Our Governors

Welcome to the governors’ section of the St Swithun’s School website.

Here you can find out about the role of governors, the composition of our governing body, who the governors at St Swithun’s are, and more about them. We support the Headteacher and her staff in building on the considerable strengths of the school and in so doing ensuring all aspects of the school - quality of teaching, leadership and management, behaviour, safety and the achievement of pupils - continue to improve.

Clare Nurton, Chairs of Governors, can be contacted via email through the office.3258@st-swithuns.oxon.sch.uk 

Copies of the minutes of all governor meetings are available to read in the school office

Register of Business Interests

Schools are required to publish a register of governor business interests and attendance at full governing body meetings and committee meetings.

Register of Business Interests

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2024/25

Governor Attendance

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2023/24

Governor Attendance

Governor Attendance

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2022/23

Governor Attendance

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2021/22

 Governor Attendance

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2020/21

Governor Attendance

Governor Attendance

St Swithun's Governor Attendance 2018/19

Governor Attendance

Constitution

What is our role?

Good governance at a school is of huge importance and can have a considerable impact on the success of a school.

At St Swithun’s, governors play an active role in school life, champion ambition and high educational standards and work in strategic partnership with the headteacher and staff to ensure our school continues to improve. Governors, as a corporate body, have a legal responsibility for the school.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one and its key functions are to:

• set the aims and objectives for our school
• set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
• set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
• monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
• be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend)

The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

Governors have statutory responsibilities such as safeguarding, health and safety compliance, effective curriculum planning and delivery, equality, inclusion, admissions and attendance. Specific strategic responsibilities include headteacher recruitment, the school staff structure, performance management and pay, and oversight of the school budget. Our aim is to raise standards in the interest of continuous school improvement and becoming an outstanding school for all pupils, their parents and carers and the wider community.

Composition of the governing body

The governing body has representatives from parents, the Local Authority, teaching staff, the community and the Diocese. The St Swithun’s School Instrument of Government, a legal document that was made effective in 2005 and updated in 2015 following reconstitution of the Governing Body, records the body's composition as follows:

• Headteacher (1)
• Staff governor (elected from the staff, 1)
• Parent governors (elected from the parent body, 4)
• Co-opted governors (appointed by the governing body, 2)
• Foundation governor (appointed by the Diocese, 3)
• Local authority governor (appointed by the Local authority, 1).

The Full Governing Body (FGB) meets ten times a year. Copies of the minutes of governor meetings are available to read in the school office.