Governing Body

Being a governor at Grange CE Primary School

Governors play a vital role in supporting Grange CE Primary School by helping to ensure the best possible education for our children. They come from various parts of the community, including staff, parents, church representatives, and local residents.

Governors attend regular meetings and actively participate in school life. We hold full governing body meetings every half term, and each governor serves on one of three committees:

Leadership, Management and Finance (LMF)
Teaching & Learning (T&L)
Community, Environment and Wellbeing (CEW)

Committee meetings take place once per term.

Governors are encouraged to take part in training offered by the Local Authority, the Diocese, and other partners. They also maintain strong links with the wider education community.

What do governors do?

Governors offer strategic guidance, rather than getting involved in the operational aspects of a school. This involves:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Overseeing the school’s financial performance, ensuring money is well-spent.
Holding the headteacher or school leadership to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff

A governor’s relationship with the school’s leadership team involves challenging existing processes to drive school improvement. Although becoming a governor requires drive and commitment, you’ll enjoy many professional and personal rewards, including career development opportunities and the chance to support young people’s futures.

Contact details

Chair of Governors: Matthew Evans

Vice Chair of Governors: Claire Logan

Clerk to Governors: Joanne Garnett

Email: clerk@grange.cumbria.sch.uk

Phone: 015395 32392

Structure

3 x Parent governors
1 x Local Authority governor
1 x Headteacher
1 x Staff governor
3 x Foundation governors
3 x Co-opted governors
Total number of governors 12

Governors serve for a term of 4 years (excluding ex officio and Clerk to Governors)

Committee Terms of Reference

terms of reference.pdf

Governor Newsletters

Academic Year 2023/2024

15th July 2023 Summer Governor Newsletter download_for_offline

download_for_offline15th July 2023 Summer Governor Newsletter

Academic Year 2022/2023

Autumn 22 Governor Newsletter download_for_offline

download_for_offlineAutumn 22 Governor Newsletter

Our Governors

NAME	GOVERNOR CATEGORY Incl Associate Members	APPOINTING BODY	APPOINTMENT DATE	ATTENDANCE OVER LAST ACADEMIC YEAR		ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (ie chairs of governing body and committees and if Associate members have voting rights at committee level)
NAME	GOVERNOR CATEGORY Incl Associate Members	APPOINTING BODY	APPOINTMENT DATE	Governing Body*	Committee*
P Summers	Ex-Off	Ex-Off	N/A	100%	100% All committees	Retired 31/08/2025 - Ex Headteacher
Paula Whinfield	Ex-Off	Ex-Off	N/A	100%	T&L - 100%	Appointed Headteacher from 01/09/2025
Judith Mitchell	Foundation Governor	Diocese/local church	09/01/2025	80%	T&L – 66.67%	RE & Collective Worship, British Values, Safeguarding
Brian McCann	Co-opted Governor	Governing body	01/01/2025	100%	LMF – 100% CEW – 100%	Finance Governor, PE, Math, Humanities, Chair of Governors 2021/2022
Ceri Laisby	Staff Governor	Elected by the staff	13/06/2025	100%	N/A for 24/25	Staff Governor
Gill Webster	Foundation Governor	Diocese/local church	17/10/2025	80%	T&L – 100% LMF – 100%	SEND, Art & DT, Chair of T&L Committee
Matthew Evans - Chair of Governors	LA Governor	Governing body	24/11/2024	100%	CEW – 100% LMF – 100%	Chair of Governors, 2023 - 2024 2024 - 2025 2025 - 2026 Health & Safety, ICT
Claire Logan	Co-Opted Governor	Governing body	28/09/2022	80%	CEW – 100% LMF – 66.67%	Vice Chair, Legal, GDPR, English
Ashley Pateman	Parent Governor	Parents/Carers of registered children at the school	20/10/2025
Rev'd David Wilmot	Foundation Governor	Diocese/local church	16/05/2024	100%	N/A	History
Andrea Bellamy	Parent Governor	Parents/Carers of registered children at the school	03/04/2025	50%		Safeguarding, EYFS
Denis Whalley	Co-opted Governor	Governing Body	12/07/2023	60%	CEW - 33.37%	Site & Buildings
Adam Strafford	Parent Governor	Parents/Carers of registered children at the school	01/01/2025	80%	CEW - 66.67%	Science, Opal Play, Geography
Joanne Garnett	Clerk to Governors	N/A	N/A	100%	100% committees	Clerk to Governors

Grange C of E Primary School