Governance

Become a Missionary Disciple in a Catholic School

We are all called to be missionary disciples, and by volunteering as a school governor you will be able to share God’s love in schools across the diocese, touching the lives of thousands of pupils and staff.   Missionary disciples are those who have encountered God’s saving love in the person of Jesus Christ and actively go out to share that love with those they meet.  Missionary disciples, as members of the Church, grow in their relationship with Jesus and their mission to others by allowing their whole lives to be continually transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

THE ROLE

The governors of a Catholic school work as a team, in close co-operation with the Headteacher and leadership team.  All governors and staff contribute to the Catholic character of the school and the Catholic nature of the education provided.  

Foundation governors are appointed by the bishop to represent their interests and those of the Catholic community as a whole. Foundation governors play a leading role in the Catholic community: they collaborate with the bishop in his ministry in education. It is, therefore, important for them to:

  • Know and implement the bishop’s policies on education, including religious education;
  • Represent those policies to the governing body;
  • Understand and promote the distinctive nature of Catholic education;
  • Act for the good of Catholic education as a whole within the diocese, considering not only the interests of the individual school, but the interests of other schools;
  • Respond to the needs of the Catholic community as a whole, as represented by the bishop;
  • Secure the long-term future of Catholic education;
  • Always act in accordance with the mind of the bishop.

The role of a governing body is to operate at strategic level, ensuring that the Catholic vision  and ethos of the school is upheld, holding the Headteacher and leadership team to account and  overseeing the financial performance of the school.   This is why Foundation Governors will always outnumber other governors. There is no magic formula about what makes a perfect Foundation Governor, they come from all walks of life and all ages. But it is important that each governing body has a good mix of skills, knowledge and experience.

The Education Service manages the process for the appointment of Foundation Governors on behalf of the bishop and provides support to governing bodies in carrying out their responsibilities.

Contact Debbie Main,  on 01604 953369 or debbie.main@northamptondiocese.org  for more information.

 

 

    “Governance is an important ministry in the Church, we welcome people from all walks of life to apply”

    Collette Curtis, director for schoolS