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).

The LGB has three core functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

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 and Sarah Shelton

Safeguarding Lead:            Sarah Shelton

Clerk to the LGB                 Sam Brown   email:  old.clerk@stcmat.org

If you wish to contact the Governing Body, or you are interested in becoming a governor, please email the clerk.

Meet the Governors

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.

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.   

My name is Emma Young and I have two daughters that have attended St Marys Priory Schools - one is now in secondary school and the other is in the junior school. As the headteacher of a local school, I am passionate about education and ensuring children have access to excellent teaching and learning opportunities. I am also an advocate for a holistic approach to learning, so children are nurtured by experiences such as trips, forest school and positive relationships. In my spare time, I enjoy dog walks and swimming with my family. I take my role as governor seriously to ensure that OUR children have the best possible education whilst at St Marys Priory Schools.    

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.