Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA) and visit the school regularly to meet with staff and discuss/observe various aspects of school work.
Jigsaw Learning Trust
Ouston Primary School are a member of the Jigsaw Learning Trust. You can view their Financial details including Director and Trustees, Articles of Association and Financial Statements on their website.
Governor Committee Structure
| Name | Representing | Term of Office | Committee | Special Interests | Register of Interests | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Lavelle – Head Teacher | Head Teacher – Wed, Thurs, Friday | 1/9/07 – ongoing | Curriculum, Personnel | None | None | |
| Joanne Wise – Head Teacher HT/DHT/SENCO | Head Teacher – Mon, Tues | Curriculum | SEND | None | None | |
| Kathryn Barrass – Chair of Governing Body | Governor Appointed | 01/04/2026 – 31/03/2030 | Curriculum, Personnel | Safeguarding/CLA, SEND (Special Educational Needs/Disabilities) | None | None |
| June Lee | Governor Appointed | 01/09/2022 31/08/2026 | Curriculum | Maths, Health & Safety | None | |
| Matthew Thomas | Governor Appointed | 01/04/2026 – 31/03/2030 | Science, PE | Children attend OPS Spouse is Governor | ||
| Neil Bell | Governor Appointed | 01/04/2026 – 31/03/2030 | ICT – inc Online Safety , Data & Assessment | Child attends OPS | None | |
| Stacey Lockey | Parent Appointed | 07/10/2025 – 06/10/2029 | English, MFL | Children attend OPS | None | |
| Ashley Thomas | Parent Appointed | 01/04/2026 – 31/03/2030 | Humanities (History & Geography), Early Years | Children attend OPS Spouse is governor | ||
| Anne Pattinson | Governor Appointed | 01/09/2024 31/08/2028 | The Arts (Music, Art & DT), RE | None | None |
Stepped down during current year
| Name | Representing | Term of Office | Committee | Special Interests | Register of Interests | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Barrass Stepped down – 31/04/2026 | Governor Appointed | 16/02/2022 – 15/02/2026 | Humanities (History & Geography | Family member/Partner is OPS governor | Spouse | |
| Suzanne Butler Stepped down – 15/02/2026 | Governor Appointed | 16/02/2022 – 15/02/2026 | English | None | None | |
| Charlotte Coffied – Stepped down – 18/02/2025 | Parent Elected | 08/06/2022 – 07/06/2026 | Science | None | ||
| Clare Turnbull – stepped down – 18/02/2025 | Parent Elected | 08/06/2022 – 07/06/2026 | The Arts (Music, Art & DT) | None |
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
Ouston Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in Multi Academy Trusts. For further information please view or download the full document below.
This information will be uploaded shortly
How To Become A School Governor
If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.
Please click on the link below to view further information regarding our Governing Body.
Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year.
Record of Governor Attendance 2025-2026
| Name of Governor | Local Governing Body Meeting 20/10/2025 | Local Governing Body Meeting 18/02/2026 (postponed to 01/04/2026 | Local Governing Body Meeting 24/06/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathryn Barrass | Attended (chair) | Attended (chair | |
| Louise Lavelle | A/A | Attended | |
| Joanne Wise | Attended | Attended | |
| Philip Barrass | Attended | Attended | |
| Suzanne Butler | Attended | X | |
| Neil Bell | Attended | Attended | |
| June Lee | Attended | Attended | |
| Ann Pattinson | Attended | Attended | |
| Stacey Lockey | Attended | ||
| Ashley Thomas | Attended | ||
| Matthew Thomas | |||
| Annette Tyrrell SBM (Clerk) | Attended | Attended |
Record of Governor Attendance 2024-2025
| Name of Governor | Local Governing Body Meeting 21/10/2024 | Local Governing Body Meeting 17/02/2025 | Local Governing Body Meeting 13/05/2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathryn Barrass | Attended (chair) | Attended (chair) | Attended (chair) |
| Louise Lavelle | Attended | Attended | Attended |
| Joanne Wise | Attended | Attended | A/A |
| Philip Barrass | A/A | Attended | Attended |
| Suzanne Butler | Attended | A/A | N |
| Neil Bell | Attended | Attended | Attended |
| Helen Boyd | A/A | A/A | X |
| Clare Turnbull | N | A/A | X |
| Charlotte Coffield | N | A/A | X |
| Ann Pattison | Attended | Attended | Attended |
| June Lee | Attended | Attended | Attended |
| Annette Tyrrell SBM (Clerk) | Attended | Attended | Attended |
KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee
Archive Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.
Committee Terms of Reference
Adobe Reader
You may need a product like Adobe Reader (free download) to view our PDF documents on our website.
