St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School

Would you like to find out more about being a (Parent) School Governor and how to apply?

What is a Parent Governor?

• School governors are volunteers who help in the leadership of the school.
• Most schools work with a group of school governors - together they are called the 'governing body' or ‘board of directors/trustees’ (as the school is an academy). Governors get involved at a strategic level, eg overseeing the budgets and curriculum, rather than the day-to-day running of the school.
• Governors also help to make decisions about the school’s long-term goals. At St Catherine’s School, they support the Head Teacher, but also ask questions to make sure the Senior Leadership Team is taking the school in the right direction.
• St Catherine’s School believes very strongly that it is important to have parents involved in the governance of the school, so please think about applying for the role of Parent Governor.

Who can I talk to so I can find out more about this?

• Please contact Amelia Penfold, the Governance Lead, if you would like to have an informal chat about the role: clerk@stcatherines.swindon.sch.uk

How do I Stand for Election as a Parent Governor?

• Read through the document ‘The Role of a Parent Governor’ and see if you think you have what it takes.
• Then read the document ‘Disqualifications’ – this is to make sure you are (legally) able to serve as a school governor.
• Then fill out the Nomination Form.  You need to be proposed and seconded by two parents of two different (and unrelated) pupils who are also currently registered at the school.  The proposer and seconder should indicate their support for you by signing the Nomination Form.

• All nominations should be emailed to Amelia Penfold, the Governance Lead, at clerk@stcatherines.swindon.sch.uk by 9am on Monday 20^th October 2025.

• Please also send in a Personal Profile about yourself and why you would like to become a Parent Governor (no more than 200 words) to support your nomination.  This will only be used if there needs to be an election by secret ballot (if there is more than one nomination for the place available).
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Please do not be put off by thinking that you need to have specialist knowledge or experience. Genuine interest and willingness to learn are much more important to start with, there is good quality training and support available to help you, and you will be joining an established Governing Board, with good support from fellow governors.

We look forward to hearing from you.

St. Catherine's Governance

School governors play an important role in the life of St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School. They provide strategic leadership and accountability and support the school in delivering its aims and objectives and ensuring the correct policies, plans and procedures are in place.

At St Catherine's, the role of Governors also includes the promotion of the school’s Catholic character and mission. The majority of our Governors are Foundation governors who are appointed by the Bishop and they are responsible for ensuring the religious character of the school is upheld and the school is run in accordance with Diocesan policies. 

 In addition to this, Governors are responsible for overseeing and agreeing the school budget, premises and admissions. Governors appoint and work closely with the Headteacher who manages these responsibilities alongside the day to day management and control of the school, delivery of the curriculum and implementation of policies on their behalf on a daily basis.  The Governors meet regularly to provide challenge and support for the school - they are the Headteacher’s “critical friend”.

You can find information about how to contact the school Governors under 'Contact Us'.

You can also find below the 'Structure and Remit of the Board.'

Governor Information 

Please click on the documents below to find out more information about our Governors: