All schools in England have a Governing Board which is responsible for overseeing some of the strategic decisions a school faces. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’: to support, to challenge, to ask questions, ultimately to represent the school community.
We are a federated governing body, with one Governing Board overseeing all three schools in Sphere Federation: Scholes (Elmet) Primary, Moortown Primary and St James’ CE Primary. Governors work in close partnership with the Head of Federation, Heads of Schools and staff. Whilst the Head of Federation along with the Heads of Schools are responsible for the day to day running of the schools within the federation, governors are responsible for strategic decisions, including:
- Setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction for each school and for the federation as a whole;
- Holding the Head of Federation to account for the educational performance of each school and its pupils;
- Overseeing the financial performance of each school and ensuring money is well spent.
The Governing Board meets six times each year (minimum). There are also committees for Performance Management and for Pay, although these meet less frequently, and a Christian Distinctiveness Group (St James’ only) regularly meets.
The Governing Board of Sphere Federation consists of:
- The Head of Federation
- One elected staff governor
- One appointed local authority governor
- One foundation governor appointed by the Diocese of Leeds
- One foundation governor ex-officio
- Two elected parent governors
- Seven co-opted governors
Current governors are listed here with a brief profile of their role as governor alongside attendance details. (‘Register of interests’ includes business and financial interests, other governance roles, and material interests arising from close relationships.)
We recognise that a diversity of thought, voices and perspectives is essential to good governance and the effective running of any organisation. We regularly collect diversity information from our governors and, depending on current data, can use this to:
- target recruitment to address gaps in experience and diversity
- develop and adapt board practices to ensure full participation
- prioritise training and awareness-raising in identified areas
- address potential ‘blind spots’ through seeking wider advice and perspectives on current and upcoming opportunities, challenges and risks
We are unable to publish this information as it would mean that individual members of our governing body are identifiable.
The standard term of office for a governor is four years. The chair and vice-chair are elected annually at the first meeting of the academic year.
The chair of governors is Mrs Rachel Cooper, who can be contacted via the school offices at Scholes (Elmet), St James’, or Moortown, or directly via email at rachelcooper@spherefederation.org
Governors are appointed on a skills basis, to make sure the Governing Board is effective in fulfilling its responsibilities. If you want to be part of Sphere Federation’s Governing Board please enquire about any vacancies by contacting the Chair of Governors, or David Roundtree, the Head of Federation. For guidance and advice about being a governor, visit Leeds City Council website, or find out more and sign up to be a governor at Inspiring Governance.
Read our Governing Board Handbook and the 2023-24 Annual Governance Statement for further information about Sphere Federation’s Governing Board and the roles and responsibilities involved in being a governor.
