Our Governing Body

What do we do?

All schools are overseen by a volunteer Governing Body who, alongside the headteacher, set the vision for the school. Together they ensure that the school works effectively and efficiently to achieve its vision by:

• Building a thorough knowledge of the school and its community;
• Supporting and constructively challenging the school;
• Ensuring accountability - judging the school's performance openly; and,
• Compliance - ensuring the school meets all its legal obligations, for example safeguarding children and managing finances.

The Governing Body works in close partnership with the headteacher, staff and the local authority. In practice, the headteacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school. However, the governors are involved with such things as staffing, curriculum, school buildings and finance. They ensure the school functions well and set the direction and policies for the school, to provide ongoing support and advice and to monitor the outcome.

The Governing Body meets five times each year. Much of the work of the Governing Body is done by committees which meet at least every term (three times in the year). At St. Francis Xavier’s RC Primary, we have the following committees:

Standards and Curriculum:  It’s main purpose is to discuss and monitor all aspects of the school’s work around pupil attainment and progress, and ensuring that the school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements.

Pastoral Support: The main purpose of the committee is to discuss and monitor all aspects of the school’s pastoral work which includes areas such as attendance, behaviour, safeguarding, health, and spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) provision. An important role of the committee is to ensure all Child Protection policies are fully understood and correctly implemented by all staff, and to monitor how the government PE grant is being spent to improve provision.

Finance and Resources: This committee’s main purpose is to ensure that the school spending remains within budget and that all funds are spent wisely to best meet the needs of the pupils.

Who are we?

St. Francis Xavier’s RC Primary School’s Governing Body consists of:

• the headteacher
• one elected staff governor
• one appointed local authority governor
• seven foundation governors
• two parent governors.

The standard 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 Governing Body of St. Francis Xavier’s RC Primary is currently:

• Mr Paul Williams, Foundation governor and Chair
• Mrs Sylvia Cockroft, Foundation governor and Vice Chair
• Mrs Elizabeth Christopherson, Headteacher
• Mr Anthony Giampalma, Foundation governor
• Ms Deborah Hillyer, Foundation governor
• Mrs Kathryn Ling, Associate member
• Mr Ian McCarthy, Parent governor
• Mr Gift Sibanda, Parent governor
• Mrs Rach Thompson, Staff governor

• Ms Alison Naylor, Clerk to the Governors

For further information on the Governing Board at St. Francis Xavier’s please apply to the Clerk to the Governors, through the School Office.

Name of Governor	Date Appointed to End of term of Office	Governor Type/ Appointed by	Position held on the Governing Board (GB) and Specific Roles	Committee Membership	Has signed the Declaration of pecuniary and personal interests register 2025-2026	Details of any conflicting interest Business/work Relationships Governor at another school 2025-2026	Attendance at meetings – FGB and Committees 2024-2025
Mr Paul Williams	22/02/2019 to 31/08/2029	Foundation Archdiocese of Cardiff	Chair of GB RE Link Governor Health and Safety Link Governor	Pastoral Support; Finance & Resources; Standards & Curriculum; Pay	Yes	None
Mrs Sylvia Cockroft	31/03/2014 to 31/08/2029	Foundation Archdiocese of Cardiff	Vice Chair of GB Chair of Standards & Curriculum SEND Link Governor Pupil Premium Link Governor	Pastoral Support; Finance & Resources; Standards & Curriculum; Pay	Yes	None
Mrs Elizabeth Christopherson	14/02/2020 to 30/09/2024 (Staff governor) 01/09/2024- 31/08/2035 Headteacher	Headteacher		Pastoral Support; Finance & Resources; Standards & Curriculum Pay	Yes	None
Mrs Kathryn Ling	27/01/2020 to 26/01/2028	Associate Member	Business Manager	Finance & Resources	Yes	None
Mr Anthony Giampalma	07/02/2018 to 30/11/2020   1/12/2020 to 31/08/2029	Parent Change of Governor type Foundation Archdiocese of Cardiff		Standards & Curriculum	Yes	Assistant Headteacher at another school
Ms Deborah Hillyer	11/12/2020 to 10/12/2024   01/03/2025 to 31/08/2029	Parent Change of Governor type Foundation Archdiocese of Cardiff	Link Governor Attendance Link Governor Safeguarding Link Governor Mental Health and Wellbeing Link Governor	Pastoral Support	Yes	Teacher at a primary school.  Sibling employed by Hoople Education Services
Mr Gift Sibanda	17/03/2023 to 16/02/2027	Parent		Standards & Curriculum	Yes	None
Mr Ian McCarthy	01/03/2025 to 20/02/2029	Parent		Finance and Resources	Yes	Assistant Headteacher at another school
Mrs Rach Thompson	27/09/2024 to 26/09/2028	Staff
Fr James Hood	01/03/2025 to 28/02/2029	Associate member		Pastoral Support	Yes	None
Ms Alison Naylor	01/09/2025 - Present	Clerk to Governors		All	Not Applicable