Calder Vale St John's Church of England Primary School
School Governance
What are School Governors?
School governors form the largest volunteer group in the country. They are people from all walks of life, who care about children’s education and are prepared to work as a team to support their school and local community.
More than 9,000 people volunteer to be governors in Lancashire, bringing to their role experience of everyday life and a wish to help children and schools. They support schools in raising standards, by determining the conduct and direction of the school.
Effective governors do not need educational expertise but do need to be committed to their school, willing to ask questions and act as a critical friend. They also need to be able to work as an enthusiastic member of the governing body team. The headteacher works closely with the governing body as its principal professional advisor. Governing body policy decisions will then be implemented by the headteacher in the day-to-day running of the school.
They will be supported by other governors on the school board, as well as by Lancashire County Council, through the Governor Services Team.
A Message from the Chair of our Governing Body
Welcome to the Governors Page of our school website. As you will have seen, Calder Vale is a happy and vibrant community set in the beautiful Forest of Bowland, providing unique opportunities for our children.
As a Governing Board, we work with the headteacher to set the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction and oversee the school’s financial performance. We have a strong relationship with the headteacher and staff to ensure we provide the very best education and care, so children can develop as individuals ready to move on to the next stage in their lives. To help us do this, we have a governing board with a variety of skills and experiences. Our federation with Scorton Primary School allows us to share expertise and resources to the benefit of the children of both schools.
We welcome anyone who is interested in joining us to contact the school. I look forward to hearing from you!
Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
Federation Governors
Diana McIntyre - Chair (Local Authority)
Katie Woods - Vice Chair (Foundation)
Rebecca Scholz - Headteacher (Ex-officio)
Dr Karen Mills (Foundation)
Revd Canon Peter Ballard (Foundation Ex-Officio Blackburn Diocese)
Steve Elliott (Co-opted)
Graham Peters (Foundation) Chair of Finance Committee
Ian Riding (Foundation)
Becky Green (Foundation)
Deacon Prudence Cahill (Foundation)
Adam Hilton-Mason (Scorton Parent)
Shelley Harvey (Staff Governor)
Emily Bonnie (Foundation)
Vacancy (Foundation)
Vacancy (Calder Vale Parent)
| Name | Governor Category | Date of Appointment | Term of Office | Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interests | Governor role in other educational constitutions | Relationship between governor or local staff |
| Mr Steve Elliott | Co-opted | 10 April 2022 | 4 years | None | Foundation Governor at Kirkland and Catterall St Helen's CE Primary School | None |
| Mr Graham Peters | Foundation | 04 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | Married to Mrs Helen Peters, Class Teacher at Scorton CE Primary School |
| Dr Karen Mills | Foundation | 08 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Mr Ian Riding | Foundation | 06 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Mrs Rebecca Scholz (Headteacher) | Ex-officio | None | None | None | ||
| Mrs Diana McIntyre | Local Authority | 13 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Mrs Becky Green | Foundation | 12 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Mrs Katie Woods | Foundation | 11 April 2022 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Deacon Prudence Cahill | Foundation | 25 March 2024 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Mr Adam Hilton-Mason | Scorton Parent | 25 March 2024 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Revd Canon Peter Ballard | Foundation (Ex-Officio - Blackburn Diocese) | 27 Nov 2024 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Miss Shelley Harvey | Staff Governor | 10 Nov 2025 | 4 years | None | None | None |
| Miss Emily Bonnie | Foundation Governor | 13 March 2026 | 4 years | None | None | None |
Governors who have left the Governing Body during 2025-2026
Mrs Helen Peters
Mrs Kim Carlyle
The following committees meet termly. Other committees meet as required.
Standard and Effectiveness Committee
Dr Karen Mills
Mrs Becky Green
Mrs Katie Woods
Mrs Rebecca Scholz
Deacon Prudence Cahill
Mr Steve Elliott
Finance Committee
Mr Ian Riding
Mr Graham Peters
Mrs Rebecca Scholz
Mrs Diana McIntyre
Mr Adam Hilton-Mason
Revd Canon Peter Ballard
Miss Shelley Harvey
Nominated Governors
Safeguarding - Mr Steve Elliott
SEND & Pupil Premium - Dr Karen Mills