Governors

The Governing Body of the school is responsible for ensuring that it is run to promote pupil achievement. Its duties include:

• Setting strategic direction, policies and objectives
• Approving the school budget
• Reviewing progress against the school’s budget and objectives
• Appointing, challenging and supporting the headteacher

If you would like to find out more about the role of the Governing Body then please feel free to talk with any Governor or you can see the County Council’s website which contains lots of useful information including factsheets and frequently asked questions.

The constitution the school’s Governing Body, known as the Instrument of Government, is given below. In addition, the structure and remit of the Governing Body and its committees can be found in the Terms of Reference.

Our Chair of Governors is Mr Tim Fairbairn – he can be contacted via the School Office. Tel: 01787 227446 / Email: primary@bures.suffolk.sch.uk

Please click here to read the Governors’ Annual Statement and Impact Review

Please click here to Read the Parent Governor Election Guidance 

Current Governors

After over 30 years working in the City, my time is now spent running our goat dairy and the activities associated with that. As Chair it is my responsibility to lead the Governing Body and to provide support and challenge, appropriately, to the Headteacher. My ambition for the school is to deliver excellence at all levels, with all of the resources available to us. To ensure we continue to provide for the individual needs of all associated with the school and to listen carefully to what people have to say about what we do and they way we do it. My son is now in Year 8 at TGS and my wider interests include family history and metal detecting.  

I am Vicar of Bures with Assington and Little Cornard. Before ordination, I worked for many years as a solicitor and partner in a legal practice in Somerset. I have been a Foundation Governor for two church primary schools in Somerset and was legal advisor for Millfield School for many years. I am married to Angela and have three children in their early twenties.

I live with my wife and son (Year 2) in Bures, and have been in the village for almost five years. I was appointed as a governor in May 2015, and although it is my first experience of working with Bures Primary School, I have considerable experience in working with Local Government. Qualifying as a Charter Accountant in 2005, I have been working on various project roles for Essex County Council for the past three years.  Over the course of my career I have obtained experience in project management, strategy development, performance management, and finance. Over the coming years I am looking forward to working with the teachers, parents and pupils to ensure that every child attending the school is able to make the very most of their time there.

Having been a secondary teacher both abroad and in the UK for 15 years, I have gained plenty of experience in different educational institutions. Currently, I’m a private tutor and education consultant for home-educated children, therefore have an understanding of working with an ever changing curriculum and considering how it can be delivered effectively. Within the governor’s role, I will do my best to ensure that every student continues to have a fulfilling education during their time at Bures School and uphold the positive ethos that the school has created. I have two children at the school who are attending Year 5 and Year 3.

Before becoming a parent, I worked in a range of public sector Human Resource and Business Management roles.

Since my children have been at Bures school, I have enjoyed becoming increasingly involved in various activities within the school environment – being a parent helper at Forest School sessions; organising fundraising events with the PSA; and supporting and encouraging younger children with their reading skills.

I enjoy the diverse challenges that the role of Governor offers and hope to contribute effectively in order to ensure that Bures School continues to provide a supportive environment in which all children can develop and thrive.

I work for Unity Schools Partnership, (the MAT supporting Thomas Gainsborough School), where my main focus is on staff professional development and the teacher training programme.  I live in Bures and all three of my children attended the School.

I live in Bures with my wife Tricia who is Associate Priest at St Mary’s. We have two gorgeous daughters living in Manchester and London. I have spent my working life in oil tanker shipping, latterly working for the tanker owners’ organisation INTERTANKO in the City of London involved in communications, commercial issues and looking after the Greek members. I am involved in the village Youth Club and the St Mary’s Youth Group, and as a volunteer from time to time with CYO (Christian Youth Outreach) helping young people to get to know and value themselves. Since I retired I have started working as a volunteer with 72 North Street (Sudbury) talking with and supporting some young people at TGS. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be a Governor and to be involved with our vibrant school.

No Longer Serving

Name                                    Term                                            Position

Helen Foster                        17/10/2016 – 16/10/2020              Co-opted Governor

Rosie Kelly                           11/10/2016 – 10/10/2020              Parent Governor

Ben Wilson                           12/03/2016 – 11/03/2020              Parent Governor

Chris Sellens                        07/12/2016 – 21/07/2018             Staff Governor

Chris Newman                      19/01/14 – 19/01/18                     Parent Governor

Ian Gibbs                               13/04/15 – 21/07/16                    Chair and Co-Opted Governor

Liz Donaldson                        15/09/15-18/05/16                      Acting Headteacher

Liz Donaldson                       18/05/16-21/07/16                      Staff Governor

Laura Gower                         13/03/12-12/03/16                      Parent Governor

Laura Gower                         19/05/16-21/07/16                      Co-opted Governor

Juliette Shields                       20/01/14-21/07/16                     Parent Governor

Diane Turner                         16/09/15-17/05/16                     Staff Governor

Drew Quayle                          01/09/13-31/03/17                     Headteacher

Andrew Robinson                  03/07/15-02/07/19                     Co-opted Governor

Karen White                           01/12/14-24/07/19                    Foundation Governor

Katie Taylor                            03/10/18-24/07/19                    Staff Governor

Instrument of Government

1. The name of the school is Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
2. The school is a voluntary Controlled school.
3. The name of the governing body is the Governing Body of Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
4. The governing body shall consist of:a. Three parent governorsb. One LEA governorc. The Headteacherd. One staff governore. Four co-opted governorsf. Two foundation governors
5. Total number of governors 12 (except at any time when the headteacher has given notice as above that he chooses not to be a governor, when the total number of governors will be 11.)
6. The length of term of office for all governors will be four years. The ex-officio governor will continue to serve as a governor until such time as they relinquish the office that entitled them to their appointment.
7. The foundation body entitled to appoint foundation governors is the Diocesan Board of Education after consultation with the Parochial Church Council of St Mary’s, Bures.
8. (a) The holder of the following office shall be a foundation governor ex-officio: The Principal officiating Minister of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary’s, Bures.(b) The Archdeacon of Sudbury shall appoint a foundation governor to act in the place of the ex-officio foundation governor whose governorship derives from the office named in (a) above, in the event that the ex-officio foundation governor is unable or unwilling to act as a foundation governor, or there is a vacancy in the office by virtue of which his governorship exists.
9. The ethos of the school is as follows: Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level.The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all it pupils.
10. This instrument of government comes into effect on 14th April 2015
11. This instrument was made by order of the Suffolk Local Education Authority on 13th April 2015.
12. A copy of the instrument must be supplied to every member of the governing body (and the headteacher if not a governor), any trustees and to the appropriate religious body.D HoltOn behalf of Suffolk Local Authority