Our Governors

Welcome to St Mary's Priory Schools Governing Body

Welcome to the Governance page of Plympton St. Mary Infant school and Old Priory Junior Academy Governing Body.  Both schools are part of St. Christopher’s Multi Academy Trust; “A strong family of outstanding schools, serving their community and contributing fully to the provision of education, collaborating with other partners to achieve common goals.”

Governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in all St Christopher’s Multi Academy Trust schools however the ultimately responsibility for the school lies with the Board of Directors with much of the work delegated to the Local Governing Body (LGB).

In trusts, the purpose of local governance is to provide:

·         strategic leadership

·         accountability and assurance

·         strategic engagement

Governors set the aims and objectives for the school and set the targets/policies for achieving those aims and objectives. They monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making and act as a source of challenge and support to the headteacher. 

Governors bring a wide range of skills and expertise from their professional lives to the governing board and schools benefit greatly from working with skilled volunteers. 

If you are interested in hearing more about becoming a governor please contact; old.clerk@stcmat.org

Governors have specific areas of responsibility:

Chair of Governors:           Ray Nair

Vice-Chair of Governors:   Victoria Whittingham

Safeguarding Lead:            Tony Merrick

Clerk to the LGB                 Gemma Taylor   email: old.clerk@stcmat.org

Meet Our Governors

Hi I am Tony, and I have a son at Old Priory. I am originally from Cardiff and have a background in security, education and training, and am a director of security, care and training companies. I am looking forward to helping the school in any way I can.

Hi, my name is Ray Nair and I currently have a daughter and son who attend Old Priory. I'm originally from London and have worked in retail for over 20 years in various management capacities. As governor I feel it's hugely important that both schools are operating to a high standard and giving those attending every opportunity to flourish and grow into confident and capable individuals.

Hello, my name is Vicky, I have one son at St Mary’s and one son at Old Priory. I have also worked at Old Priory in the past so know the school well. I have a background in education, I spent 12 years as a secondary English teacher, and I have recently made the transition into primary teaching. I have witnessed the journey both schools have been on over the past 7 years, and I am keen to help ensure they continue to thrive and flourish after coming so far. 

My name is Sarah Shelton and I currently have one child who attends St Marys Priory Schools. I have been part of the school community for 7 years and you are likely to have met me as part of the PTA. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and going for walks. As governor, I am looking forward to supporting the continued improvement and journey of the schools and ensuring that our children have the best learning experiences possible during their time here.

Victoria Whittingham: I am a parent of two lovely children, one is in year 5 and the other is in Year 1. I have been teaching for 17 years in various Primary schools across Surrey and Devon and previously been a staff Governor. I’m hoping to support both schools within their journey to being the best they can be.   

Governor Terms of Office

N.B: Use the slider bar to view meeting attendance figures

Governors who have left in the last 12 months

Board's Diversity

The board believes that it is important that we reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Diverse boards promote inclusive school environments and provide diverse role models for staff and young people. We collect data on the diversity of the board, including age, ethnicity, and gender and we use this data to inform our recruitment and training needs, ensuring there is always a diverse range of perspectives around the table to support robust decision making. We do not publish diversity data online as individual governors could be identified and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.