Governance

GOVERNOR VACANCIES

The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust (DCVST) is looking for Governors to join our dedicated and visionary Schools Governance Boards.

The Vine Schools Trust is a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) set up by the Diocese of Chelmsford. We are a family of Church of England primary schools located throughout Essex and Thurrock. Our vision is to serve our local communities by providing excellent education rooted in our Christian values. Learn more about the Trust, here.

As a Governor on your school Governance Board you will:
• Be an advocate of the Trust Board so that pupils and schools will flourish in a place where the Trust and School vision and values are translated into action
• Provide support and challenge to school leaders
• Know each school well through focused monitoring to gain assurance of school progress and policy in action which will inform decision making

The closing date for applications is Thursday 13th July 2023 at 12.00pm. Interviews will be conducted w/c 17th July 2023.

The Vine Schools Trust is a multi-academy trust and is the accountable body for all twenty three of its schools. Therefore, the overarching responsibility for the governance of the Trust and its schools lies with the Vine Board of Directors.  They fulfil the three core functions of governance:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
  • Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

To enable the Directors to fulfil their responsibility eight regional Local School Boards work on their behalf and undertake delegated local governance of between two and four schools.  Community Boards in each school enable local support and provide information to enable good governance.

The key principle is that all three Boards together with Executive Leaders will provide an aspect of governance the other cannot as set out in this chart.

Our Local Schools Board

The Colne Valley Local Schools Board has oversight for four primary schools: Belchamp St Paul, Colne Engaine, Ridgewell, St Andrew’s Great Yeldham.

The Terms of Reference for Local Schools Boards and the Scheme of Delegation showing which responsibilities have been delegated to them are in the “download” section below.  Also in that section are the minutes of meetings so that you may see the range of work that the Board does over a period of time.

The Board meets twice each term to consider a range of matters pertinent to all the schools.

Mrs Kirsty Stuart – Headteacher

Mrs Cathy Shergold – Vine Trust appointed Chair of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Emma Flin – Headteacher of Great Yeldham Primary School and member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Samantha Dunne – Headteacher of Colne Engaine Primary School and member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Headteacher of Belchamp St Paul Primary and member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Mrs Claire Kearney – Vine Trust appointed member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Mr Godfrey Evans – Vine Trust appointed member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Mr Nigel Benwell – Vine Trust appointed member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Mr Richard Hopkins – Vine Trust appointed member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board

Mrs Jane Lushington – Vine Trust appointed member of the Colne Valley Local Schools Board