Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section

A warm welcome from the Governing Board

Thank you for visiting us!  We are volunteers who are passionate about children and their educational needs and we have chosen Bolton Primary School, for a number of wonderful reasons including being parents to some of the children in the school, wanting to support the highest quality learning and support educating your children.

In order to make sure we do this effectively, we have three core responsibilities:

• We need to ensure that the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction
• We need to hold the head teacher to account, while supporting and strengthening leadership
• We need to oversee the financial performance of the school, making sure that money is well spent

We want to do the best we can to support children's learning, development and their environment.  We want to ensure the curriculum is rich and varied and as the chair of governors want to assure you that every child matters.  You may see board volunteers around the schools as some come into school to support children with activities.

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 a Governing Body?

Every school has to have a Governing Body which usually includes the Head Teacher, parents, staff, and community representatives. All members of the Governing Body are volunteers and give up their own time for the school.

A Governing Body has provides strategic leadership and accountability in the school. It has three key functions: 

• To provide a strategic view – working closely with the Head Teacher helping to decide the schools long term direction and strategy for ongoing improvements. This includes setting the policies and targets for achieving the aims and objectives of the vision.
• To act as a critical friend – acting as a source of challenge and support to the head teacher and staff
• To ensure accountability - monitoring and evaluating the Schools effectiveness, progress and performance.

The Governing Body is committed to working for the benefit of the school and is always happy to receive your feedback. If you are interested in becoming a Governor, or want more information about our role, please feel free to chat informally to any of our Parent Governors or contact the Head Teacher for further information.

What is a School Governor?

School governors are volunteers who help to run the school. Most schools work with a group of governors - together they’re called the 'governing body'. They are involved in decisions about all aspects of managing the school – such as running buildings and budgets, supporting staff and setting standards of school discipline.
Governors also help to make big decisions about the School’s long-term goals. They support the Head Teacher, but also ask questions and make sure the Leadership Team is taking the school in the right direction.

Who can be a School Governor?

Anyone over 18 can be a school / academy governor – you don’t have to be a parent with a child at the school. However, every governing body includes parent governors, and it can be a rewarding way to be involved in your child’s school.
The most important qualities for being a governor are enthusiasm, commitment and an interest in education. You don’t need teaching experience, but it useful to bring skills from other areas of your life as we need a mix of skills on the Board.
The Governing Body is made up of different types of Governors, these are: -

• Co-opted governor: this individual is appointed by the governors – often from the local community, with specific skills and experience that the Body need
• Staff governor: who are employed by the school, are selected by election by the teaching and support staff.  
• Parent governors: these are parents of children at the school who are eligible to stand for election to be governors by other parents and carers. Parent governors are 'representative parents' rather than 'representatives of the parents', and in common with other governors, are concerned with the welfare of the school as a whole.
• Local Authority governor: these governors are nominated by the local authority but appointed by the governing body and are their to represent the broader view of the community and area
• The Head teacher is a full member of the school’s Governing Body.
• The Chair and Vice-Chair of Governors are elected annually by the governing body.

What does the role involve?

You will need to be able to work well in a team, as you will be making joint decisions on policy.
As a governor you’ll probably need to attend up to six governing body meetings during the year. These usually take place on an evening. There are also termly sub committees and some task and finishes type groups.  In addition, it would be expected that you visit the school at least half termly so that you have experience and a genuine understanding of the school, while also carrying out the monitoring aspects of your role (e.g. thematic of subject areas)
As a governor you will get the chance to use your own experience and life beyond school to inform conversations  and your perspective and insight to inform decision making in the interests of the school community. It will give you a chance to develop and utilise your skills in a board-level environment and make a value contribution to education and our community.
The role usually lasts for a term of 4 years, although these can be extended depending on the need and personal situation of individual Governors.

How do I become a School Governor?

If you are interested in becoming a governor, talk to the current chair of governors, Lisa Wilson, who leads the board. When there’s a vacancy for a parent governor all parents will be informed, and you will have a chance to stand for election.
You can also contact Ruth Elstone, Head Teacher who can be contacted at the school address in writing
Before you put yourself forward, if you are employed please talk to your employer. Many employers recognise the role of school governor as useful work experience and may offer paid leave as part of their initiative to give back to the community. It may also be helpful to speak to current Parent Governors about the role.

Accessing the Minutes of Governor Meetings

The minutes of all meetings are taken and signed off as true and correct record of the meeting. The clerk to Governors carries out this role and a copy of the minutes can then be requested by parents and wider community if they wish. Actions are progressed between meetings and updated at the following committee to track delivery and accountability.

Terms of Reference – Bolton Primary School Governing Body

The following terms of reference, including those delegated to committees, apply to the Governing Body as a whole.

• ensure that they and the school promote tolerance of and respect for all people; and support and help, through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain
• carry out statutory duties in a transparent and accountable manner, understand the boundaries of their role as governors and provide support for an effective head teacher
• ensure clarity of vision, ethos, strategic direction and planning, and engage with key stakeholders
• contribute to the school’s self-evaluation and understand its strengths and weaknesses at all levels
• provide appropriate challenge and hold the head teacher and other senior leaders to account for improving pupils’ learning, behaviour and safety
• assist the Head teacher in formulating the School Improvement Plan and monitoring and evaluating its progress
• establish and review relevant policies

There will be two Full Governor Body Meetings each term - the first one of the term focused on core Governance duties – known as Business (Policies, termly Head Teacher Report, Budget and other core role and committee updates (see standard agenda template).

The second meeting of the term will be focused on Curriculum and Children's Learning (replacing the previous delegated committee) to include the following:

• Review the School Improvement Plan and discuss progress and outcomes for the children
• The School’s curriculum and curriculum policy: To ensure that we continue to be ahead of the game with the NC changes, as well as providing broad and exciting educational experiences for the children
• Standards of attainment and achievement: to discuss available data at each meeting for year groups and also for specific groups of children eg SEN, Pupil Premium
• Monitoring and scrutiny of teaching and learning (inc receiving curriculum based Governor Monitoring Reports)
• Review and monitor the communication to parents and other stakeholders from both School and Governors to include School Prospectus, home school communication, newsletter, website and friends events and meetings.

Staffing, Finance and Premises Committee

Overall responsibilities and remit:

1. Staffing

• understand and monitor performance management systems and decisions about salary progression, and hear appeals relating to pay awards
• review the staffing structure and oversee the process leading to staff reductions, if/as required
• establish a Salary Policy for all categories of staff and be responsible for its administration and review
• oversee the appointment procedure for all staff
• review staff work/life balance, working conditions and well-being, including the monitoring of absence
• make recommendations on personnel related expenditure to the governing body

2. Finance

• ensure solvency and probity, and that financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively within financial regulations and best value practices
  • consult with the head teacher, to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, and maintain an up to date three year financial plan
  • monitor the budget regularly and report to the governing body at least once a term and update if there are significant anomalies
  • review charges, remissions and expenses policies
  • communicate relevant financial information to parents as appropriate, including ring fenced funding, e.g. pupil premium, and sports and PE funding
  • monitor staffing levels and personnel related expenditure, and determine whether sufficient funds are available for pay increments

3. Premises

• provide support and guidance for the head teacher on all matters relating to school buildings and site
• consider and recommend a Health and Safety Policy for the school, monitor its effectiveness and to discharge responsibilities, including monitoring the accident statistics, under Health and Safety legislation
• review buildings, site, furniture and equipment regularly in the context of Asset Management and site safety and security
• recommend to the Governing Body priority items for inclusion in the School Improvement Plan that cover the asset management planning categories of Conditions (repair and maintenance) and Suitability

(improvement)

• ensure that health and safety issues are appropriately prioritised
• consult with the Head teacher and governing body to oversee premises related funding bids, implementation of contracts and monitor performance of these
• oversee arrangements, including Health and Safety, for the use of school premises by outside users, subject to governing body policy
• establish and keep under review an Accessibility Plan
• Review and adopt the Local Authority Plan for Emergency Situation

Governor Meeting Dates 2025/2026

Full Governing Board

Wednesday 10th September 2025 @ 5.30pm
Wednesday 19th November 2025 @ 5.30pm
Wednesday 28th January 2026 @ 5.30pm
Wednesday 15th April 2026 @ 5.30pm
Wednesday 24th June 2026 @ 5.30pm

Staffing, Finance and Premises

Wednesday 8th October 2025 @ 2.30pm
Wednesday 4th February 2025 @ 2.30pm
Wednesday 6th May 2025 @ 2.30pm

Governing Body Membership 2025/26

Name of governor	Governor Category	Committee	Term of Office	Declarations September 2025
Debbie Tinkler	Headteacher	SF&P CCC	Ex-officio	None
Stephen Tudway (Chair of Governors)	Co-opted	SF&P	23.01.2028	Priest in Charge for North Westmorland and all PCCs / Ex-officio C of E School Governing Bodies Associated with this.
Bianca Cousins	Staff	CCC	01/09/2025	Proprietor Gillcumber Glamping
Kaya Bennett	Co-opted	CCC	20.01.2024	Bolton Nursery
Kathryn Macfarlane	Co-opted	CCC	December 2025	Cumberland County Council Child Protection (CP)
Kate Allinson	Parent	SF&P	23.01.2028	Bolton Nursery, Eden Valley Hospice (employer)
Carla Miller	Co-opted	SF&P	26.09.2028	Director at Impact Consulting Ltd

 Attendance at full Governors meetings

Name	2023/24	2024/25
Ruth Elstone - Head teacher (retired August 2025)	6/6	5/5
Debbie Tinkler - Head Teacher, previously staff governor	6/6	5/5
Kaya Bennett - appointed January 2020	6/6	3/5
Bronwen Maxwell - resigned August 2024	6/6	n/a
Roy Ashley - resigned 2025	5/6	0/3
Jane Morris - resigned August 2025	3/6	5/5
Ian Thompson - resigned April 2024	3/4	n/a
Stephen Tudway - appointed January 2024	3/4	4/5
Kate Allinson - appointed January 2024	4/4	4/5
Carla Miller - appointed September 2024	n/a	4/5
Kathryn Macfarlane - appointed December 2024	n/a	3/3
Bianca Cousins - appointed September 2025 as Staff Governor	n/a	n/a