St Bernadette Catholic Primary School has a strong Governing Body whose role is to support the school in making sure that pupils receive the highest quality of education and help plan for future developments and improvements.

Put very simply, the Governors work as a team to develop strategies for developing and maintaining high standards of education at St Bernadette. They work closely with the Headteacher, Mrs Lee, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school.

There are four committees:

Admissions and Staffing

Finance and Resources

Curriculum and Standards

Support, Safety and Wellbeing

Mr Mervyn Amesbury – Chair of Governors

Foundation Governor - Date of appointment: December 2019

Current term of office: December 2019 – November 2023. Appointed by the Bishop of Clifton Diocese. Designated Mathematics Governor. He serves on the Admissions and Staffing Committee, Curriculum and Standards Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mr Richard Triggs 

Foundation Governor - Date of appointment: May 2020

Current term of office: May 2020 – May 2024. Appointed by the Bishop of Clifton Diocese. Designated Governor for Safeguarding & English. He serves on the Admissions and Staffing Committee, Curriculum and Standards Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee. He also serves as Governor on the Local Governance Committee at Two Rivers Primary School - part of the Futura Learning Partnership in Keynsham.

Linda Hodgson

Foundation Governor - Date of appointment: December 2021

Current term of office: December 2021– December 2025. Appointed by the Bishop of Clifton Diocese. Designated Governor for Catholic Education, Safeguarding and Looked After Children. She serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee and the Support, Safety and Wellbeing Committee. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mrs Sarah Gregory

Staff Governor - Date of appointment: July 2022

Current term of office: July 2022 – July 2026. Appointed through the Staff election process. She serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mrs Claire Herring

Parent Governor. Date of Appointment January 2020. Appointed through the parent election process. Designated Health & Safety/Safeguarding Governor. She serves on the Support Safety and Wellbeing Committee and is a Safeguarding Governor. Current term of office January 2020 – December 2023. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mrs Nicola Dawson

Local Authority Governor. Date of Appointment February 2022.  She serves on the Finance and Resources  Committee. Current term of office February 2022 – January 2025. 

There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mrs Anna Chimenti

Parent Governor. Date of Appointment November 2021. Appointed through the parent election process. Designated SEN & EYFS Governor. She serves on the Support Safety and Wellbeing Committee.  Current term of office November 2021 – November 2025. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mrs Barbara Lee

Headteacher. She serves on all Committees. There are no relevant business/pecuniary interests or staff/governor relationships.

Mr Jason Franks

Business manager. Associate member with voting rights, serves on the Finance and Resources Committee and

Mrs Laura Hewlett

Deputy Head and SENCO. Associate member with voting rights, serves on the Support Safety and Wellbeing Committee.

Father Matt Anscombe

Associate member, He attends the Full governing board meeting, he has no voting rights.