Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA). The Governing Body meets regularly. They are committed to ensuring the highest quality of education and welfare for your child. All correspondence to the Chair of Governors can be be sent to c/o Toft Hill Primary School. If you wish to contact any members of the governing body, this can be done by contacting the school.
- Mrs Amanda Majer – (Joint Chair) Co-opted Governor
- Mrs Alison O’Sulliavn – (Joint Chair) Parent Governor
- Mrs Kelly Reynolds – (Vice Chair) Co-Opted Governor
- Mrs Leanne Nesbitt – Headteacher
- Mrs Helen Pepper – Co-opted Governor
- Mrs Victoria Bell – Parent Governor
- Mrs Lisa Shaw – Staff Governor
- Mrs Kirsty Wilkinson – Co-Opted Governor
- Mrs Teresa Millward
- Miss Rachel Higgin
Recent Retirements
- Mrs Merion Owen (Retired from the Governing Body 2024)
- Mr Ian Smithwhite – Parent Governor (Retired from the Governing Body 2023)
- Miss P Gard – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2022)
- Mr John Stelling – Co-opted Governor (retired from Governing Body 2022)
- Miss Jordan Donohue – Co-opted Governor (retired from Governing Body 2022)
- Mr Marc Sproat – Staff Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2021)
- Alex Eley – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2021)
- Mrs Natasha Robson – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2020)
- Miss Samantha Benson – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2020)
- Mrs Paula Wilson – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2020)
- Mr Martin Broom- Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2020)
- Mrs Leanne Crook – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2019)
- Mrs Karen Studholme – Parent Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2019)
- Dr Mark Ward – Co-opted Governor (Retired from Governing Body 2019)
Karen Booth – Clerk to Governors
The Governing Body of Toft Hill Primary School has a strong focus on its three core strategic functions
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
2. Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
How To Become A School Governor
If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
Toft Hill Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download the documents below.
The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools (2017)
Committee Terms of Reference 25 May 2021
Governing Body Committee Structure
Name | Representing | Term of Office | Committee | Responsibilities | Register of Interests | Relationship to Staff |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leanne Nesbitt | Head Teacher | Appeals Curriculum & standards Finance,premises & staffing First/Pay review | None | |||
Mrs Amanda Majer | Joint Chair - Parent | 27/11/2024 | Finance, premises & staffing First/Pay review Head Teachers performance review | SEND Equalities GDPR | None | |
Mrs Alison O'Sullivan | Joint Chair - Parent | 01/12/2025 | Curriculum & standards First/Pay review | English | None | |
Mrs Kelly Reynolds | Vice Chair - Co-Opted | 13/11/2023 | Appeals Finance, premises & staffing | Safeguarding Pupil premium & sport premium | None | |
Mrs Helen Pepper | Co-Opted | 20/10/2025 | Appeals Curriculum & standards Head Teachers performance review | Maths | None | |
Mrs Meirion Owen | Parent | 11/12/2023 | Curriculum & standards Finance, premises & staffing | Curriculum - Humanities | None | |
Mrs Victoria Bell | Parent | 28/04/2025 | Appeals Curriculum & standards | Early Years | None | |
Mrs Lisa Shaw | Staff | 08/12/2025 | Curriculum & standards | None | ||
Mrs Kirsty Wilkinson | Co-Opted | 12/06/2022 | Curriculum & standards | Well-being Curriculum - The arts | None | |
Mrs Teresa Millward | Parent | |||||
Miss Rachel Higgin | Parent |
Governor Attendance
Schools are now required to display Governor attendance at meetings for each academic school year.
Key
✓- Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted
N – Did not attend
n/a – Not a member of the committee
Record of Attendance 2022-2023
Name | Finance Meeting 3.11.22 | Full Governing Body Meeting 22.11.22 | Curriculum & Standards Meeting 15.12.22 | Full Governing Body Meeting 14.3.23 | Finance Meeting 16.3.23 | Full Governing Body Meeting 06.06.23 | Finance Meeting 29.6.23 | Finance Meeting 7.11.23 | Full Governing Body Meeting 21.11.23 | Curriculum & Standards Meeting |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs L Nesbitt | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Mrs A Majer | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | |
Mrs A O'Sullivan | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | n/a | n/a | A/A | |
Mrs K Reynolds | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | A/A | ✓ | |
Mrs H Pepper | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | N | n/a | A/A | n/a | n/a | N | |
Mrs M Owen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | a/a | ✓ | ✓ | |
Mrs V Bell | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | a/a | n/a | ✓ | n/a | n/a | A/A | |
Mrs L Shaw | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | n/a | n/a | ✓ | |
Mrs T Millward | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Mrs K Wilkinson | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | n/a | n/a | ✓ | |
Samantha Overfield | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✓ | |
Miss R Higgin | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✓ |
You can view archived attendance on our website.