Governors
Our Governing Body, which meets at least once a term, is made up of 12 individuals representing the whole school community who bring a wide variety of skills to support the School including finance capabilities, management experience, teaching experience and pastoral care. All undertake their duties with dedication and passion in a voluntary and unpaid capacity. The term of office for each governor is 4 years. As we are a Voluntary Aided school we are supported by both the Carlisle Diocese and Westmorland & Furness County Council.
The Governing Body is made up of:
- 1 Headteacher
- 1 Staff Governor
- 7 Foundation Governors (there is currently a vacancy for a Foundation Governor)
- 2 Parent Governors
- 1 Local Authority Governor(there is currently a vacancy for a Local Authority Governor)
The term “critical friend” is often used to describe the responsibilities and role of the Governing Body. In essence, this means the Governing Body ensures it understands the School’s “big picture” by supporting the vision and aims of the School. It works closely with the Headteacher and staff to gain a strong knowledge of the strengths of the school and the areas for development. It supports the Headteacher with strategic planning for continuous School Improvement.
All the Governors have responsibilities with regard to a variety of areas of the School. Each governor is linked to a year group and spends time with the staff and children in that year group to more fully understand the life of the school. The Governing Body has several statutory duties for which they are accountable, including appointing the Headteacher as well as agreeing certain school policies and procedures.
All Governors initially complete basic training. Continuous updates and training are provided to ensure that Governors get the information they need to perform their duties to the best of their capabilities.
It is essential that the Governing Body maintains high standards including a commitment to ensure confidentiality is observed at all times; as the Governors are privy to delicate information relating to the school and its community. Equally, the Governing Body is not involved with the day-to-day running of the school so any comments of this nature will be directed back to the class teachers and the Headteacher in accordance with the School’s policies and procedures.
Governor Attendance – 2024.25
| 18.09.24 | 12.11.24 | 15.01.25 | 12.03.25 | 04.06.25 | 02.07.25 | |||||
| Elizabeth Budd | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |||
| Rachael Sutherland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |||
| Rev. George Briggs | 1 | Apologies | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 83% | |||
| Maggie Cole | 1 | 1 | 1 | Apologies | 1 | Apologies | 66% | |||
| Anne Hoe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |||
| Jo Dowker | 1 | Apologies | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 83% | |||
| Sarah Cunliffe | 1 | 1 | 1 | Apologies | Apologies | 1 | 66% | |||
| Sam Thom | 1 | Apologies | 1 | 1 | Apologies | 1 | 66% | |||
| Billy Dayson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |||
| Beth Booker | Apologies | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 83% | |||
| Claire Taylor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Governor Business Interest – Updated November 2025
| Name | Current employment | Interest | Date recorded | Notes |
| Elizabeth Budd | Nil return | 25/05/2023 | No change 17/09/2025 | |
| Rachael Sutherland | Self Employed Freelance Writer | 20/09/2022 | ||
| Lakeland Maze Farm Park | Parttime general assistant | 17/09/2025 | ||
| Brother now working for the Diocese of Carlisle – Peter Barfoot | Finance and buildings officer – involved in discussions about school funding | 15/01/2025 | ||
| Rev George Briggs | St Thomas’s Church | 09/11/2022 | ||
| Jo Dowker | Lancashire County Council Stepping Stones PRU, Lancaster | Staff | 17/09/2025
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| Sarah Cunliffe | St Thomas’s C of E Primary School | Head Teacher | 17/09/2025
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| Sarah Cunliffe
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Andrew Cunliffe – St Thomas’s C of E Primary School | Husband | 17/09/2025
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| Sam Thom | Cyber Security Consultant | Member of special interest group within:
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20/05/2023 | |
| Billy Dayson | St Thomas’s C of E Primary School | Teaching Assistant | 17/09/2025
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| Beth Booker | ||||
| Natalie Fryer | Cumbria Tourism | 17/09/2025 | ||
| Claire Taylor | St Thomas’s C of E Primary School | Teacher | 17/09/2025
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Governors who have left in the past 12 months:
- Maggie Cole – ex-officio – Head Teacher – Resigned August 2025
- Anne Hoe – Local Authority governor – Resigned ~July 2025
Sarah Cunliffe
Ex Officio
01.01.2023
Sarah is the head teacher of the school and is an ex officio governor.
Jo Dowker
Foundation governor - appointed by the diocese and chair of governors
03.08.2022
Jo Dowker is a Foundation Governor and member of St. Thomas’s Church. She is a primary school teacher and SENDCO at a school in Lancashire. She is currently the Governor for SEND. Jo is the chair of governors and chair of the FPS committee.
Rachael Sutherland
Foundation Governor appointed by the diocese and Vice Chair of Governors
07.07.2021
Rachael is a foundation governor and member of St. Thomas’s Church. She is vice chair of the governing body. Her background is in teaching in primary school and she now works as a freelance writer and trainer.
George Briggs
Ex-Officio
15.10.2014
George is the vicar of St Thomas’s Church. He has one child in school in Year 6.
Liz Budd
Foundation Governor appointed by the diocese
13.01.2023
Liz is a foundation governor and is the safeguarding governor. Liz was a primary school teacher.
Billy Dayson
Foundation Governor appointed by the diocese
15/05/2024
Billy is a Foundation Governor and a member of St Thomas’s Church. Billy was also a past pupil of St Thomas’s and is proud to be back supporting the school in his role as governor and as a teaching assistant.
Claire Taylor
Staff Governor elected by the staff
16.04.2021
Claire is the Year 6 class teacher, SENDCo, DSL and is the Staff Governor.
Sam Thom
Parent Governor elected by the parents
11.01.2023
Sam is a Parent Governor, he has two children in school in the Nursery and Reception classes. Sam works as a cyber security consultant.
Beth Booker
Parent Governor elected by the parents
15/05/2024
Beth is a Parent Governor, she has two children in school and has been the Chair of the PTFA for several years.









