Governing Body
The Governors oversee and facilitate the strategic leadership of the school. The Governing Body is drawn from the wider community of the school including parents, staff, and the local churches, with members also elected by the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education and the Local Authority.
Details of our Governing Body 2023/24, their Pecuniary Interests , the Committees they serve on and their attendance at committee meetings.
Full Governing Body meetings at St Mary’s are open to observers, in particular staff, parents, carers and pupils or our school. If you would be interested in attending please let our Clerk have your contact details a week before the meeting so that we can provide you with relevant papers. It should be noted that although you are welcome to attend this is purely as an observer and unless agreed beforehand there will be no opportunities for comments or questions at the meeting. If you do have an issue you would like to raise about the school and its governance, we are happy to hear from you at any other time. The best way is to bring it to the attention of either the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors. Both of these individuals can be contacted via our Clerk.
Governors’ Fund
The Governors Fund pays contributions that ensure St. Mary’s are able to continue with a programme of improvement and renovation works. Like all Church Voluntary Aided Schools, which have Church Governors from the local community leading them, St Mary’s needs financial support from our Church and School communities. This is because in exchange for this leadership, the government expects the Church community to provide 10% of all the school’s building and maintenance costs. As they have no assets of their own, the Governors set up their fund to collect this money. It mainly comes from the children’s Churches and their parents. In recent years, the Governors have supported many projects, including roof based works, the vegetable raised beds by the Infants, extensive playground equipment and the fantastic MUGA that the children really love playing on.
Governors always look for ways to provide the best facilities and infrastructure for the pupils of St. Mary’s, and the Governor’s Fund helps us achieve this continued improvement.
How does the Governors Fund help us secure Funding Grants for Building Projects?
St Mary’s is a voluntary aided school which means first and foremost that your children benefit from an education with a Christian ethos. It means that we have more independence to make decisions which we think will benefit our children and that we can apply for additional funding from the Diocese. The Diocese fund major projects in partnership with schools where the school pays 10% of the cost, and this 10% primarily comes from the Governors’ Fund.
Your donations make all the difference
We are so very grateful to those parents who have already supported us, and in particular we would like to take this opportunity to thank those who give generously above the level suggested (you know who you are!) Without your support we would not be able to maintain and develop the school to the high level we currently enjoy.
All donations to the fund are on a voluntary basis, and any donation will be greatly appreciated. Please see details on the Governors Fund Letter attached above about the many flexible ways in which you can make a contribution which will make a real difference for our children.
Governors’ Business Interests
It is important that Governors are transparent in ensuring that action they take for the good of the school does not conflict with their own interests and commitments outside of the school. We are required to maintain a register of their interests and publish information about this on our website.
Please click here to view their declared interests.
Become a Governor
We are always interested to hear from people who are interested in becoming Governors. For further information contact our clerk.
Vacancies are published on our Staff Vacancies.