Governors

Thorncombe St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy moved to its impressive extensive grounds in 1977 but there has been a Church of England school serving the local parish since 1876. These strong Christian roots and links with both church and community help us to grow and thrive.

In September 2018 St Mary’s entered into a management partnership with the Acorn Multi Academy Trust and converted to full academy status in February 2021. Whilst the school operates under the umbrella of the Trust and its Board of Directors, we retain our own Local Governing Body (LGB) and through this we work hard to preserve the individual character of our school.

Through living, learning and growing together we nurture each individual’s uniqueness and potential so that they may enjoy life in all its fullness. John 10:10

Within the framework of our Terms of Reference and the Trust Board Scheme of Delegation, governors work with children, parents, staff and the community to ensure the best outcomes for the children in our care. We are constantly striving to improve our own skills to strengthen the leadership of the school in order to fulfil these aims and obligations.

The focus of the governors has always been the well-being of our children and staff. We want everyone to be the best they can be; happy, safe and healthy within a positive caring environment which nurtures and celebrates uniqueness and potential with the highest possible standards of education. With support from Chief Executive Officer of the Trust (CEO), Andrea Rice, St Mary’s benefits from the management and teaching expertise from across the seven schools of the Trust. As staff develop and share skills and knowledge, the curriculum and the extra-curricular opportunities for all our children will be extended. As a small rural school, governors actively promote our equality and diversity objectives to ensure that the children have exposure to a variety of social, cultural and sporting experiences to prepare them for their lives ahead in modern Britain and the wider world.

As governors we support and monitor the work of the school; as critical friends we question and challenge through visits, meetings and reports. We want to ensure everyone’s well-being and to know about standards, curriculum, the quality of teaching and value for money to ensure the best outcomes for our children’s academic and personal development. Together we strive to improve our school ensuring that our Christian vision, values and ethos are at the heart of all that we do. 

Catherine Davis
Chair of Governors

Correspondence for the governors should be sent to the Clerk to Governors, Veronica Dower: clerk@acornacademy.org. Or contact the Chair at: St Mary's CE Primary Academy, Chard Street, Thorncombe, Chard, TA20 4NE

Acorn MAT Scheme of Delegation

LGB Terms of Reference

For further details of the Acorn MAT Trust Board of Directors and the governance structure, please click on the link below:

Acorn MAT Trust Board of Directors & Governance Structure

Business Interests & Attendance at Local Governing Body Meetings 2022-23