Governance
Governors are volunteers who work in partnership with their school’s Executive Principal to ensure that children receive the best education possible. Governors represent the largest volunteer group in the UK and are selected from a variety of backgrounds to reflect the many interest groups within our schools.
Our role as Governors is to support the school, being prepared to account for the school’s overall performance. We also act as ‘critical friends’, which means offering constructive advice, a sounding board for ideas, a second opinion on proposals and help where needed. Governors are there to set the school’s ethos and strategic direction. We are also expected to hold the Executive Principal and Academy Principal to account for the performance of staff and children, and to ensure that public money is being well spent.
Foundation Governors are appointed by the Archdiocese of Southwark to preserve and develop the Catholic ethos of the school and help deliver outstanding spiritual, moral and learning outcomes for its children.
The Governing Body is also made up of Parent Governors, Staff Governors and Co-Opted Governors if required.
Holy Family is part of the Kent Catholic Schools Partnership, which is a Multi Academy Trust currently consisting of 24 Catholic primary and secondary schools in Kent.
On 1 September 2018, Holy Family joined with More Park Catholic Primary under a Shared Leadership and Business Management Model. This resulted in each school having its own Academy Principal (Deborah Seal for More Park and Michelle Stenning for Holy Family) and an Executive Principal (Niall Fox) having responsibility across both schools.
The Local Governing Bodies of both schools were also restructured, with each school having an Academy Committee sitting at Academy level as a subcommittee of the Executive Governing Body which has responsibility across both More Park and Holy Family. The core functions of school governance remain the same:
1. Ensuring the school’s vision, ethos and strategy;
2. Overseeing the school’s educational performance;
3. Overseeing the school’s financial performance.
In the academic year 2018 - 2019, the Local Academy Committee (LGB) for Holy Family consist of:
| Name | Title | Appointing Authority | Term of Office ends | Familial Interest or Business interest in school |
| Rob Sharpley | Foundation Governor and Chair of LGB | Diocese | 31st May 2022 | Employed by school's banking provider (position unrelated to local banking) |
| Clare Nursey | Co-Opted | LGB | 14th May 2021 | Former clerk to governors and currently clerk at two other local schools |
| Keith Mewes | Parent Governor | Elected by Parents | 10th December 2021 | Relation is a member of staff. Parent of child in school |
| Mary Holt - Goldsmith | Foundation | Diocese | 31st May 2018 | Relation is a member Staff |
| Pamela Parnell | Foundation | Diocese | 5th November 2021 | Governor at local school |
| Ruth Coutinho | Foundation | Diocese | 28th January 2022 | - |
| Michelle Stenning | Academy Principal | Ex officio | - | Parent of child in school |
In the academic year 2018-2019, the Executive Governing Body (EGB) for More Park and Holy Family consist of:
| Name | Title | Appointing Authority | Term of office ends | |
| Rob Sharpley | Chair of EGB, Chair of LAC at Holy Family, Foundation | Diocese | 31st May 2022 | |
| Niall Fox | Executive Academy Principal | Ex Officio | - | |
| Pamela Parnell | Foundation | Diocese | 5th November 2021 | |
| Tom Vloothuis | Chair of LAC at More Park, Parent Governor | Parental election | 11th November 2019 | |
| Jenny Barrow | Foundation | Diocese | ||
| Keith Mewes | Parent Governor | Parental election | 10th December 2021 |
Terms of Reference
Contact us
We are always keen to hear from parents, carers and others interested in the progress of the school or perhaps interested in joining the Governing Body - we welcome representation from all sections of the community. If you would like to contact the Governors for any reason, or would like more information on how we manage Local Governing Body business, please leave a message with the school office on 01622 756778 or write to us at the school (address your envelope to the “Clerk to the Governing Body”) or send a message to the following e mail address governor@holyfamily.kent.sch.uk and we will reply to you as quickly as possible.