Welcome to Sunnybrow Primary’s Governing Body. We are a team of voluntary elected staff, parents and other interested parties. We are responsible for raising school standards by:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Our governors have written the Annual Governance Statement which you can read here. This document outlines the responsibilities of our Governing Body, the actions they have taken in the current academic year and the impact of those actions.
Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body 2025
Governors must provide information regarding whether or not they are likely to have a conflict of interest which could affect the operation of the school. This is called a Register of Interest which can be read by clicking on the link below.
Sunnybrow Primary School Register of Governors’ Interests
| Name of Governor | Date of appointment | Term of office | Appointed by: | Registered Business Interest | Place of work/ Link to other educational establishment | Relationships with staff or other governors | Governor of Other Educational Establishment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Sim | 01.06.23 | Headteacher | Sunnybrow Primary School | None | Yes | ||
| Mrs Julie Phillips | 23.03.22 | 23.03.26-22.03.30 | Governing Body | Retired | None | None | No |
| Katie Murphy | 05.02.26 | 04.02.30 | Staff elected | Teacher | Sunnybrow Primary School | None | No |
| Sarah Nixon | 15.06.22 | 15.06.26-14.06.30 | Parent elected | None | M Spence Surfacing LTD | None | No |
| Jeannine Murray | 07.10.22 | 07.10.26-06.10.30 | Parent elected | Hairdresser | Self-employed Hairdresser | None | No |
| Kelly Armstrong | 21.06.23 | 21.06.23-20.06.27 | Governing Body | Headteacher | Parkside Academy | None | Yes |
| Olivia Richardson | 05.02.24 | 05.02.24-04.02.28 | Governing Body | Estates Manager | ALP Academy | None | No |
| Vicky Curry | 14.11.24 | 14.11.24-13.11.28 | Governing Body | Teacher | Peases West Primary School | None | Yes |
| Natalie Mason | 03.12.24 | 03.12.24-02.12.28 | Governing Body | Teacher | Parkside Academy | None | No |
Governor Code of Conduct
All members of the Governing Body must adhere to the Code of Conduct. This is to ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities effectively and without bringing the Governing Body into disrepute.
Governing Board Code of Conduct 2026 – 2027
Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies
Sunnybrow 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 maintained schools.
Maintained schools governance guide – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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.
Governing Body Committee Structure
| Name | Position | Committees | Term of Office expires | Representing | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Claire Sim | Headteacher | First/Pay Review Finance and Premises Appeals Staffing/Curriculum & Standards | Staff | ||
| Mrs Julie Phillips | Vice Chair | Finance and Premises Headteacher Appointment Staffing/ Curriculum and Standards | 22.3.30 | Co-opted | Attendance CIC/PCIC Personal Development & Wellbeing |
| Miss Katie Murphy | Finance and Premises Headteacher Appointment Staffing / Curriculum and Standards | 04.02.30 | Staff | ||
| Ms Sarah Nixon | Finance & Premises Appeals Headteacher Appointment Staffing, Curriculum & Standards | 14.6.30 | Parent | Behaviour & Attitudes | |
| Ms Jeannine Murray | Chair | Headteacher Appointment First/Pay review Staffing, Curriculum & Standards | 06.10.30 | Parent | Personal Development & Wellbeing Training & Development |
| Mrs Kelly Armstrong | First/Pay Review Headteacher Performance Staffing, Curriculum & Standards | 20.06.27 | Co-opted | SEND | |
| Mrs Olivia Richardson | Finance & Premises Staffing, Curriculum & Standards | 04.02.28 | Co-opted | GDPR | |
| Mrs Vicky Curry | Appeals Finance and Premises Staffing, Curriculum and Standards | 13.11.28 | Local Authority | EYFS Pupil and Sports Premium | |
| Natalie Mason | First/Pay Review Finance and Premises Staffing, Curriculum and Standards | 02.12.28 | Co-opted | Safeguarding, including Online Safety |
Governor Attendance
Record of Attendance 2026-2027
| Governor | FGB 08.10.26 | Finance 08.10.26 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Sim (HT) | / | / | ||||
| Julie Philips | / | / | ||||
| Katie Murphy | / | / | ||||
| Neil Boyd | apols | na | ||||
| Jeannine Murray | / | / | ||||
| Sarah Nixon | / | / | ||||
| Kelly Armstrong | / | na | ||||
| Olivia Richardson | / | / | ||||
| Natalie Mason | apols | apols | ||||
| Victoria Curry | / | apols |
Archived Information
You can view archived governor information here .
Committee Terms of Reference
Committee Terms of Reference June 2026
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