Governors’ Information and Duties
The Governing body is responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the Head Teacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, the Governors set the school’s aims and policies.
Key Roles of Governors:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- To ensure accountability for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
- To oversee the financial performance of the school and ensure value for money.
- To support and challenge and undertake the role of ‘critical friend’.
They also carry out a number of other important duties, which include:
- Determining how the school’s budget is spent.
- The employment relationship with staff.
- Hearing appeals and grievances.
- Forming policy on the school’s curriculum and other activities.
- Setting standards for pupils’ behaviour and discipline.
- Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe.
- Setting and monitoring the school’s aims and policies.
Meetings:
Governors meet every half-term for a full-governing body meeting (4.00pm to 6.00pm). During these meetings all school related items are discussed.
Register of Interests:
The Governing Body is committed to maintaining an up-to-date register of interests. Our ambition and duty is detailed within our Code of Conduct, as follows:
- We will record any pecuniary or other business interest (including those related to people we are connected with) that we have in connection with the governing board’s business in the Register of Business Interests, and if any such conflicted matter arises in a meeting we will offer to leave the meeting for the appropriate length of time. We accept that the Register of Business Interests will be published on the school’s website.
- We will also declare any conflict of loyalty at the start of any meeting should the situation arise.
- We will act in the best interests of the school as a whole and not as a representative of any group, even if elected to the governing board.
| Name and Role | Linked Area | Start Date | End Date |
Business and Pecuniary Interests (Roles at other Educational Institutions and/or Relationships with other Governors/Staff) |
| Mr. Mark Atkinson (Head Teacher Governor) | N/A | 19/04/2010 | n/a | Trustee at Eden Academy Trust, Partnership Governor at High Tunstall College of Science, married to Mrs. Ruth Atkinson, a teaching assistant at the school, sister-in-law Odette Shaw is a member of support staff at the Throston Primary School. |
| Miss. Lynne Currell (Staff Governor). | N/A | 14/07/2023 | 13/07/2027 | Mother - Margaret Currell works in Breakfast Club and as a relief caretaker. |
| Miss. Gail Dickson (Parent Governor) | Modern Foreign Languages and Music | 13/11/2023 | 29/11/2027 | |
| Mr. Jonathan Dunning (Co-opted Governor) | Art & Design and Design and Technology | 13/04/2023 | 12/04/2027 | Estates Manager for Ad-Astra Academy Trust from 28.11.2016. Partner Louise Atkinson, RBS Bank Project Manager. |
| Mrs. Paula Hargrave-Dixon (Co-opted Governor) | Early Years, Attendance and Pupil Premium | 13/04/2023 | 12/04/2027 | |
| Mrs. Jane Kashouris (Co-opted Governor) | N/A | 04/10/2022 | 03/10/2026 | |
| Mr. John Leary (Vice-Chair and Co-opted Governor) | Pupil Personal Development (including PSED & Rights Respecting) | 14/02/2023 (Vice-Chair: 21/05/2025) |
13/02/2027 (Vice-Chair: 20/05/2029) |
Assistant Headteacher at High Tunstall College of Science. |
| Mrs. Julie Littlewood (Parent Governor) | English | 23/11/2023 | 22/11/2027 | |
| Mrs. Adele Malone (Associate Governor) | N/A | 25/11/2024 | 24/11/2025 | Finance Officer for the NHS |
| Mr. Andrew Millward (Chair and Co-opted Governor) | Safeguarding, History, Geography, Religious Education and Physical Education |
13/07/2023 |
12/07/2027 (Chair: 09/07/2028) |
Worked for Barclays Bank. |
| Mr. Martin Pout (Parent Governor) | SEND | 20/12/2023 | 19/12/2027 | Director and Trustee at The Learning Legacy Trust. Kevin Pout, managing director of 23 Taxis since 2024. |
| Mrs. Mary Robinson (Co-opted Governor) | Science and Computing | 08/07/2025 | 07/07/2029 | |
| Mr. Kevin Shears (Local Authority Governor) | Mathematics | 20/01/2025 | 19/01/2029 | Shared Services Manager (since 1986) at Hartlepool Borough Council, Treasurer at Hartlepool Swimming Club. Wife is Head of Finance (since 1996) at Hartlepool Borough Council and a High Tunstall governor. |
Instrument of Governance:
Co-opted = 6
Parent = 4
LA = 1
Staff = 1
Head Teacher = 1
Total: 13
COMMITTEES 2025/2026:
Pupil Exclusions Committee (Quorum - 3):
Vacancy
Mrs. P. Hargrave-Dixon
Mr. A. Millward
Pay Review and Head Teacher Performance Management Committee (Quorum - 3):
Mr. J. Dunning
Mr. A. Millward
Mr. K. Shears
Initial and Nominating Committee (Quorum - 3):
Vacancy
Mr. A. Millward
Mr. K. Shears
Hearing Committee (Quorum - 3):
Vacancy
Mr. J. Dunning
Mrs. P. Hargrave-Dixon
Appeals Committee (Quorum - 3):
Vacancy
Mrs. J. Littlewood
Mr. M. Pout
Pay Appeals Committee (Quorum - 3):
Vacancy
Mr. M. Pout
Mrs. P. Hargrave-Dixon
Complaints Committee (Quorum - 3):
Mr. J. Dunning
Mr. A. Millward
Mr. K. Shears
Contacting the Chair of Governors:
Please remember our chair of governors, Mr. Andrew Millward is available to contact via the school office. Please address any written correspondence to Mr. A Millward C/O Throston Primary School, Flint Walk, Hartlepool, TS26 0TJ. Many of our parent governors are also visible around school at the start and end of the school day. Please feel free to approach them. They are always happy to listen!
