Governors

The role of a Governing Body, often described as being a “critical friend”, is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school. Its three main roles are to:

1. Set the vision and strategic direction of the school.
2. Hold the Headteacher to account for the school’s educational performance.
3. Ensure that financial resources are well managed and spent.

The role of Governor is largely a thinking and questioning role. The day to day operational management of the school is delegated to the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team.

St Paul’s C of E Governing Body is made up of representatives from the school staff, parents, the local community and St Paul’s Church. In addition to participating in the Full Governing Body and is chaired by the Chair of Governors and meets three times per year, Governors also serve on sub-committees which are:

• Full Governing Body Meeting (3 times per year)

The chair of the curriculum committee is Tom Mitchell

• Curriculum (3 times per year)

The chair of the curriculum committee is Charlotte Catton

• Finance and Resources (3 times per year)

The chair of the finance committee is Tom Neale

• Pay and Performance Review (1 times per year)

The chair of the Pay and Performance committee is Tom Neale

• Headteacher Appraisal (2 times per year)

The chair of the Headteacher Appraisal is Tom Mitchell, the Chair of Governors.

If you wish to contact the Chair of Governors of St Paul’s C of E Primary, please contact Mr Tom Mitchell via the School Office.

Tom Mitchell

Chair of Governors

Tom was elected as a co-opted parent governor in July 2022 and became Chair of Governors in October 2022. Tom has previous experience as a governor at St Paul’s Nursery School. As well as being the Chair, Tom attends the finance committee and Pay and Performance Committee.

A consultant employment and commercial solicitor Tom has, amongst other things, extensive experience of working with businesses, charities, and individuals, including those in education, on a range of regulatory, corporate governance, and people issues. With exposure to the importance of good governance Tom is passionate about ensuring those he helps get it right.

Born in York and living most of his life in Holgate, Tom has two children, both at the school.

Tom Neale

Vice Chair of Governors

Co-Opted Governor

Tom was co-opted to the Board of Governors in January 2022 and has 2 children at the school. Alongside being a member of the Board, Tom is also a member of the Finance Committee, Pay and Performance Committee and the computing subject link governor.

Tom is qualified actuary and works as a professional pension scheme trustee. Albeit in a different field, he governs for a living! Through this he has a strong understanding of the value of good governance as well as expertise in financial management and accounts.

Reverend Paul Millard

Foundation Governor

Paul joined the governor team following his appointment as the Rector of St Paul’s Church and also the Vicar at St Barnabas Church on Leeman Road in April 2020. As well as being governor at St Paul’s he is a governor for St Barnabas Primary School. He enjoys leading singing with school groups comes in to school to help with Collective Worships.

Paul sits on our Ethos Working Party and supports Collective Worship.

Before becoming a Vicar he worked in finance and administration at St Michael le Belfrey Church in the centre of York. During his 15 years working there he became CIMA qualified and led teams of volunteers in various contexts in a large city centre church.

Neil Lester

Parent Governor

Neil was co-opted to the Board of Governors in January 2022 and has 2 children at the school. Alongside being a member of the Board, Neil is also a member of the Finance Committee and Pay and Performance Committee.

Neil is qualified management accountant by trade. He has a wide range of finance, strategy and management experience from over 25 years working in central government and at local hospital, regional and national level for the NHS.. Currently, Neil works as a Head of Strategic Finance for NHS England, specialising in health service transformation and development, across areas including cancer, maternity services, learning disabilities and personalisation of care Neil hopes his core skills, experience and enthusiasm allow him to be an effective 'critical friend' and is passionate about contributing and supporting the school be the best it can be.

Neil leads on Maths and RE.

Charlotte Catton

Parent Governor

Charlotte joined the governing body in Summer 2023 as a parent governor. This is her first time in a governor’s role, but she has had a close relationship with St Paul’s, having chaired The Friends of St Paul’s for 3 years and been on the committee for 5 years. Charlotte is the link governor for SEN, Pupil Premium and Art.

She is also a primary school teacher and has worked in private education for the last 16 years. Currently, she teaches across all 3 key stages and has a keen interest in Forest School. She recently qualified as a Level 3 Forest School practitioner and is currently developing a Forest School program in her current job.

Charlotte has two children currently attending St Paul's and a third child who went through St Paul’s and is now in high school.

Paul Cawood

Co-Opted Governor

Paul was co-opted to the board of governors in autumn 2024, having taught at St Paul's over the previous 3 years. He is a member of the curriculum committee, and is always thinking about teaching and learning. Paul has over twenty years teaching experience, and has held a variety of roles in schools, both in the UK, and overseas in Japan and Malaysia. He originally chose to pursue a career in Primary school teaching as it gave him the opportunity to share his passion for a wide range of subjects with others.

Outside of his educational interests, Paul enjoys creative writing, learning new cookery recipes, tending to the school allotment plot, and following York City FC. According to St Paul's pupils, he can tell some great dad jokes, but his dance moves at the school disco are a bit embarrassing!

Karin Bunting

Co-Opted Governor

Co-opted to the Board of Governors in November 2024, Karin is a member of the Finance and Curriculum Committees. With a wealth of experience in both state and private sectors, she is a dedicated education professional who has thrived in teaching and senior leadership roles. Karin’s subject specialism is mathematics.

Driven by the belief that education is the foundation for a better future, she is committed to creating opportunities for students and staff to thrive in inclusive and stimulating environments. She passionately believes in St Paul’s school’s vision of creating 'a place to belong'; where every student feels valued and empowered to succeed, resonating deeply with her commitment to creating opportunities for students.

Currently serving as Head of Regulation in a local independent school, she is well-versed in the world of rules and regulations—think of her as the Mary Poppins of compliance! If there's a regulation to be followed, she will find it, dust it off, and make it sparkle.

Karin feels privileged to serve as a governor and looks forward to working collaboratively with others to make a positive impact. Passionate about lifelong learning, she enjoys reading and travelling, particularly meeting new people, exploring cultures, and savouring local cuisine.

James Fennemore

Local Authority Governor

James was appointed as a Local Authority governor in autumn 2024. He is a member of the Curriculum and Finance committees.

James is a barrister, and specialises in commercial and private client disputes. He has a wide range of experience working with businesses and individuals from many different sectors and backgrounds. Having studied English at university, James is passionate about literature and reading, and is the English subject link governor.

James recently moved to York with his wife, and is looking forward to getting to know and support the St Paul’s community.

Daryl Bunton

Teacher Governor

Daryl is our Reception teacher, PE Lead and a member of the Senior Leadership Team at St Paul’s Primary. With nine years of teaching experience, she has taught across Early Years, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two, giving her a strong understanding of curriculum, assessment, and teaching and learning throughout the whole school. Daryl feels that St Paul’s is truly a place to belong, and when the opportunity arose to become a Staff Governor, she was delighted to take on the role. She looks forward to using her experience and knowledge to help support the school’s vision, strategy and wider community.

Alison Forster

Co-Opted Governor

Alison was co-opted to the Borad of Governors in July 2024. She has had contact with St Paul’s Primary School since 2007, having run York Minster’s Choral Outreach Project for 13 years. Alison has lived in Holgate for 25 years. Alison has 26 years of teaching experience in the Private sector, having taught classroom Music from EYFS to A-level. Currently, she works as a free-lance musician and teacher, teaching piano at The Mount School; in addition to piano, recorder, singing and theory privately. She also directs the York Junior Youth Choir and is Director of Music at St Michael’s Church, Malton. Not surprisingly, she is

passionate about musical education and church music. Alison hopes that she can share her teaching experiences with the school and that her Christian beliefs can further contribute to and enrich the spiritual and Koinonia vision of the whole school community. Outside her work, Alison has 9 nephews and nieces; enjoys exploring the canals of Britain, hill walking and gardening. Alison leads on Music and can often be found in school helping to rehearse and to give guidance on linking music to classroom topics.