Meet the Governors

Since September 2018, our school has been federated with St. Patrick’s R.C. Primary School and is called, ‘The Federation of St. Edmund’s and St. Patrick’s’. We have one governing body which is made up of representatives of the Church, parents, teachers and the Local Authority. The function of school governors is an important one. As Catholic schools we are required to assist Catholic parents in their duty of educating their children. Governors of our schools, and in particular foundation governors, have a responsibility to ensure that, at all times, the schools are conducted in accordance with the Diocesan Trust Deed and serve as a witness to Jesus Christ in every aspect of our work.

Governors, as members of the governing body of a Voluntary Aided Federation, are employers of the schools’ staff, teaching and support, with the legal and ethical responsibilities of good employers. In accepting an appointment, a governor takes on a serious responsibility. The Governing Body has three statutory roles which require them to be Strategic, a Critical Friend and Accountable.

Strategic includes 'Vision' - setting the short and long-term aims of the schools - and ensuring the standards of teaching and learning are as high as possible. They will also appoint the Executive Headteacher, Deputy Headteachers and other staff to achieve the agreed targets and priorities.

Critical Friend means being prepared to ask challenging questions in a supportive way to secure improvement. It also involves checking that actions are being, or have been, taken and measuring the effect of the actions on the schools’ performance.

Accountable requires governors to ensure that all statutory obligations are met, report to parents and others on the work of the schools and pupils' achievements, and provide information to Ofsted, the LA and the Diocese.

Governors meet formally as a Governing Body at least once a term and serve on committees which focus on our various responsibilities. They also carry individual roles as Link Governors (focused on specific areas of the curriculum or other school matters) and nominated Governors for other areas needing monitoring/development.

Finally, the Federation of St. Edmund’s and St. Patrick’s is part of a Catholic community. The schools were founded by, and are part of, the Catholic Church and the Foundation Governors, appointed in the name of the Bishop, form the majority of the Governing Body and have an additional legal duty to preserve and develop the Catholic character of the schools. The schools are to be conducted as Catholic Schools in accordance with Canon Law and the teachings of the Catholic Church, and in accordance with the Trust Deed of the Diocese of Salford. 

The Governing Body of the Federation of St. Edmund’s and St. Patrick’s

Whilst the Executive Headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day management of the schools, the role of the Governing Body is to provide strategic management and to act as a ‘critical friend’, supporting and challenging the schools.

Schools generally have a budget to cover salaries, running costs, maintenance and equipment and the Governing Body is responsible for managing this budget and although the schools are federated, we run two separate budgets. The governors decide how many and what types of staff to employ, which equipment to upgrade or replace and what the priorities are for implementing new strategies and initiatives.

Governors also have a role in monitoring the schools’ progress and in setting annual targets for the schools’ performance and for the Executive Headteacher.

Governors are volunteers and the overall Governing Body is made up of a number of different types of Governor. In a federation, a governing body consists of: 2 parent governors (from either or both schools), 1 staff governor (from either school), 7 foundation governors (appointed by the Bishop and likely to be parishioners or those with a close history with school or parish) and 1 Local Authority governor.

Role of Foundation Governors

Although all of the governors have the responsibility to promote and maintain the school’s Catholic character and mission, the foundation governors have special responsibility in this area. The CES document ‘Governing a Catholic School’ (1998) gives this summary of their role.

‘Foundation governors are appointed by the Bishop specifically to ensure:

• that the religious character of the school is preserved;
• that the school is conducted in accordance with its trust deed (i.e. the diocesan trust deed);
• that the Religious Education curriculum is in accordance with the bishop’s policy for his diocese, based on the Bishops’ Conference Curriculum Directory.’
• Foundation governors in Voluntary Aided schools with a religious character have additional legal duties. They are:
• in employing teachers, ‘whenever possible, they should appoint Catholic teachers in order to promote and maintain the Catholic ethos of the school.’ They must appoint practising Catholics to the posts of headteacher, deputy headteacher and co-ordinator or head of Religious Education.
• admitting children ‘first and foremost on religious grounds’, by giving priority for admission to baptised Catholic children;
• ensuring that the whole curriculum, including Religious Education, ‘is taught in the light of gospel values and actively promotes the spiritual and moral development of the pupils’.

Role of Staff Governors

Staff governors are elected by staff in school. There is a teaching or support staff member on the governing body and they serve a four year term.

Role of Parent Governors

Parent governors are elected by parents of the school. Parent governors are not delegates and are not obliged to get voting instructions on matters to be decided, nor to vote in accordance with the parent body's views. It is important that parent governors can give a fair and accurate representation of parental opinion on matters of importance. Care must, however, be taken if they are approached by another parent with a complaint about the school, in which case the parent concerned should be referred to the school’s complaints policy. They vote, however, according to their own conscience and with the well being of the school foremost in mind.

Local Authority Governors

Their role is to represent the Local Authority but they do not have to vote in agreement with the views of the Authority. As all governors, their duty is to put the best interests of the school first.

Who are they?

Our Governing Body is as follows:

Peter Aulton, Foundation Governor & Chair of Governors

My name is Peter Aulton, a recently retired Assistant Headteacher at a local Catholic High School.  I first became involved in the governance of St. Edmund’s in 2011 and then with St. Patrick’s in 2015. The strategic work we have done to shape the future of the two schools has been an enjoyable and rewarding challenge.  I am totally committed to Catholic education and thoroughly enjoy the work we do together to ensure that all of our children are provided with the best possible Catholic education. I work closely with the Executive Headteacher to support her with the leadership and management of the two schools, ensuring our mission is clearly understood by our community and our school priorities are realised. As a former senior leader of a school, I fully understand the challenges our Headteacher & Deputies come across. I ensure they are taking care of their own well-being & workload so that they can enjoy a sustainable work-life balance and in turn support their team effectively.

Mary Arnold, Foundation Governor & Chair of the Curriculum & Standards Committee

My name is Mary Arnold and I have been involved with the two schools since 2017. My experience in education is quite substantial; I was previously a Deputy Headteacher of a Catholic High School, I have worked in numerous schools supporting all areas of school improvement and my current roles include Quality Assurance and Moderation for Manchester Local Authority.  I have a vast amount of experience in governance as I have been on various IEBs (Interim Executive Boards) as well as providing training for governing boards. But, my heart is in Collyhurst!  My primary school was St. Patrick’s and I know the community here very well. I am passionate about standards in education and I joined the governing body because I want to ensure that all of our children get the best possible start in life and the education they so deserve. Therefore, it is important to me that certain grants like the pupil premium, sports & covid catch up are spent appropriately.

Yvonne Kinsey, Foundation Governor, member of the Curriculum & Standards Committee, Vice Chair of the FGB

My name is Yvonne Kinsey and as a former pupil of St. Patrick’s I was delighted to be nominated by the parish priest to become a governor. Since my own children and other family members are also former pupils, St Patrick’s School and parish has always been a part of my family life. I have many years experience of working in a primary school and I have worked with vulnerable children who have additional needs. This is something I am passionate about and therefore I am the link governor for Safeguarding & Child Protection, Looked After Children, SEN/D, the Equality Duty, pupil & staff welfare. I work closely with Mrs Shaw, our SENDCo and the two Deputy Headteachers at both schools regarding the effectiveness of safeguarding. You will most probably see me at church celebrations as I am also a catechist for the Sacramental Programme.

Peter Clough, Foundation Governor & member of the Curriculum & Standards Committee

My name is Peter Clough and I have been a governor at St. Edmund’s for over 15 years and am delighted to be part of the federation as we continue our work.  I enjoy working collaboratively with other governors to improve the lives of children in this locality. I am particularly interested in the health and safety of our children and staff and therefore the work we undertake on the resources committee is invaluable. I love keeping in regular contact with the schools and make the most of technology by following our facebook pages & websites. I am the link governor for health & safety in both schools.

Angela Fisher, Foundation Governor & member of the Curriculum & Standards Committee

My name is Angela Fisher and although retired from teaching, my passion for education has drawn me towards governance.  I became involved with the 2 schools just as the federation was starting to come together and I am excited to be part of the continuing journey of school to school improvement!  I am delighted to be on the curriculum and standards committee because I am a fervent believer in giving children the best possible start, particularly with early language and communication, phonics and reading. I have been a reading recovery teacher and with this expertise I have a lot to offer the Early Years and KS 1 departments in the schools. Therefore, I am the link governor for Reading and English along with curriculum R.E.

Kristian Cope, Local Authority Governor & Chair of the Resources & Finance Committee

My name is Kristian Cope and like Angela, I became involved with the 2 schools just as the federation was forming. I am the Senior Assistant Headteacher at Our Lady’s R.C. High School, for which St. Patrick’s is a feeder primary. I have worked collaboratively with St Patrick’s over the past few years, particularly around transition and now more recently with making curriculum links between primary and secondary. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I embrace the challenge that faces the educational landscape as we work together so that our pupils achieve the best possible outcomes with the resources we have. I relish being part of the federation and am dedicated to creating a bright future for our families.

John Mensah, Parent Governor & member of the Resources & Finance Committee

My name is John Mensah and I joined the governing body in the summer of 2019.  I am really pleased to be part of the governing body, having been elected again by parents. I enjoy working with governors to uphold the Catholic values of the schools as well as maintaining high standards. I am extremely proud to represent our parents and ensure that our ‘parent voice’ is heard loud and clear! I currently have one child at St. Edmund’s so you will probably see me on the school run!  If you would like to speak to me, please leave me a message at St. Edmund’s school.

Mrs Gordon, Staff governor

I am proud to be have been elected by colleagues to join the governing board in September 2022. Both my children are now of school age, I’ve had a ‘flavour’ of school leadership as Assistant Headteacher during 2021-22.  I am passionate about ‘staff voice’, their welfare, workload & well-being. I’m proud to represent all staff so that they have a voice when making important decisions about shaping the future of our schools.

Mr Omotolani Dawodu, Parent Governor & member of the Resources & Finance Committee

My name is Omotolani Dawodu and I joined the governing body in September 2022. My youngest child attends St. Edmund’s and I am delighted and feel privileged to have been elected by parents of the school. I have over 20 years management experience in Accounting and Finance sector including the last 10 years in Fin Tech holding governance positions. My motivation to join the Governing Body is to bring in more parental perspectives to decisions that are made for the benefit of the children and school at large. I love to use my skills and knowledge (where needed) to ‘give back’ and support maintaining the high standards.

Reverend Father Paul Daly, Ex-Officio

I was delighted to join the governing board in September 2022 when I joined the parish. I have a wealth of experience in governance and understand the impact strong governance can have on schools. I will support school leaders to put the Church’s mission into practice by celebrating and embracing the diversity in our parish schools. Of course I enjoy working with parents and children; particularly those who are following the Sacramental Programme and those transitioning to High Schools.  I work very closely with the Executive Headteacher to ensure the Catholic life of both schools is at the forefront of our priorities.

All of our governors can be contacted by leaving a message at either school office.

St. Edmund’s: 0161 205 1700 St. Patrick’s: 0161 834 9004

MEMBERSHIP in 2023-24

All governors can be called upon for hearings/appeals. E.g. Staff Discipline & Dismissal/Staff Discipline & Dismissal Appeals/Performance & Pay Appeals/Pupil Discipline/Complaints