Governors Meeting Stats - currently being updated

Welcome to the Governors' section!

St Mary’s is a church-aided school so a number of the Governors are appointed by the church, either by the church in Chipping Norton or by the Diocese of Oxford. Known as Foundation Governors, they must outnumber other Governors by at least two. There are also representatives of parents and staff and of the local council. The Governors meet as a body six times per year and various sub-committees meet in addition to this to focus on specific matters.

Besides their management role, the Governors are there to help if problems arise. Parents are welcome to contact the Governing Body and may do so through the school office. 

Governing Body 2023/2024

Steve Nelson (Chair and LA Governor)

Christine McQueen (Headteacher)

Jo Graves (Vice Chair Diocese Foundation Governor)

James Kennedy (Ex-Officio)

Linda Carpenter (Diocese Foundation Governor)
Daniel Lawson (Foundation Governor)

Helen Perris (Foundation Governor)

Tina Shelley-Smith (Foundation Governor)

Sherry Bishop (Foundation Governor)

Suzanne Saunders (Foundation Governor)

Paul Wickham (Co-opted Governor)

Laura Tinkham (Parent Governor)

Helen Knott (Parent Governor)

Justine Taylor (Staff Governor)

Kim Williams (Parent Governor)

Anne Strick (Associate Governor)

(1 Foundation Governor Vacancy)

The sub-committees are:

The Resources Committee (Chair Steve Nelson)

The Personnel Committee (Chair TBA)

The Standards Committee (Chair Steve Nelson)

External Relations Committee (Chair Jo Graves)

About the Governors
 

Steve Nelson is the Chair of the Governing Body and the Local authority Governor.  He has two children at St Mary's School.  Steve sits on the Resources Committee, Standards Committee and the External Relations Committee.

Appointed 30 November 2020 - 29 November 2024

Votes on all above committees

Christine McQueen is the Headteacher of St Mary's School.  Christine sits on the Resources Committee, Personnel Committee and the Standards Committee.

Appointed in 2023 (Ex-Officio) when she became Headteacher

Votes on all above committees

Jo Graves is joint Vice Chair of the Governing Body, a member of St Mary's Church and a Foundation Governor.  She previously taught for twenty years at St Mary's, having finished in 2000, and her two daughters enjoyed their primary education years at the school.  Jo sits as a member of the Standards Committee, Personnel Committee and External Relations Committee.  Jo also co-ordinates the monitoring of English throughout the school.

Appointed 1 September 2018 (renewed 1 September 2022 - 31 August 2026)

Votes on all above committees

James Kennedy is the Vicar at St Mary's Church and is a Foundation Governor (Ex-Officio).   Having previously worked for ten years as a surgeon in Oxford, James is now vicar of Chipping Norton.  James sits on the Personnel Committee.

Ex-Officio Appointment when he took up the post of Vicar at St Mary's Church

Votes on Personnel Committee

Linda Carpenter is appointed as a Foundation Governor. Linda is on the Resources Committee, Personnel Committee and the SIAMS group.  She is the RE & Worship Governor link.  Linda has previously worked in a Primary School, as a Teaching Assistant working with children with additional needs for 7 years, then 14 years as School and Finance Administrator. Linda has worked in both the Maintained schools with links to the Diocese and in a Multi Academy Trust setting. 

Currently, she is employed on a part time capacity as Administrator in the Diocese of Oxford HR & Safeguarding Team.

Appointed 1 December 2021 - 30 November 2025 

Votes on all the above committees

Daniel Lawson is a Foundation Governor. Daniel is a Maths Teacher at the Burford Secondary School.  Daniel sits on the Resources Committee and is the Health and Safety Governor.

Appointed 1 September 2017 (renewed 1 September 2021 - 30 August 2025)

Votes on the Resources Committee
 

Helen Perris is a Foundation Governor. Helen sits on the Personnel Committee, the SIAMS group and is the Science Governor link. Helen retired to the Cotswolds with her husband 4 years ago. She trained as a secondary Biology teacher but has also taught in Primary and Tertiary education.  Helen worked in Alternative Provision for the last 15 years of her career setting up and becoming Head Teacher of an Alternative Provision School for excluded pupils and those unable to attend mainstream due to mental health difficulties. 

Appointed 3 February 2021 - 2 February 2025

Votes on the Personnel Committee

Tina Shelley-Smith is appointed as a Foundation Governor.  Tina is on the Personnel Committee, the Standards Committee and the SIAMS group.  Tina is the Governor link for Art & DT.  A retired Design Technology teacher, Tina and her husband moved to Chipping Norton in November 2019 and have been members of St Mary's Church since then.

Mother to four children, Tina has lived and worked in Germany and the Middle East as well as England so she understands the meaning of transition.

Appointed 1 December 2021 - 30 November 2025

Votes on all the above committees

Sherry Bishop is appointed as a Foundation Governor.  Sherry sits on the External Relations Committee, SIAMS Group and is the History and Music Governor link.

Appointed 1 December 2021 - 30 November 2025

Votes on the External Relations Committee

Suzanne Saunders is appointed as a Foundation Governor.  Suzanne is on the Standards Committee and is the SEN/D Governor link.

Appointed on 4 October 2022 - 3 October 2026

Votes on the Standards Committee

Paul Wickham is a Co-opted Governor with two children in school.  Paul is a Firefighter and he sits on the Resources Committee and the External Relations Committee.

Appointed 08 February 2023 - 7 February 2027

Votes on all above committees

Laura Tinkham is a Parent Governor (voted for by parents) with one child in school.  Laura is a Finance Manager for a local company and served for 5 years as the Treasurer for St Mary's PTA.

Appointed on 01 February 2023 - 31 January 2027

Helen Knott is a Parent Governor (voted for by the parents) with one child at school.  Helen's background is in education.

Appointed on 01 February 2023 - 31 January 2027

Justine Taylor is the Staff Governor (voted for by the staff) and the Teaching and Learning Manager for  EYFS/Key Stage one.  Justine  sits on the Standards Committee.

Appointed 01 September 2023 to 31 August 2027

Votes on the Standards Committee

Kim Williams is a Parent Governor (voted for by parents) with two children at school. Kim is the head of a European office of an academic publishing company with experience in finance, marketing and IT.

Appointed on 13 February 2023 - 12 February 2027

(16 posts - one vacancy - PCC Foundation Governor)

Anne Strick is an Associate Governor (voted by the FGB) and is the School Business Manager. Anne is to sit on the Resources Committee / FGB to assist the Governors with the work of the committee (finance). 

Appointed on 08 February 2023 - 7 February 2027

Anne does not have any voting rights at the FGB meetings.