Please meet our School Governors

St Michael's CE Primary School Governing Body 2025-2026

 

Mrs Debra Wailes (LA Governor) -  Chair

Mrs Nicola Westmoreland (Foundation Governor) - Vice Chair

Mr Roger Benson - (Foundation)

Mr Andy Miller (Parent Governor)

Mrs Hayley Jones (Parent Governor)

Mrs Jeanne Rees (Foundation)

Mr Chris Hickey (Foundation)

Mrs Sarah Dring (Headteacher)

Mrs Jayne Barker (Staff Governor)

Mrs Sarah Fallon (Observer)

Mrs Ema McMillan (Observer)

Mrs Jo Sullivan - Clerk

Governors Terms of Office

Mr Roger Benson - 01.8.92 to 03.10.25 - Appointed by Manchester Diocese 

Mrs Nicola Westmorland - 1.1.00 to 30.12.23 - Appointed by Manchester Diocese

Mr Andy Miller 3.5.22 to 2.5.26 - Appointed by the parents

Mrs Debra Wailes 22.5.19 to 21.05.27 - Appointed by the Local Authority

Mr Chris Hickey - 4.11.21 to 3.11.25 - Appointed by Manchester Diocese

Mrs Hayley Jones - 11.11.21 to 10.11.25 - Appointed by the parents

Mrs Jayne Barker - 17.09.2025 to 16.09.2029 

Mrs Sarah Dring 31.8.2025 to end of Headship

The remit for the Governing Body is to:

a) Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;

b) Hold the headteacher to account for the education performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;

and

c) Oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Governing Body Composition

School Governors  - who are they and what do they do?

School governors are all volunteers who share the passionate belief that all children deserve to have access to effective schools.

Being a school governor can be a very rewarding job, they have the opportunity to help in the development of their local school.

A governing body should contain a wide range of people from the community.  Each school adopts its own governing body model.

The main responsibility of the governors is to determine the aims and overall conduct of the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. Specific duties include, setting staffing levels, appointing headteachers, setting and agreeing the school budget, ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum is delivered, health and safety matters that arise in school and management of the school premises.

Correspondence to the Governors should be addressed to Mrs. D. Wailes, Chair of Governors, C/O St Michael's CE Primary School, Leigh Road, Howe Bridge, Atherton, M46 0PA. 

There is also a Clerk to the Governors who attends all meetings and she is appointed by the Local Authority, St Michael's CE Primary School, pay a Service Level Agreement to the Local Authority for this service. St Michael's clerk for St Michael's is provided by Wigan Local Authority.

The Deputy Head and the School Business Manager also attend as observers.

St Michael's CE Primary School Instrument of Government came into effect from 1st September 2015.  This instrument of Government will be in force, until replaced by a new Instrument of Government, it was agreed at a meeting of St Michael's CE Primary Governors in July 2015.

A copy of this Instrument of Government is held at the school and with Governor Services.

The total number of governors is 12

Foundation Governors are nominated by the Parochial Parish Council of St Michael's and ratified by Manchester Diocese.

Parent Governors are parents who have a child in the school at the time of their election and are elected by the parents of children at the school.

The Headteacher is a member of the governing body because of the position they hold in school, they will remain a School Governor for as long as they are the Headteacher of St Michael's CE Primary School.

The Staff Governor is a member of staff at the school who is elected by their colleagues.

The Local Authority (LA) Governor is nominated by the Local Authority.

The Full Governing Body meets once a term and in addition hold two sub committees each term, the sub committees are Finance and Premises and Staffing and Curriculum, they report their findings to the full governors.

Ethos Statement

'Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England, and in partnership with the Church at Parish and Diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.'

Headteacher

Mrs. Sarah Dring

If you would like to contact our chair of governors please send a letter in via the school office and it will be passed onto them.

Register of Personal, Pecuniary or Business Interests

All the governors declare and sign a new Register of Personal, Pecuniary or Business interest every year, this is then updated on a central register and displayed on the school website.  This is a declaration of any personal or business interest they or any relative or person closely connected with them, have with businesses or other organisations that may have dealings with the school; having a relative working in or for school or being a governor of another school.  If any interest a governor has could be seen to cause a conflict of interest, they would be asked to withdraw from any decision making concerned.  This is to ensure that our governors can always be seen to be putting the best interests of the school first.  For details of governors with a register of interest please see below.

Governors whose terms have expired over the last 12 months or have resigned over the last twelve months:

Mrs F. Quinlivan - Headteacher

Miss C. Clugston - Staff Governor

Governors Pecuniary / Declaration of Interests 2025-2026

Ethos Statement

'Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England, and in partnership with the Church at Parish and Diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.'