Governance At St. Peter's

What do Governors do?

Governors are involved in every aspect of school life and usually take on specific roles according to their experience. We play a strategic role, concentrating on the underlying principles of how the school is run. Day-to-day management issues remain the responsibility of the head teacher and his staff.

Overall, governors have 3 key roles:

1. We take general responsibility for the school. We appoint the head teacher and together set the strategic direction of the school. 

2. We agree the school development plan and monitor progress against the targets set, holding the head teacher and senior leaders to account. 

3. We authorise the school budget each year, approve spending and monitor progress against the budget.

How do Governors work?

We meet as a full governing body six times a year. The governors use the circle model and use working parties to undertake their school works. The governors will then report back to the full GB. All votes are undertaken as a full GB. 

The Governor Circle Model is a collaborative approach to school governance in which all members of the governing body work together as a single, unified team rather than in separate committees. This structure encourages shared responsibility, open discussion, and collective decision-making, ensuring that every governor has a clear understanding of the school’s priorities, challenges, and successes. By meeting regularly as a full governing board, governors are able to contribute their skills and perspectives more effectively, leading to stronger strategic oversight, improved accountability, and a more cohesive vision for the school’s development.

In between the meetings, governors undertake work according to their responsibilities.  They visit school regularly to meet with staff and see how the children are doing. The Governors attend regular training. 

Below is a breakdown of our working party structure. 

Business and Financial Efficiency	Community and Engagement	Curriculum and Impact	Early Years
The Business and Financial Efficiency Working Party is a focused group of governors that supports the school in ensuring robust financial management and value for money. Its role is to review the school’s budget, monitor expenditure against priorities set out in the School Development Plan, and ensure that resources are used effectively to maximise outcomes for pupils. The group works closely with the Headteacher and School Business Manager to provide scrutiny, challenge, and strategic advice on areas such as staffing structures, procurement, contracts, and long-term financial planning. It also ensures compliance with statutory requirements and promotes transparency, sustainability, and efficiency in all financial decisions, reporting its findings and recommendations back to the full governing board.	The Community and Engagement Working Party focusses on strengthening the relationship between the school and its wider community. Its role is to support effective communication with parents, carers, and local stakeholders, ensuring that the school remains open, inclusive, and responsive to feedback. The group helps to promote the school’s values, celebrates achievements, and encourages meaningful opportunities for families and the community to be involved in school life. It also considers areas such as attendance, wellbeing, and partnerships with external organisations, providing strategic guidance and reporting back to the full governing board to support continuous improvement and a strong sense of community.	The Curriculum and Impact Working Party focusses on ensuring that the school’s curriculum is ambitious, well-structured, and effectively delivered to meet the needs of all pupils. Its role is to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, review pupil outcomes, and evaluate the impact of the curriculum on progress and attainment across all key groups. The group works closely with school leaders to understand how the curriculum is designed and implemented, providing both support and challenge to ensure continuous improvement. It also considers assessment practices, inclusion, and the effectiveness of interventions, reporting its findings to the full governing board to ensure strong educational outcomes and high standards for every pupil.	The Early Years Working Party focusses on the provision and outcomes within the Early Years Foundation Stage, ensuring that children receive a strong start to their education. Its role is to monitor the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment in Little Lambs, Nursery and Reception, and to evaluate how effectively the curriculum supports children’s development across all areas of learning. The group pays particular attention to school readiness, early language development, and the progress of different groups of children. Working closely with Early Years leaders, it provides both support and challenge, helping to ensure that provision is inclusive, engaging, and aligned with statutory requirements, while reporting its findings back to the full governing board.

How are Governors appointed?

We are required to have a designated number of governors from a number of categories. We can also adopt additional governors, known as associate governors, who can advise but not vote. 

Our current body consists of :

• 2 Parent governors
• 1 Staff governor
• 1 Foundation Ex-Officio
• 4 Foundation Parochial Governors 
• 4 Foundation Diocesan Governors
• 1 Local Authority Governor
• 1 Co Opted Governor
• The head teacher

The term of office for a governor is four years. The Chair and Vice Chair are elected annually at the first meeting of the academic year. The Chair of Governors is David Haygarth who can be contacted, davidh@spmillend.herts.sch.uk 

School Governors:

The Chair of Governors, David Haygarth, can be contacted by email: davidh@spmillend.herts.sch.uk 

Register of Interests:

 

NAME	02.10.2025	04.12.2025	28.01.2026	26.03.2026	07.05.2026	02.07.2026
Tara Coles	x	x	x	x	x
Michael Conley	x	x	x	x	x
Carol - Anne Chandler	apologies	apologies	apologies	apologies	apologies
Fr Mark Harris	x	apologies	x	x	absent-not accepted
Katie Goodwin	x	x	absent-not accepted	absent-not accepted	x
Kate Hoskin	x	x	apologies	x	x
Alison Jones	NA	x	x	x	x
David Haygarth	x	x	x	x	x
Conor Wilson	Resigned	-	-	-	-	-
Laura Wooding	x	apologies	x	x	apologies
Grace Simpson	x	x	x	x	x
Nicola Russ	x	apologies	x	x	x
Lorraine Dodd	x	x	x	x	x
Jemma Reynard	x	x	x	x	x
Sally Funnell			x	x	x

Attendance 2024 - 2025