Governors
Governors are people who wish to make a positive contribution to the school and the education of its children. They will contribute to the effective day-to-day running of the school and have an effective input toward the educational achievements of its pupils.
In a Catholic school, the governors have extra responsibilities. For example, they are the employer of the staff; and are responsible for pupil admissions. The Local Authority manages the Admissions Process on behalf of the governors.
A majority of our governors are called Foundation Governors; they are appointed by our Bishop, Mark Davies, to uphold the Catholic ethos of the school. Every 4 years, there is an election for a parent governor, where parents are invited to vote (in the case of more than 1 candidate).
Our Governors visit the school regularly – speaking to children, staff and parents. They observe learning, look at books and other work produced by the children, speak to staff, scrutinise data and compile reports.
Meet Our Governors
Clare McNicolas - Chair of Governors
Rachael Clarke - Foundation/Vice Chair
Fr Niall Mullaley - Foundation Governor/Parish Priest
Rachel Ashton - Foundation Governor
Dawn Crawford - Foundation Governor
Lewis Chesters - Foundation Governor
Beth McDevitt - Parent Governor
Greg Epton - Parent Governor
Sarah Burley - Staff Governor
Alexander Turner - Headteacher
The Chair of Governors can be contacted at chairofgovernors@stjosephs-birkenhead.wirral.sch.uk
Governor Pen Portraits
“My name is Clare McNicholas and I am the Chair of Governors at St Joseph's. Before joining St Joseph's I was a foundation governor at another school in the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, so was aware of St Joseph's and all of the good things that happen in the school. I became a school governor to give something back to the community and although being a governor is a demanding role, it is also very rewarding. In my working life I have held a lot of leadership positions and I look forward to using those leadership skills I have developed in my role as Chair. I am honored to be able to support St Joseph's on its journey to providing an inclusive environment for all our children in which they can thrive and grow in line with our school values of Worship, Opportunity, Resilience, Knowledge, Enjoyment and Respect.”
Clare McNicholas
“My name is Rachel Ashton, I was appointed as a Foundation Governor by the Bishop in November 2019 and sit on the Curriculum & Standards Committee. Two of my children are currently pupils at St Joseph's and we attend St Joseph's church. I was also a pupil at the school, although that was quite a long time ago!
I became a Governor because I feel very strongly that every child should have the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of learning and to fulfil their potential in a happy, caring, inclusive and safe environment. Working as part of the Governing Board team, I hope to use my skills and experience to contribute to and support St Joseph's in that aim.”
Rachel Ashton
My name is Lewis Chesters and I have been a parent governor at St Joseph's since November 2019. I have two children in the school; Oliver in year 4 and Libby in F2. Both children absolutely love the school, they are both doing really well and they are always happy when going, which for me is the most important thing. I have never been involved as a governor previously and didn’t really know what it entailed. I applied for parent governor following the advert from the school that asked for someone with finance background ideally. Having worked in financial services for over 15 years, initially as an accountant and for the last 10 years as a financial adviser I wanted to offer my services. Since becoming a governor I have really enjoyed the challenge and starting to understand the responsibilities a governing body has. I believe the school is in really good hands and as a governor I hope to support the school as much as I can going forward to ensure the children can develop and progress in a safe and happy environment.
Lewis Chesters