Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

► "The key purpose of a Governing Body is to help schools provide the best possible education for pupils."                                    The Department of Education (DfE)

What is the role of the Governing Body?

Governing Bodies help schools 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:

►  "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 is in 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 October 2024.

• 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.

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

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• 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.

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• 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. 

How does the Governing Body Work?

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

• The Admissions committee:
  • 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 & Premises committee:
  • 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:

  • 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 Head Teacher. 

  • In addition, the committee is responsible with the Chair of Governors for undertaking the performance management of the Head Teacher and ensuring that the school’s performance management policy is operating effectively.

• The Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare committee:
  • 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:
  • 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.

• The Professional Learning & Outreach committee:
  • Its purpose is to ensure the school is engaging in professional learning and offering internal expertise to other education settings.
  • The committee also oversees the generation and development of new school endeavours, for example the expansion of the St James's wrap around care and nursery provision.

Who are the members of the St James's Governing Body?

• Iain Hildreth - Chair of Governors – Foundation Governor
  • Iain joined the Governing Board in 2022. A parent at St James for 15 years his daughters now attend Waldegrave and Tiffin School, with his son at University College London. He has worked in commercial, marketing and strategy leadership roles for listed and private-equity businesses in the UK and France, developing expertise in branding, communications and digital transformation. He has lived in the area since 1999, now in Hampton Hill.
  • Committees: Finance & Premises, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee

• Hilary O'Sullivan  - Vice Chair of Governors - Foundation Governor  Vice Chair of Governors -  Foundation Governor
  • Hilary has been a parishioner at St James church for over 20 years.  She is the parent of 3 children who all attended St James’s School between 2006 and 2017.  One of her children has SEND so she has a special interest in special education and inclusion.  Before her children were born, Hilary had a career in advertising.  Whilst her children were at St James' Hilary did a PGCE at St Marys and now teaches in a local primary school. Hilary joined the Governing Board in September 2020. 
  • Committees: HTPM, Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare Committee, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee

• Ciaran Beatty - Staff Governor (Headteacher)
  • Committees: All committees

• Clare Kinsella - Foundation Governor
  • Clare joined the board as a Foundation Governor in September 2023. She was a parent at St James’s School for eleven years, having had a daughter and 2 sons in the school, her youngest leaving in 2023. Clare was an active member of St James's PFA.  She is a chartered accountant with experience of working in both Practice and Industry including 10 years at KPMG and more recently as a part time finance director in a media agency. Clare volunteers at a local premature baby charity providing accounting support. In her spare time, Clare enjoys supporting her children's football teams, travel, theatre and reading books. Clare is a parishioner at St James’s Church, Twickenham.
  • Committees: Finance & Premises Committee, Pay & Personnel Committee

• Robert Razzell - Foundation Governor
  • Robert joined the Governing Board in May 2019.  Robert has two daughters, the youngest of which is 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 & Premises (Chair), GB Posts Held: Well-being Link Governor, HTPM, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee

• Sinéad Russel - Foundation Governor
  • Sinéad has been a parent at St James’s since 2017 and joined the governing board in 2023. She is the Director of Literature at the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. There she oversees the global programme of work in writing, reading and publishing. Sinéad is also a BACP-registered therapeutic counsellor, working with "Off the Record", Twickenham’s youth counselling service. 
  • Committees: Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare Committee, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee

• Eileen Church - Foundation Governor
  • Eileen joined the Governing Board in November 2022.  She is the parent of two sons, both of whom attended the school between 2010 and 2022. Her professional background is in education and she has been a primary class teacher for 30 years in the Borough of Richmond. Beyond teaching, Eileen seeks to enrich children’s life experiences and sits on the fundraising committee that supports music opportunities for pupils at Tiffin Boys’ School.  She is also on the committee of a local youth Gaelic football club, where she is the child welfare officer and safeguarding lead. 
  • Committees: Pay & Personnel Committee, HTPM, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee (Chair)

• Steph Hill  - Foundation Governor
  • Steph is new to the Governing board in 2024.  She had two boys at St James’s between 2015 and 2024, and is a regular attendee at St James’s church.  She is a partner at Sunday, a content marketing agency based in Southwark, and has worked in the comms and media industry for 29 years.  She specialises in multi-channel marketing for blue chip brands, including strategy and delivery.  Steph has grown up in the area, having attended St Elizabeth’s and St Catherine’s School, and was an active parent during her children’s time at St James’s including being a rep three times, co-creating the 125^th anniversary book and as a catechist for Holy Communion instruction.
  • Committees: Pay & Personnel Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee

• Mark O’Brien – Co-Opted Governor
  • Appointed as a Co-opted Governor in September 2024, Mark has three children at St James’s. Employed as COO at a local special school and working as a consultant for the DfE and ESFA, Mark is also a Fellow at the Institute of School Business Leadership where he is the national representative on school funding. He has been involved in supporting children and adults with disabilities for over 25 years. Away from work Mark enjoys spending time with his family, has an interest in rugby union and hopes to one day be better at golf.  He looks forward to supporting St James’s in its mission to meet the current and future needs of our school community and deliver an outstanding Catholic education for all pupils. He is particularly looking forward to actively supporting the GTC and the schools work in SEND and inclusion.
  • Committees: Finance & Premises, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee

• Richard McWilliams – Foundation Governor
  • Richard joined the governing board in September 2024, is a parishioner at St James’s Church and has been a parent at St James’s School since 2016, with two boys now at high school and a third still at St. James. Richard has worked in the property and built environment sector for 30 years including as an engineer, consultant and innovation specialist. He now runs his own sustainability consultancy that helps public sector organisations to plan, fund and procure building upgrades that reduce carbon emissions, save on energy bills and alleviate fuel poverty."
  • Committees: Finance & Premises Committee, Admissions Committee, 

• Conor Cahil  – Foundation Governor
  • Bio to be published.
  • Committees: Finance & Premises Committee, Admissions Committee, 

• Lydia Cuddy-Gibbs - Foundation Governor (pending)
  • Lydia is a teacher and experienced school senior leader. Currently, she works as Head of EYFS for a large multi-academy trust. She lives in Twickenham with her young daughter, husband and two cats. In her spare time, Lydia enjoys baking and going to the theatre. Lydia is a parishioner of St Margaret of Scotland.  She joined the Governing Board in June 2020.
  • Committees: Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare Committee, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee
  • GB Posts Held: Early Years Link Governor; Inclusion Link Governor, Safeguarding Link Governor, 

• Ben Wootton - Local Authority Governor
  • Ben joined the Governing board in September 2023 and was appointed as the Local Authority Governor in November 2023. Having grown up in the area, Ben was very keen to send his two children to St. James’s. He was heavily involved as a volunteer across his childrens’ time at St. James's and he now hopes to continue his involvement as a Governor. Ben is a solicitor, specialising in data protection, IT and commercial law. Outside the office, he can be found on the touchline of various sports pitches supporting his kids with his first aid bag.
  • Committees: Professional Learning & Outreach Committee, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee

• Claire Biagioni - Parent Governor
  • St James’s has been a part of Claire’s life for the last 8 years.  She has 2 daughters, one of which has now moved on to senior school and a second in Year 5.  Claire has been a primary school teacher for 23 years. Her teaching career is extensive, having worked in both private and state schools, as well as teaching in an international school in Rome for 2 years. Her most recent experience has been at St James’s, where she worked in Years 1 and 2 for 5 years. Last year, Claire reluctantly gave up her position to pursue a new business venture. However, children and their education are her passion and her ties to the school remain extensive where she continues to support the school on a voluntary basis.  
  • Committees: Admissions Committee (Chair), Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare Committee

• Fiona Forrestal - Parent Governor
  • Fiona joined the Governing Board in July 2022 and has 2 daughters at St. James’s. She is originally from Ireland and has also lived and worked in Switzerland before settling in Twickenham. Her professional career is in drug development and she is currently a Director of Biostatistics for a biotechnology company. Her background in Mathematics and Statistics makes her passionate about promoting STEM to children from a young age, especially to girls. 
  • Committees: Finance & Premises Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee (Chair)
  • GB Posts held: RE Link Governor, Admissions Committee, Professional Learning & Outreach Committee

• Stephen Wasmuth -Staff Governor
  • Assistant Headteacher Infant School
  • Committees: Safeguarding & Pupil Welfare Committee, Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee

• Julie Fox – Clerk

Governors who have stood down in the past 24 months:

• Ann Eades resigned July 2023
• Carole Tupper - resigned July 2023
• Justin Ryan - resigned July 2023
• Ciaran Merrigan - resigned July 2023
• Nicola Richards - resigned due to relocation November 2021
• Fiona Shepherd - resigned July 2022
• Frank Glennon - resigned October 2022
• Edel Hindley - resigned December 2022
• Julie Key - resigned August 2024
• F Cullasy-Doran - resigned August 2024
• Neil D'Mello - resigned August 2024

Updated: September 2024

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

How to contact us:

The school clearly outlines its preferred communication channels for parents.

Communication should follow this escalation:

1. Class Teacher
2. Team Leader
3. Assistant Headteacher
4. Deputy Headteacher
5. Headteacher

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 Should you need to contact the governors having exhausted this escalation, contact should be made via email to the Clerk of Governors- julie.fox@st-james.richmond.sch.uk or in writing to the Chair of Governors and handed into the school office.