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Governance
At The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco, our Local Governing Body (LGB) is a committed and hard working group who meet as a full board each half term, to discuss the effective running of school within our governance model, as delegated through Pope Francis Catholic MAT.
The specific functions of our LBG are laid out in the Trust’s Scheme of Delegation, linked below. Our LGB's responsibilities are:
- To ensure high standards of achievement for all pupils by supporting our Catholic vision and aims, in harmony with the Trust’s mission and strategic direction.
- Both support and challenge leaders on the educational performance of our school and its pupils, and their well-being and safety.
- Support SLT generally and with specific emphasis on target setting, pupil monitoring and analysing progress data to inform curriculum & budgeting priorities.
- Monitor the school budget ensuring prudence, probity & efficiency.
- Support SLT with staffing structure, recruitment and performance management.
- Responsible for staff welfare and well-being, support SLT in monitoring absence.
- Promote collaboration with all schools, ensure school is meeting community need.
- Develop and review delegated school policies (e.g. admissions, behaviour).
- Provide a point of contact for parents and other members of the community.
- Evaluate performance ensuring appropriate development, skills and behaviour.
Our Chair of Governors for the Local Governing Body at The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco is Father Robert Gardner, he can be contacted by emailing or sending a letter to school, care of the admin office to pass on to him: Netherton Way, Bootle, Merseyside, L30 2NA; email: admin@sjb.pfcmat.org.
Our Governance Structure
Academic year 2024-2025, governance information:
SASJB Declarations of Interest
SASJB Meeting Attendance 2024-25
SASJB Meeting Attendance 2023-24
Scheme of Delegation and Terms of Reference SASJB Funding Agreement
SASJB Higher Paid Staff Information
If you would like to review copies of any of our governance minutes, or if you have any questions about governance at SASJB or Pope Francis CMAT, please email info@pfcmat.org and we will pass this on to our Governance Director to help you.
LGB Pen Portraits
Fr Bob Gardner, Chair
Fr Bob is a Salesian priest, based in Bolton. He has extensive experience of working in education, youth work and social work. He is the Vice-Provincial, Director of Social Media and Communications, Director of Don Bosco Publications, Editor of Salesian Bulletin, Social Communications' Delegate and the Youth Ministry Delegate.
Mr Philip Lloyd, Vice Chair
Currently Executive Principal for a Multi-Academy Trust in the North West. Phil is an experienced headteacher, governor and inspector having spent a 30 year career working in the education sector in the West Midlands and North West regions.
He is passionate about the role of education in supporting social mobility and values greatly the opportunities schools can offer to young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. He is a charity trustee and has a significant interest in how culture and the arts can contribute to high quality experiences and education outcomes for pupils.
Mrs S Bourade, Headteacher
Sue has been Headteacher at The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco since April 2023. Prior to taking up this post, she worked in All Saints High School in Kirkby as a Deputy Headteacher, as a Science Consultant for Sefton Local Authority and in other Sefton secondary schools in leadership roles.
Born and raised in Bootle in the parish of St James, Sue is passionate about establishing a culture of aspiration for all her pupils and the wider school community.
Deacon Des Bill
Des is married with 4 children and 6 grandchildren. He is a serving Deacon in St Anne’s parish in Ormskirk. For a number of years, he was Chair of Governor’s at his local primary school.
From 1998 until his retirement at the end of 2019, he was the safeguarding lead for the Archdiocese of Liverpool. He provides safeguarding support to the Salesians of Don Bosco. He has family members who attended ‘Savio’, from the day it opened and has a close affinity with the school.
Mrs Ann Quayle
Ann was born and grew up in Bootle and is an active member of St. James Church, where she helps with the Parish Accounts and Gift Aid administration. Although she has no previous experience in education, she ran a plumbing business for the past 20 years and within this role developed a wide range of skills and experience, which she brings to her role as a Foundation Governor.
As a governor, she wants to ensure the best for all the young people who attend The Salesian Academy of Don Bosco and support staff, the Head and fellow Governors to ensure the school has the highest standards possible.
Mr Eddie Varey
Eddie is a deputy headteacher at a local Sefton high school where he has worked for several years teaching Computer Science and ICT.
He is also a parishioner in the parish of St Oscar Romero in Waterloo and Seaforth. As a pupil, he attended Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton.
Mrs Jackie Norbury
Jackie has been employed at this school since September 2004. She previously taught Business Studies and is now Curriculum Lead for Maths.
Jackie has been an elected staff governor since 2018, originally serving on the Governing Board of Savio Salesian College and then being elected to serve on The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco's local governing board.
Miss Louise Benton
Louise has lived and worked in Bootle all her life and has a full interest here first hand. She is also a parent of young children at the school. Her background is in working for the Dept of Work and Pensions, counselling, and community groups locally.
Louise has good networks and advisory skills and has a genuine interest and concern for the people and the youngsters of the area, including their educational, social and spiritual welfare. She aims to work with the school, the Trust and its governors to the best of her abilities and in the genuine interest for the children and their education.
She will take forward any concerns that arise and contribute and challenge in any way that she can to help the school governors to enable the children to achieve their very best and the school to perform to its optimum.
Mrs Annette Southworth
Annette has worked as a Senior Business Leader in schools for over 20 years, She has experience across all key stages, worked in several local authorities and the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Prior to working in education, she worked in banking and finance. She has many years of experience working with Leadership teams developing best practices, supporting Academy conversion and has held the post of Finance Director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool Secondary School Improvement Trust.
Mrs Sarah O'Rourke
My name is Sarah O'Rourke and I have been a Deputy Headteacher at a Liverpool secondary school for four years. I am the mother of 5 children between the ages of 10 and 27, who have all benefitted tremendously from a catholic education and the support of our church, All Saints Catholic Church in Anfield.
I passionately believe that all young people should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential regardless of any barriers and I advocate for this in both my personal and professional life.
Trust Board
Governance at our Trust is strong and balanced. It offers professional support and challenge so that leaders push themselves while maintaining a laser-like focus on results and quality.
The Pope Francis CMAT website contains the Trust's financial information, Articles of Association, Memorandum of Understanding, Master Funding Agreement, as well as up to date information on the Trust board's meetings and membership:
Members
The Members of The Pope Francis Catholic MAT are equivalent to shareholders of a trading company. As the Trust is charitable, with no power to distribute profit to shareholders, they are best viewed as guardians of the constitution - changing the Articles if necessary and ensuring the charitable object is fulfilled.
The Archbishop, through the Diocesan Education Department, also exercises oversight and supervision as diocesan authority. All Trust Governors are required to observe directions issued by on on behalf of the Archbishop.
Directors
Decision making and accountability for Pope Francis CMAT rests with the Directors, who are Directors for charity law purposes and company directors registered with Companies House. They are personally responsible for the actions of the Trust and its Academies, accountable to the Members, Secretary of State for Education and the wider community for the quality of education and spending of public money.
The Directors have systems in place through which they can assure themselves of the quality, safety and good practice of the affairs of the Trust. They meet as a board and delegate aspects of governance and the day to day oversight of school leadership to Local Governing Bodies within each academy. Other committees established by the Board may by tasked with fulfilling particular functions or advising the Directors on strategic matters.
Local Governing Boards (LGBs)
The role of a Local Governor within our Trust is an important one - the Trust has sought to ensure that, as much as possible, the responsibility to govern is vested in those closest to the impact of decision making and that such responsibility matches the capacity of those assuming responsibility.
The Trust Board has established LGBs for each Academy, including The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco, for the most part made up of individuals drawn from our community, both as elected and appointed members. Those serving on the Local Governing Body are accountable to the Directors and the Archbishop, and must ensure that, at all times, they act in good faith and in the best interests of the Academies and the Trust, exercising reasonable care and skill, and having particular regard to local knowledge and experience.
Our Governors share a common belief that children should receive an education of the best possible quality. Staff Governors are teachers or other employees of the Academy who are elected into office by their colleagues. Parent Governors are elected onto the Governing Body by parents of pupils currently attending the Academy. Foundation Governors are appointed by Archbishop to represent and sustain their interests and priorities. The Chair of Governors forum is made up of the Chairs of LGBs, which meets termly and provides a clear link between the Directors Board and the LGBs.
Governors Area
Use these buttons to login to your account with NGA or GovernorHub, click to view our governance dashboards, and book your training with Sefton Governor Services:
National Governance Association
Joining our Governance Team
If you are a skilled and experienced sector leader looking to volunteer as a member of the Local Governing Body (LGB) at The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco, or as a Director on our Trust Board, please get in touch by emailing: info@pfcmat.org.
Our governing board is an integral part of the strategic running of our school and core members of our Salesian Academy leadership team. Our whole-Trust governing team ensures best practice in three layers of accountability. On a local level, Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) like ours hold each Headteacher to account for what is delivered in their academy, each LGB at PFCMAT has a strong level of responsibility for their school's progress and success through our Trust's governing principle of subsidiarity. Our Directors are responsible for the strategic priorities of the Trust and our Members Board ensure compliance with charity and Company law requirements.
Our LGB governors and Directors attend half-termly face to face meetings as a full board, and are usually members of additional committees in areas such as standards and safeguarding or Catholic life, with some additional meetings as relevant over the year.
Our governors have a strong sense of integrity and live out the Nolan Principles of Public Life and the Academy Trust Governance Code. They are committed members of our community who can have a significant impact on how well our school is run and what pupils and staff can achieve.
You can find out more about becoming a Local Governor, or Trust Director (Trustee) through the NGA, and in their introductory video below: