Governors

Our purpose, rooted in the Christian legacy of Thomas and Julia Ripley, is to ensure that our pupils can learn in a safe environment. Our vision is to strive for high standards for our pupils, maintaining ambitious and inspiring surroundings so that skills and knowledge can be developed academically, physically, creatively and spiritually. We aim to ensure that pupils are fully equipped for the future; grounded in faith, confident of their values, positive and ready both to contribute and lead. This means that:

• We will ensure that our pupils are our priority
• We believe that all pupils can be successful
• We will ensure that our pupils have opportunities to develop in body, mind and spirit

Our role is to provide support and challenge for the Principal. To do this we need to identify, evaluate and prioritise issues; to understand the values, aims and objectives of the school; to listen and to ask questions. We recognise the need to work as a team, making full use of our knowledge, skills and experience. This means that:

• We are all learners and we all have much to learn
• We always treat others with respect
• We will monitor school performance to ensure high levels are achieved and sustained
• We will acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses
• We will work as a team to ensure that key issues are monitored and evaluated
• We will develop a self-sustaining community that learns from each other and the best available external practice

Our responsibility is to ensure and maintain the Christian ethos of the school. We must also oversee the financial performance of the organisation, to ensure that its money is well spent. This means that

• We will monitor finances to ensure that the school remains financially sustainable
• We will maintain our premises to ensure the best possible learning environment
• We will ensure that the school environment is safe
• We will monitor staffing, training and support so that standards can continue to thrive
• We will uphold the school’s Mission statement and the Church of England’s Vision for Education

We are keen to support each other within the school and to work with colleagues in other schools in the Bay Learning Trust to ensure that we are an effective, nurturing and thriving learning community.

If you wish to write to the Chair of Governors, please address your letter to Mrs J Garnett, c/o Ripley St Thomas CE Academy, Ashton Road, Lancaster LA1 4RS.

The Governing Body will establish Committees to deal with the following areas:

• Complaints Review
• Staff Grievance
• Staff Discipline & Dismissal
• Pay Appeals

Panels will consist of at least 3 members of the Governing Body, none of which will have had previous involvement in the matters brought before the Committee.

Bay Learning Trust

Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy is part of the Bay Learning Trust.  Information regarding the Directors of the Trust can be found on the Trust website www.baylearningtrust.com