Role

The governing body of South Darley C.E. Primary School is made up of nine governors who work together to provide strategic leadership and accountability. The board has three core functions set out by the Department for Education: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent.

The full governing body meets six times a year. Much of its detailed work is carried out through committees.

Committees

Standards and Achievement — Ensures the curriculum meets the needs of all children and that high academic standards are maintained. Develops the school improvement plan and monitors its implementation.

Resources — Oversees the school budget, staffing, premises and health and safety, ensuring long-term financial stability. Click on the link here for the DfE Schools Financial Benchmarking data for South Darley.

Performance Management — Ensures the headteacher and staff are meeting their performance objectives and makes recommendations to the full governing body.

Appeals and Complaints — Convenes only when needed, to consider complaints or appeals fairly and recommend actions to the governing body.

How the Governing Body Is Composed

Governors are drawn from different parts of the community to ensure a diversity of views and experience. The board includes foundation governors (appointed by the Diocese or the Parochial Church Council), parent governors (elected by parents and carers), a staff governor (elected by school staff), co-opted governors (appointed by the board for their skills), a local authority governor, and the headteacher as an ex-officio member. Full details of each governor's role, committee membership and term of office are shown below.

Contact and Minutes

Minutes of governing body meetings are public documents and can be made available on request — full records are held in the school office. For any enquiries about governance at South Darley, please contact the Clerk to the Governors via the school office.

Our Governors:

	Eleanor Wood: Co-opted Governor & Chair of Governors Committees: Resources, Standards & Achievement, Performance Management (Vice-Chair). Term of office: October 2025 – October 2029.
	Paul Wilde: Headteacher Ex-officio Governor Member of all committees.
	Mark Millinson: Foundation Governor Appointed by South Darley Parochial Church Council. Committees: Standards and Achievement, Performance Management [TBC]. Term of office: December 2025 – December 2029.
	Jeremy Higham: Foundation Governor (Ex-officio) Appointed by the Derby Diocesan Board of Education. Committees: Standards and Achievement (Chair), Performance Management (Chair), Appeals and Complaints. Term of office: Ex-officio.
	Paul Watts: LA Governor Appointed by the Local Authority. Committees: Resources (Vice-Chair). Term of office: July 2025 – July 2029.
	Paul Cubitt: Parent Governor Elected by the Parent Body. Committees: Resources, Appeals and Complaints (Vice-Chair) Term of office: March 2023 – March 2027.
	Richard Barton: Vice-Chair of Governors & Parent Governor Elected by the Parent Body. Committees: Resources (Chair), Appeals and Complaints (Chair) Term of office: July 2025 – July 2029
	Jennie Gill: Staff Governor Elected by school staff. Committees: Standards and Achievement Term of office: October 2024 – October 2028.
	Liz Edwards: Co-opted Governor Committees: Standards and Achievement (Vice-Chair), Appeals and Complaints. Term of office: January 2024 – January 2028.
	Aimee Spacie: School Business Officer & Clerk to the Governors Please contact Aimee in the school office for any further information about the Governing Body. office@southdarley.derbyshire.sch.uk| 01629 732 340