St Cuthbert’s Governors
Following the formal dissolution of the federation between St Cuthbertâs Catholic Primary School and St Sebastianâs Catholic Primary School & Field of Dreams Nursery, as of the 1st May 2026, St Cuthbertâs has now transitioned to operating with its own independent Governing Body. This change allows the school to focus directly on the needs, priorities and aspirations of our community while continuing to uphold strong partnerships with the Archdiocese of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council and our parish families. Our Governing Body is responsible for providing strategic leadership, ensuring accountability and supporting the continued development of our Catholic mission, curriculum and safeguarding culture. We remain committed to working collaboratively with all partners to secure the very best outcomes for every child.
At St Cuthbertâs, our Governing Body plays a vital role in ensuring strong leadership, clear strategic direction and high standards for every child.
The Governing Body operates at a strategic level, focusing on longâterm planning, oversight and accountability. Its core responsibilities include:
- Strategic framework: establishing the overall vision, values and direction of the school.
- Aims and objectives: setting clear priorities for improvement and pupil achievement.
- Policies and targets: agreeing the policies and performance measures that guide the schoolâs work.
- Monitoring progress: reviewing outcomes and evaluating the effectiveness of the strategic framework.
- Accountability: ensuring the school is transparent and accountable to pupils, parents, staff, the parish and the wider community.
Governors act as a âcritical friendâ to the Head Teacher, offering both support and constructive challenge. This balanced relationship helps ensure that decisions are wellâconsidered, safeguarding is robust, and the school continues to improve.
The Head Teacher is responsible for the dayâtoâday leadership and management of the school, implementing the strategic framework set by the Governing Body. Together, the Governing Body and Head Teacher work in partnership to raise standards, strengthen the Catholic mission, and ensure that every child at St Cuthbertâs receives the very best education.
Circle Model
At St Cuthbertâs, the Circle Model approach forms an important part of our governance and leadership culture. It provides a structured framework for reflection, discussion and shared decisionâmaking, enabling leaders, staff and governors to work collaboratively when reviewing practice, addressing challenges and planning for improvement. By using the Circle Model, our Governing Body is able to consider multiple perspectives, promote transparency and ensure that decisions are rooted in the needs of our children and community. This approach strengthens accountability, supports strategic thinking and helps maintain a consistent, valuesâled direction for the school.
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Governor Types
- Parent governors: parents and carers of pupils at the school are eligible to stand for governorship at the school. Parent governors are elected by other parents at the school. If insufficient parents stand for election, the governing body can appoint parent governors.
- Staff governors: both teaching and non-teaching staff are eligible for staff governorship. Staff governors are elected by the school staff and must be paid to work at the school â volunteers are not eligible. The Head Teacher is a member of the governing body by virtue of his/her office and counts as a member of the staff category.
- Authority governors: LA governors are appointed by the Local Authority. In Liverpool, the City Council is the appointing body.
- Community governors: community governors are appointed by the governing body to represent community interests, including the business community.
- Foundation governors: foundation governors are appointed by the schoolâs founding body, usually diocese or trust. If the school has a religious character, the foundation governors must preserve and develop this.
- Sponsor governors: persons who give substantial assistance to the school, financially or in kind, or who provide services to the school can be appointed by the governing body as sponsor governors.
- Associate members: the governing body can appoint associate members to attend full governing body meetings in a non-voting capacity. Associate members may serve on one or more governing body committees with limited voting rights.
Governing Body Structure
Document: Archdiocese of Liverpool – Foundation Governors List – May 2026
Document: Governors Code of Conduct for St Cuthbert’s, St Sebastian’s & Field of Dreams Nursery 2025-2026
Download: Federation Governor Structure – 2026-2027
Name and Type of Governor
Mrs Denise Hegarty – Foundation
Mrs Lindsey Marlton – Foundation
Mr Pat Moloney – Foundation
Vacancy – Foundation
Vacancy – Foundation
Vacancy – Foundation
Vacancy – Foundation
Ms Sarah Knipe – Authority
Mr John Joseph Calvert – Parent
Ms Sarah Smith – Parent
Ms Danielle Garvey – Staff
Mrs Claire Bells-Knox – Head Teacher at St Cuthbert’s
Mr Terry Brown – Clerk to the Governors
Link Governors & Priority Presentation Schedule
Federation Link Governors & Priority Presentations Schedule – 2025 – 2026
Foundation Vacancies
2 x Foundation Governors
If you would like to contact any of the governors please send in a sealed envelope for their attention and our administration staff will ensure that they receive it promptly.