Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section.

 
Please find below information about who our governors are and what they do. This includes details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Introduction:

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

Schools generally have a budget to cover salaries, running costs, maintenance and equipment and the Governing Body is responsible for managing this budget. They can 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 school's progress and in setting annual targets for the school's performance and for the Headteacher.

Governors are volunteers and the overall Governing Body is made up of a number of different types of Governor: Parent Governors, Staff Governors, Foundation Governors (ie. Appointed by the Bishop and likely to be Parishioners or those with a close history with school or Parish) and Local Authority Governors.

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 (ie 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 coordinator 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  in the same way as other governors.

There is a teaching and support staff member on the governing body and they serve a four year term.

Role of Parent Governors

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.

Meet The Governors

Rebecca Kennedy: Chair of Governors

I became Chair of Governors in September 2014. I have been on the governing body for seven years.

I have four children who all attended St Cuthbert’s and who are now either at University or in Secondary Education.

I worked for many years as a Press Officer for Manchester City Council.  I am a qualified counsellor, registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and have worked for the mental health charity Mind and for East Lancashire Women’s Centres in Burnley and Accrington, as well as privately.

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Foundation (Chair)

End of Term of Office date: 31/08/2024

Cath Baggaley      

I have worked for the Local Authority for over 30 years, the last eleven years of which I have been seconded to UNISON.  I am the Lead Officer for Schools for the Manchester Branch, this involves meeting at a strategic level with the Director of Education and Skills and his Senior Management Team. I am involved in Policy Consultations with both the Local Authority and One Education (former Management Support to Schools). I am an elected member of the Local Authority Schools Forum, Chair of Unison Regional Schools Forum, North West Representative of Unison National Schools Sector Committee and have links with the Manchester Schools Alliance.

I have strong links with St. Cuthbert’s being a former pupil myself.  I have three children, two of whom are still at St. Cuthbert’s.  I am a proactive member and treasurer of the Friends of St. Cuthbert’s and thoroughly enjoy being involved.

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Foundation Governor 

End of Term of Office date: 09/10/2023

Father Brendan Curley

Fr Brendan is parish priest at St Cuthbert’s Church, Withington.  He supports the spiritual life of the school, celebrating Mass regularly.

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Foundation 

End of Term of Office date: N/A

Caroline Darnborough

Caroline has been a governor at St Cuthbert’s for many years.  Her children all attended the school.

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Foundation 

End of Term of Office date: 31/08/2024

Alison Firth  

I have been a Local Authority governor for the past 25 years.

I worked until very recently at the University of Manchester on Widening Participation, promoting the use by schools of the Library’s facilities and getting them to consider University as an aspiration.  I am also involved in supporting and encouraging the use of Summer Schools.

Prior to my work at the University I taught at both Primary and Secondary levels.

Pecuniary Interests: University of Manchester & Parrs Wood High School

Governor Type: Local Authority

End of Term of Office date: 31/08/2024

Kevin Salter (Chair of Personnel and Finance Committee)  

I have held various management posts in the NHS over a period of 20 years.  I have experience in Staff Management, Financial Management, Change Management and Performance Management; these have been areas of particular sensitivity over the last two years due to the need for departmental restructuring.  I am a member of the Institute of Waste Management and the Waste Management Strategy Group for the NHS.

I have been a parent governor in the past but my son and daughter have both now left St Cuthbert’s. I am also a former pupil at the school.

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Foundation

End of Term of Office date: 10/12/2024

Mylene McGuire Executive Headteacher
As the Executive Headteacher I am a member of the Governing body. The governors are very important to the school. All big decisions are discussed with them. My job is to both be a part of the governing body, and also report to them on how well the school is doing in lots of areas. I am also the Headteacher at St Mary's RC in Levenshulme.

I have worked in and with Manchester schools my whole career, both as a teacher and with the Local Authority as a School Improvement Partner and Lead adviser for Primary schools for English and Maths. I work between both schools and really enjoy working with both communities to make sure all of the children get the best education we can give them.

Matt Lawrence

I am a Governor here at St. Cuthbert’s. I have been the Deputy Head Teacher here since September 2018. My experience to date has allowed me to work with children of all ages but in particular the majority of the time in Year 6 and as a member of the SLT in my previous setting. I am extremely passionate about education in a child’s life and I believe every child has the right to a quality education regardless of their background. I love working here at St. Cuthbert’s; the whole ethos and focus we have on ensuring our children receive the best possible start to their education lives is what makes the school so special.  

Pecuniary Interests: None declared 

Governor Type: Staff

End of Term of Office date: 08/10/2021

Governors Attendance at Meetings (Click on the link below for all up to date attendance at meetings)

Governing Body:

 Heather Coogan                              Foundation                               31/08/2021

Personnel & Finance Committee:

Curriculum & Standards Committee