Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).
Governor Committee Structure
| Name | Category | Appointed By | Term of Office | Committee | Position of Responsibility | Business Interests | Governor/ Staff Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Elaine Matterson Chair | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 12/11/2024 - 11/11/2028 | Appeals Committee, Staffing, Curriculum & Standards, Finance & Premises, Admissions, Pay Review. Special interest: LAC , Safeguarding, Health & Safety | Chair full GB Chair of Appeals. | A Star Attendance Relations | None |
| Mrs Victoria Bramley Vice Chair | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 27/06/2024 - 26/06/2028 | Finance & Premises, Pay Review, Staffing, Appeals | Vice Chair | Governor at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Horden | |
| Mr Danny Dunleavy | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 22/07/2024 - 21/07/2028 | Finance & Premises, Pay Review, Safeguarding, SEND | Governor at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Horden | ||
| Fr Francis McCullagh | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 22/10/2024 - 21/10/2028 | Appeals Committee. | None | None | |
| Mr William McCafferty | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 20/06/2025 - 19/06/2029 | Finance & Premises | Chair of Finance | Governor at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Horden | None |
| Mrs Brenda Williamson | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 24/10/2025 - 23/10/2029 | TBA | None | None | |
| Mrs Clare Ord | Foundation Governor | Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle | 03/11/2025 - 02/11/2029 | TBA | None | None | |
| Clr Julie Griffiths | LA Representative Governor | Local Authority | 20/01/2022 - 19/01/2026 | TBA | Governor at Ribbon Academy | None | |
| Mrs Keighley Larkin | Parent Governor | Parents | 19/09/2025 - 18/09/2029 | TBA | None | None | |
| Mr Rhys Goulden | Parent Governor | Parents | 19/09/2025 - 18/09/2029 | TBA | None | None | |
| Mrs Jill Cartwright - Headteacher | Headteacher | Staff | 12/10/2022 - Ongoing | Finance & Premises, First/Pay Review, Staffing, Curriculum & Standards, Training, Appeals Committee. | Headteacher | None | Daughter is a TA in School |
| Miss Emily Lane - Teacher | Staff Governor | Staff | 11/09/2025 - 10/09/2029 | TBA | None | None | |
Recent Resignations
- Miss A S Dowson – LA Representative Governor – 26th November 2024
- Mrs K Smith – Parent Governor – 6th July 2025
- Mrs V McDowell – Foundation Governors – 6th July 2025
- Mrs S Carter-Smith – Associate Member – 10th July 2025
- Miss J Jones – Executive Headteacher – 31st August 2025
How To Become A School Governor
If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download our documents below.
- Code of Conduct 2025-2026
- Governing Body Allowance Policy
- The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools (2017)
- Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body 2017
- Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body 2016
- Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body 2015
Governor Attendance
Schools are required to display a record of Governor’s attendance at meetings for each school academic year.
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee
| Name | Full GB Meeting 02/10/2025 | Finance Meeting 02/10/2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Elaine Matterson | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Mrs Victoria Bramley | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Mr Danny Dunleavy | A/A | A/A | ||||
| Mr William McCafferty | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Fr Frank McCullagh | N | |||||
| Miss Julie Griffiths | ✓ | |||||
| Mrs Jill Cartwright | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Miss Emily Lane | ✓ | |||||
Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.
Committee Terms of Reference
Committee Terms of Reference July 2025
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