Governance

The Chair of Governors is Ms Nicole Sharp c/o St Peter’s School, St Catherine’s Road, Bournemouth BH6 4AH

Governors may be contacted by emailing the Chair of Governors via Mrs S Wallace-Abbott, the Clerk to Governors, using swo@st-peters.bournemouth.sch.uk

Meet our Governors (also known as 'Trustees')

NICOLE SHARP - CHAIR OF GOVERNORS

I was elected to serve as the Chair of Governors from January 2020 after becoming a Foundation Governor in September 2019. I first became a Co-opted Governor in January 2018 as I wanted to support and play an active role in St Peter’s remaining a strong school as it continues its exciting journey to becoming an all-through school; one that is committed to maintaining a focus on everyone at the school being the best they can be. I sit on the Teaching, Learning and Achievement Committee and I am the governor with responsibility for Safeguarding. I’m also mum to a child at St Peter’s School.

BOB BELCHER - VICE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS

I have been a Foundation De La Salle Governor since 2003. I am Vice Chair of the Governing Board, Chair of the Finance, Resources and Premises Committee and a member of the Pay Committee.

AMY ALDERSON

I was elected as Parent Governor in December 2022. I am a former student of St Peters School and now my son attends the Primary Phase. I currently work in Early Years Education as a Director of Audit and training, specialising in Safeguarding, inclusion, Special Educational Needs and developing positive behaviours.

KEVIN ALLEN

I am a former pupil of St Peter’s School and all five of my children along with my two step children have attended St Peter’s School. I joined the teaching staff of St Peter’s in 1980 as a Senior Teacher responsible for Pastoral Care and in 1989 was appointed Deputy Head of the School. In 1993 I was appointed Headteacher of Kingsleigh School in North Bournemouth.

I am now semi-retired and was appointed a Foundation Governor and Chair the Student Welfare and Catholicity Committee. I am the Link Governor with specific responsibility for Section48 matters.

TRACY ALLEN

I was elected as a Parent Governor in January 2019. I have been a primary school teacher for 18 years and am currently the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCO) at another local school. I have 2 children, one of whom is in the Primary phase of St Peter's. I sit on the Student Welfare and Catholicity Committee.

PETER BOOTH

I have acted as a Co-opted Governor since 2009 and I sit on the Finance, Resources and Premises Committee where I report on site matters.

CHRIS CHASTNEY

I am employed as Estates Manager at St Peter’s School and was elected as a Staff Governor in November 2014 where I sit on the Finance Resources and Premises Committee.

BEN DOYLE

I sit on each committee by virtue of my role as Headteacher.

PETER EVANS

I am a former Headteacher and Ofsted Inspector and was appointed as a Foundation Governor in January 2020. I sit on the Teaching Learning and Achievement Committee

JAMES GALLAGHER

I was appointed to the Board in March 2024 as a Co-Opted Governor. I have two children in the primary phase of the school.

SYLVANA HAYES

I was appointed to the board as a Foundation Governor in Jan 2024 where I am a member of the Finance, Resources and Premises Committee. I have two children at St Peter's in the primary phase of school.

LOUISE MCDONALD

I was appointed to the Board in January 2018 as a Co-opted Governor where I am a member of the Student Welfare and Catholicity Committee. I also have one child at St Peter's in the primary phase of the school.

REV FR JOHN NELSON

I was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Portsmouth in 1984 and have worked in a number of parishes, as well as holding diocesan roles. Over the years I have been a Governor in fifteen different schools, Primary, Secondary, Independent and MOD.

Recently (September 2022) I took up an appointment as Parish priest at Corpus Christi, Boscombe, when I joined the Governing Body at St Peter’s as a Foundation Governor nominated by Bishop Philip Egan.

Through involvement as a Governor, as well as supporting the Chaplaincy Team, I hope to make a contribution to what St Peter’s is offering its students, their families and the wider community.

AMAYA SILVERIA

I am the Governor with responsibility for safeguarding and I sit on the Student Welfare and Catholicity Committee

GLYN WHITWORTH

I was appointed as a Foundation Governor in November 2021 and sit on the Teaching, Learning and Achievement Committee.

Prior to retirement I was an Executive Director of Curriculum and Quality at a large Further Education College. I have experience of teaching in 11–18 schools, a sixth form college and a further education college. I have worked as an Additional Inspector for OFSTED and I have served as a Governor in a primary school.

I have a grandchild at St Peter’s School.

Structure of the Governing Body

Governors/Trustees

ROLE

In an academy “trustees” fulfil the roles traditionally fulfilled by governors. At St Peter’s trustees are usually still referred to as governors. Academies have the legal status of companies and are also charitable trusts meaning that trustees have the responsibilities of both company directors and charity trustees. They must have the best interests of the academy uppermost in their minds at all times and have a duty of compliance, ensuring all relevant laws and regulations are followed.

As holders of a public office, trustees should also be aware of the Nolan principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Like all company directors and charity trustees, academy trustees must be autonomous in their decision-making and avoid conflicts of interest. For example, if they are connected to another organisation in the local community, such as a business, their decisions as a trustee must be made independently. Governors have a strategic role to play within the school organisation, leaving the day-to-day operational matters to the Headteacher and staff.

REMIT

The Governors of a Catholic school work as a team, in close co-operation with the Headteacher and all the staff. Foundation Governors share the responsibilities of all Governors:

ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

In addition, Foundation Governors are appointed specifically to ensure that the religious character of the school is preserved that the school is conducted in accordance with its trust deed and that the religious education curriculum is in accordance with the Bishop’s policy for the Diocese. Governors need to be clear about the aims and values of the school and be prepared to work with the school as a “critical friend’, recognising and celebrating achievements, supporting and encouraging strategies to bring about improvements but also asking challenging questions to ensure objectives are met.

The Governing Body is one of the key players in the school development/improvement planning process and Governors are involved in the review of the school improvement plan and the drawing up of the priorities for the coming year.

Governors receive information and discuss issues at the termly Full Governing Body meetings, although much of the work is delegated to the three committees which also meet at last once each term: Finance, Resources and Premises (FRP); Student Welfare and Catholicity (SWC)* and Teaching, Learning and Achievement (TLA). Governors are responsible for the appointment of the Headteacher and are frequently involved in the interviews of other staff, particularly at senior level despite rarely being experts in educational matters.

*SWC committee deals with Admissions matters and meets more frequently than the other two committees – both to approve changes to the Admissions Policy (before ratification by the Governing Body) and to consider bulk applications for entry into Years R and 7 in Accordance with the Admissions Policy.

List of Governors (Trustees) their Appointment Terms and Attendance at Meetings

Register of Business Interests, Pecuniary Interests and Relationships of Governors (Trustees)

Governor Code of Conduct

Members

REMIT

The Members of the Trust are in effect the shareholders of the Academy Trust (the Company). They are appointed by the Diocese and the De La Salle Order in equal number along with the Chair of Governors.

Members:

As charitable companies limited by guarantee every trust has members who have a similar role to the shareholders of a company limited by shares. They:

Are the subscribers to the trust’s memorandum of association (where they are founding members)
May amend the articles of association (the articles include a definition of the trust’s charitable objects and governance structure) subject to any restrictions in the articles or in the trust’s funding agreement or charity law
Have powers to appoint and remove trustees in certain circumstances
Appoint the trust’s auditors and receive the trust’s audited annual accounts (subject to the Companies Act).
Provide a guarantee if the Trust were to be wound up and the assets were insufficient to settle the liabilities (although their individual liability is limited to £10).
May in certain circumstances, appoint new members or remove existing members
Have power to change the name of the company and, ultimately, wind up the academy trust.

List of Members and their Appointment Terms

Register of Business Interests, Pecuniary Interests and Relationships of Members