OUR LADY & ST OSWALD'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Working together to help every child live life to the full

“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10

Our Local Governing Body plays an important role in the life of Our Lady & St Oswald's. Working within the governance arrangements of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Multi Academy Trust, governors provide strategic oversight, support and constructive challenge so that the school's Catholic mission remains central and every pupil is helped to flourish.

Governors work closely with the Headteacher, school leaders and the Trust. Their work is rooted in our vision, our commitment to excellence in learning, and our responsibility to safeguard, include and serve every child.

Our Governing Body

The governing body brings together foundation, parent and staff representation alongside the Headteacher. The Clerk supports the governing body but is not a governor.

Name	Role
Saffron Rainey	Chair of Governors
Fr Philip Kuzhiparambil	Foundation Governor
Julia Thomas	Foundation Governor
Margaret Williams	Foundation Governor
Milena Marcinek	Parent Governor
Allison Stowell	Staff Governor
Conor Meehan	Headteacher
Jan Haslan	Clerk to Governors

What governors do

• Protect and promote the Catholic mission, vision and ethos of the school.
• Set and review strategic direction alongside the Trust and school leadership.
• Provide support and constructive challenge to the Headteacher and senior leaders.
• Monitor the quality of education, pupil achievement, safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, inclusion and personal development.
• Ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND remain central to evaluation and decision-making.
• Oversee the effective and responsible use of resources within the Trust's scheme of delegation.
• Listen to the experiences of pupils, staff and families and use this evidence to strengthen school improvement.

Link Governors 2026-27

Link governors provide focused oversight of the priorities in our School Development Plan. They meet relevant leaders, review normal school evidence and report key strengths, questions and next steps back to the governing body.

School improvement area	Link governor	Main school links
Catholic Ethos	Margaret Williams	Helen Jones / Conor Meehan
Safeguarding	Margaret Williams	Conor Meehan / Allison Stowell; Heather Birch for SCR
Inclusion / SEND	Julia Thomas	Charlotte Woodward / Conor Meehan
Curriculum & Teaching	Saffron Rainey	Allison Stowell (Maths) / Clare Roberts (English, Reading, Phonics)
Achievement & Assessment	Julia Thomas	Conor Meehan / Allison Stowell / Clare Roberts / Charlotte Woodward
Attendance & Behaviour	Julia Thomas	Heather Birch / Conor Meehan / Allison Stowell / Charlotte Woodward
Personal Development & Wellbeing	Milena Marcinek	Conor Meehan / relevant leaders
EYFS	Milena Marcinek	Charlotte Woodward
Leadership & Governance	Saffron Rainey	Conor Meehan / relevant operational leads

How governors monitor improvement

Governor monitoring is aligned to the School Development Plan and to the ordinary work of the school. Depending on the area being reviewed, this may include meetings with leaders, discussion of data and reports, visits to classrooms or learning environments, scrutiny of normal school documentation, and conversations with pupils or staff. Visits are focused, proportionate and recorded through concise governor reports.

The purpose is not to manage the school operationally, but to understand whether agreed priorities are being implemented effectively and whether they are improving pupils’ experience and outcomes.

Current strategic priorities

Our 2025-27 School Development Plan is organised around nine connected areas: Catholic Ethos; Safeguarding; Inclusion; Curriculum & Teaching; Achievement; Attendance & Behaviour; Personal Development & Wellbeing; EYFS; and Leadership & Governance. Link governor responsibilities mirror these priorities so that governance remains closely connected to the school’s improvement work.

Committees and panels

Committee and panel arrangements are reviewed each academic year in accordance with the Trust Scheme of Delegation and relevant school and Trust policies. Where required, governors may serve on panels relating to admissions, complaints, pupil discipline, staffing and appeals. Governors do not take part where there is a conflict of interest or where prior involvement would compromise impartiality.

Transparency and accountability

The school publishes the governance information required for transparency, including current governor roles, appointment information, attendance at meetings and relevant business or pecuniary interests. These records are maintained with the Clerk and reviewed regularly.

For further information about governance, please contact the school office or the Clerk to Governors.

Rooted in faith • ambitious for every child • working together for the common good