as a chartered accountant at a Big 4 firm, and has since worked in both the private and public sectors, specialising in major projects and property, including the London Olympics and the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Committees: Finance; Teaching, Learning and Assessment,

GB Posts Held: Mental Health & Well-being Link Governor

 

Nicola Richards - Foundation Governor

Nicola joined the governing board in September 2016. Originating from Cape Town, South Africa, she has lived in the UK for over 16 years and has moved to the Hampton area from St. Margaret’s. Nicola currently works as a Consultant Solicitor and her passions include playing tennis, watching rugby, fashion and technology. Nicola's legal career has spanned employment, HR, litigation and corporate immigration law and she plans to utilise these skills as a Foundation Governor. 

Committees: Pay & Personnel (Chair), Safeguarding

 

Justin Ryan – Foundation Governor

Justin joined the governing board in May 2019. He is a Fellow of the Australia & New Zealand Chartered Accountants & works as a management consultant in Insurance and Banking in the City of London.  Justin has two children at St James and lives in Strawberry Hill.

Committees: Finance & Safeguarding

 

Aileen Sharp – Clerk

 

Fiona Shepherd – Foundation Governor

Fiona joined the governing board in September 2015. She has a son at St James's. Fiona works part-time at the National Theatre as Technical Administration Manager.

Committees: Admissions (Chair)

GB Posts Held: PFA Link Governor, Environmental Link Governor

  

Claire Simms - Parent Governor

Claire was voted as a parent governor and began her governorship in September 2016. Claire has been a parent at St James's for 12 years and has five children. The three eldest are in secondary school and the other two are pupils at St James's. Before becoming a parent, Claire was a primary school teacher and Head of Science for 10 years.

Committees: Admissions, Teaching, Learning & Assessment

 

Carole Tupper – Foundation Governor

Carole joined the governing board in April 2016. She qualified as a solicitor and worked in commercial property before having children. She now works as a Practice Manager for a firm of architects. Her two daughters attended Gumley House and the London Oratory and are now at university.

Committees: Pay & Personnel, Safeguarding

GB Posts Held: RE Link Governor

 

Stephen Wasmuth- Staff Governor – Y3 Teacher

Committees: Teaching, Learning & Assessment 

 

Louise Yarnell – Staff Governor (Headteacher)

Committees: All committees

 

Governors who have stood down in last 12 months:

 

Holly Moore – resigned December 2019

 

Updated: June 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details on Governors meeting attendance, terms of office and declaration of interest can be found here. 

Name	Committees GB Posts Held	Date of First Appointment	End of Current Term of Office	Meeting Attendance(*) (School year 2018-19)	Declaration of Business Interest
Peter Cousins	Finance, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Pupil Premium Link Governor	Mar 2018	Aug 2021	13/16	None
Lydia Megan Cuddy-Gibbs nee Gibbs	Admissions, Teaching, Learning & Assessment	June 2020	June 2024	Recently appointed	None
Mary Therese Cunnane	Safeguarding Teaching, Learning & Assessment Inclusion Link Governor MAT Working Party	June 2019	Jan 2022	5/8
Elizabeth Ann Edes	Admissions Pay & Personnel Vice- Chair of Governing Board	Jan 2014	Aug 2021	13/16	None
Elizabeth Green	Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Chair) MAT Working Party Early Years Link Governor	Sept 2008	Aug 2020	9/10	None
Edel Hindley Maiden name Harbison used professionally	Finance (Chair) Safeguarding Sports Premium Link Governor	Feb 2018	Feb 2022	13/15	None
Julie Ann Key Maiden name Rice used professionally	Finance  Pay & Personnel MAT Working Party Chair of the Governing Board	Feb 2016	Aug 2023	17/17	None
Dermott Michael Main Thompson	Admissions, Pay & Personnel	June 2020	June 2024	Recently appointed	None
Colin Henry Manwaring Messenger	Admissions Teaching, Learning & Assessment IT Vision Link Governor	Mar 2016	Aug 2021	8/10	None
Holly Moore	Resigned December 2019
Jane Ann Palmer	Safeguarding (Chair) MAT working party Safeguarding & Looked After Children Link Governor	Sept 2016	Aug 2020	8/9	None
Robert Steven Razzell	Finance Teaching, Learning & Assessment Mental Health & Well-being Link Governor	May 2018	May 2022	3/3
Nicola Sarah Richards Maiden name Bell used professionally	Pay & Personnel (Chair) Finance	July 2016	Aug 2023	12/16	None
Justin Matthew Ryan	Finance Safeguarding	May 2018	Aug 2023	2/4	None
Fiona Shepherd Maiden name Oram used professionally	Admissions (Chair) PFA Link Governor  & Environmental Link Governor	Sept 2015	Aug 2021	12/12	None
Claire Louise Simms Also known by maiden name, Scholes	Admissions Teaching, Learning & Assessment	Sept 2016	Aug 2020	11/16	None
Carole Anne Tupper	Pay & Personnel Safeguarding RE Link Governor	Apr 2016	Aug 2023	12/13	None
Stephen Wasmuth	Teaching, Learning & Assessment	Sept 2017	Aug 2021	10/10	Staff
Louise Yarnell	All Committees	Sept 2016	Ex officio	25/25	Staff

(*) Total possible meeting attendance varies based on committee schedules 

Updated: June 2020

How to get hold of us.

If you have any issues, concerns or want to ask any questions you can get hold of us through one of the following means:

• Email to the Clerk of Governors- aileen.sharp@st-james.richmond.sch.uk
• Or in writing to the Chair of Governors and handed into the school office.