School Governors

Governance Statement

Our school is proud to be part of the Crofty Education Trust, the running of which is overseen by the board of trustees – chaired by Mr Mike Hosking.

The Trust Board is made up of volunteers, mainly people who have been school governors in the past but also including people with specific business or educational skills. They set the strategic direction for the Trust, hold the Trust to account for its outcomes for students and oversee the work of the Executive Officers.

Each school has a Local Governing Body (LGB) who have delegated responsibility for standards and outcomes in that school, its safeguarding and its relationships with external stakeholders, especially parents. The Chairs of LGBs are held to account by the Board for outcomes in those areas.

The LGB will use its detailed knowledge and engagement with stakeholders to ensure that their school is being well served by the executive leadership, and has direct access to the board if there are concerns.

The Local Governing Body of Portreath School are all volunteers who give up their time to represent the community and to help shape the direction and aims of the School.  For further information regarding the structure of the Crofty Education Trust, including details of trustees and members please use the Crofty Governance link under our ‘About Us’ tab.

The Local Governing Bodies act as the eyes and ears of the Trust Board playing a crucial role in the governance of the trust. They are committees of the Trust Board that provide an independent view of each school, acting as “critical friends” to each school’s leadership. Local Governors are the public face of governance, promoting each school and celebrating their successes.

Our governors play a pivotal role in supporting the school. They are very much a voice for the school and its children, parents and community. They have a meeting every half term and then visit the school at least termly for meetings with staff and to spend time in classes.  There is a link below which sets out the terms of reference for the local governing body.  If you would like to contact our governors please email our Chair, Matt Leech: matt.leech@croftymat.org

We are so grateful for all the governors do, they are volunteers who are committed to the school and give up a lot of their own time to help us.  Below is a list of governors and their key responsibilities:

Portreath Local Governance Committee (LGC) – Register of Interests, Membership, Attendance       Updated: September 2024

 Appointments – Staff governors are elected by school staff, Community governors are appointed by the LGC

GOVERNOR’S NAME	POSITION	GOVERNOR CATEGORY	TERM OF OFFICE From/To	REGISTER of INTERESTS	ATTENDANCE 2023/2024
Matthew Leach	Chair	Parent – appointed	15/11/21 14/11/25	Parent	5/5
Elizabeth Ball	Vice Chair	Parent – appointed	29/01/24 28/01/28	Parent	5/5
Christopher Shaw		Parent – elected	28/02/24 27/02/28	Parent	2/2
Elizabeth Gerrish		Community	01/07/224 17/09/28	None	4/5
Jessica Cafe		Parent – appointed	06/03/23 05/03/27	Parent Trust Employee	5/5
Lucie Clarke		Staff	01/10/22 30/09/26	Parent Trust Employee	4/5
Marcus Way		Parent – elected	25/03/24 24/03/28	Parent	2/2
Previous members (last 12 months)

• Mr Matt Leech – Chair of Governors, Parent Governor Contact c/o Portreath School, Penberthy Road, Redruth, Cornwall. TR16 4LU

Meet the Governors

	Marcus Way – I grew up in Perranarworthal and after college I worked as a photographer for the BBC in London and then Scotland. I returned to Cornwall in my late 20s and worked as a photography lecturer at Falmouth College of Arts and Truro College. I enjoy cycling and getting in the sea as much as possible. I live in Portreath and I have a young son.
	Jessica Cafe – I have been Parent Governor at Portreath School since Spring 2019. I’m a mum to 2 girls. My hobbies include reading, spending time with my family and walking our Springer Spaniel. I really enjoy the varied role of being a parent governor. This academic year my responsibilities include English, EYFS and the website. I am also Maple Tree Class governor.
	Chris Shaw – I am a new Parent Governor for the 2024 school year. My daughter is the third generation of my family to attend the school, so I am very proud to take on the role and help serve the Local Governance Committee. I have fulfilled several roles over the years including teaching life skills to young offenders whilst working as a prison officer (boy do I have some stories from that job); however, I now work in the NHS as a Diagnostic Radiographer for Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust. I have an interest in Special Educational Needs so will be taking on responsibility for this for the Local Governance Committee over the coming year.
	Elizabeth (Libby) Ball – Following a 20 year career in Brand Marketing for Nestle, Coca-Cola and Rowes Cornish Bakers I have retrained as a soft tissue massage therapist. I love the outdoors, yoga, road biking and travelling adventures! I recently joined the Board of Governors at Portreath School in September 2020.
	Elizabeth (Liz) Gerrish – I have lived in the village for many years and have been associated with the school in many roles, parent, employee and for the last 10 years Governor, where I previously held the role of Chair. My work in Educational Finance has been a great help to me. It is an honour to serve on the local governance committee and be involved in the day to day life of the school.
	Matt Leech – I grew up in Lancashire but made Cornwall my home after becoming a teacher. I’ve taught geography in three local secondary schools for over 15 years and I still love the job. I’ve lived in the village since 2020 with my wife and two children. I am happiest outdoors, cycling, playing football and watching my beloved Preston North End.