Our Governing Body

Sand Hutton and Warthill Church of England Primary Schools share one governing body which provides strategic leadership and accountability across the federation.

The governing body works in partnership with the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher to support the continuing development of both schools. The three core functions of the governing body are set out in Regulation 6(2) of The School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013 and include, but are not limited to, ensuring:

• that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the federation are clearly defined
• that the Headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the schools
•  the sound, proper and effective use of the federation’s financial resources

The governing body also has legislative responsibility and strategic oversight for the schools’ safeguarding arrangements.

As Church of England voluntary-controlled schools, the governing body works with our parish churches and the Diocese of York to preserve and develop the schools’ Christian character. Governors monitor the impact of the schools’ Christian vision and their continuing development under the SIAMS framework.

What does being a School Governor involve?

The governing body and its governors must:

• act with integrity, objectivity and honesty and in the best interests of the federation
• be open about the decisions they make and the actions they take, being prepared to explain their decisions and actions to interested parties

Governors contribute a range of skills, knowledge and experience. They attend full governing body and committee meetings, visit the schools, undertake training and monitor areas of school improvement. Governors provide both support and constructive challenge while remaining collectively responsible for the decisions made by the governing body.

The governing body operates through meetings of the full governing bodies and its committees, which meet regularly throughout the academic year. Information about its structure, committee responsibilities, current and recent governors, terms of office, attendance and declared interests is published below.

How our Governing Body Works

The governing body is made up of representatives from the school staff, parents, the local community and Diocese of York. The full governing body meets at least three times during each academic year.

The governing body is supported by a governance professional, also known as the clerk, who provides independent advice and administrative support and helps ensure that meetings and governance procedures comply with statutory requirements.

The governing body has adopted and follows the National Governance Association’s model code of conduct, which is reviewed and agreed by governors annually. A copy of this is available here.

NGA Code of Conduct

 

Governors also serve on the following sub-committees:

Resources Committee

Chair: Emma Goss

The Resources Committee meets three times per year to discuss all aspects of Finance, Premises and Safety. The committee often meets with the North Yorkshire Council Financial Management Services Officer

 

Children’s Committee

Chair: Sarah-Jane Gibson

The Children’s Committee meets three times per year to discuss all aspects of the curriculum and safeguarding.

Both committees report back to the Full Governing Body.

 

Our Governors

Name	Category	Term of Office Starts	Term of Office Ends	Committees and Responsibilities	Declared Interests*
Bev Pawson	Head Teacher	01/09/17	Ex Officio	Children’s CommitteeResources Committee	None Declared
Emma Goss	Co-opted	15/03/23	14/03/27	Co-Chair of GovernorsResources Committee (Chair)	None Declared
Stephanie Hall-Stead	Co-opted	27/11/23	26/11/26	Co-Chair of GovernorsResources Committee	None Declared
Sarah-Jane Gibson	Parent Governor	18/09/25	17/09/29	Vice ChairChildren’s Committee (Chair)	None Declared
Catherine Naylor	Co-opted	26/09/23	25/09/27	Children’s Committee	None Declared
Sarah Charters	Co-opted	27/11/23	26/11/26	Resources Committee	None Declared
Graham Mackfall	Staff Governor	26/09/23	25/09/27	Children’s Committee	None Declared
Rev Katharine McBride	Foundation	Ex Officio	Ex Officio	Children’s Committee	None Declared
Rev Nigel Benson	Foundation	Ex Officio	Ex Officio		None Declared
James Nightingale	Co-opted	18/09/25	17/09/29	Resources Committee	None Declared

Governor Attendance 2025-2026

Full Governing Board  

P – present. A – absent with apologies  X– nonattendance 

Name	Date
	18/09/25	03/11/25	16/03/26	16/07/2026
Bev Pawson	P	P	P	P
Emma Goss	P	P	P	P
Stephanie Hall-Stead	A	P	P	P
Sarah-Jane Gibson	P	A	P	P
Catherine Naylor	P	P	P	P
Sarah Charters	A	A	P	A
Graham Mackfall	P	P	P	A
Rev Katharine McBride	P	P	P	P
Rev Nigel Benson	A	A	P	A
James Nightingale	P	P	P	A
Alison Greenway	P	P	A	N/A
Alison Scott	A	P	N/A	N/A

Contacting the Governing Body

The Co-Chairs of Governors can be contacted through either school office. Copies of minutes from the governing body meetings are also available on request from either school office