Governance
The Goring and Stoke Row Church of England Primary Schools Federation is overseen by a governing body. This governing body is responsible for the strategic leadership, accountability, and Christian ethos of both schools. It supports the Executive Headteacher and holds leaders to account for the quality of education, financial performance, pupil outcomes, and wellbeing across the federation.
What Governors Do
The governing body:
- Sets and maintains the Christian vision, values, and strategic direction of both the schools in the federation.
- Acts as a critical friend to leaders, supporting and challenging performance.
- Ensures statutory accountability, compliance, and financial oversight.
Federated Governing Body: Membership & Roles (2025–26)
The tables below show current governors for the federated governing body.
Name | Role / Governor Type | Appointing Body | Term Starts | Term Ends |
Dr Henry Fay | Chair of Governors | Persons appointed by foundation body / Diocese | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Ailsa Toolin | Staff Governor | Elected by school staff | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Revd Benjamin Phillips | Foundation Governor | Foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Bernadette Sachse | Parent Governor | Elected by parents | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mr James Moreton | Foundation / Co-opted Governor | Persons appointed by foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Jennifer West | Foundation Governor | Persons appointed by foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Revd John Blair | Foundation Governor | Persons appointed by foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mr Laurence Fitt | Local Authority Governor | Nominated by LA, appointed by GB | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Louise Hewitson | Parent Governor | Elected by parents | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Sara Todd | Foundation Governor | Persons appointed by foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mr Tim Monk | Foundation Governor | Persons appointed by foundation body | Jan 2026 | Jan 2030 |
Mrs Angela Wheatcroft | Executive Headteacher | Ex-officio (Headteacher) | Jan 2026 | — |
Mrs Amanda Clegg | Associate Member | Co-opted by governing body | Jan 2026 | — |
Mrs Caitlin Raaff | Associate Member | Co-opted by governing body | Jan 2026 | — |
Miss Hannah Grey | Associate Member | Co-opted by governing body | Jan 2026 | — |
Mrs Kelly Mitchell | Associate Member | Co-opted by governing body | Jan 2026 | — |
Notes:
- “Foundation Governors” are appointed by the the Church of England foundation body, reflecting the Church status of both schools.
- Parent and staff governors are chosen by election or nomination.
- The Executive Headteacher serves ex-officio (by virtue of office).
Structure, Committees & Responsibilities
To support effective governance across both schools, the governing body may operate through these key committees (or designated link roles):
Finance & Resources Committee
Chair of Committee: Mr James Moreton
- To provide strategic oversight and monitoring of all financial, personnel, premises, and statutory compliance matters across the Federation. This combines the functions of the previous Finance, Personnel, Buildings, and Admissions (policy only) committees.
Teaching, Learning & Inclusion Committee
Chair of Committee: Mrs Sara Todd
- To provide strategic oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of all matters relating to teaching quality, learning outcomes, curriculum, standards, safeguarding, and inclusion (SEND).
Ethos Committee
Chair of Committee: Revd John Blair
- To ensure that the distinctive Christian vision of each school is embedded in the school community, and to monitor the impact of this.
Named Governor Roles
The FGB appoints Named Governors (Link Governors) to monitor specific areas across the Federation and report back to the relevant main committee or the FGB.
Governor Role | Terms of Reference | Reporting Committee |
Safeguarding Governor | To advise the FGB on safeguarding issues, confirm all governors have read KCSIE, receive the annual safeguarding reports, and undertake specific safeguarding monitoring visits (e.g., SCR review). | Teaching, Learning & Inclusion |
SEND Governor | Maintain links with and support the SEND Coordinators (SENDCOs), and participate in the monitoring of the Federation's arrangements. | Teaching, Learning & Inclusion |
Pupil Premium Governor | To ensure accountability for the use of Pupil Premium funding, monitor the provision and evaluate the impact, and report to the relevant committee/FGB on outcomes. | Teaching, Learning & Inclusion |
Health and Safety Governor | To advise the FGB on health and safety priorities for the maintenance of both schools, and to oversee at least one H&S site walk per year (delegated to the F&R Committee for action). | Finance & Resources |
Filtering and Monitoring Governor | To ensure appropriate standards are met regarding the filtering and monitoring of online material. | Teaching, Learning & Inclusion |
Policy/Documentation Governor | To ensure that systems are in place to maintain governor documents, manage version control, and remind governors/committees of document review dates (aligned with the Annual Schedule). | FGB / Clerk |
If you would like to contact the clerk, please email: clerk.jkirby@gsrfederation.co.uk