Welcome from the Governing Body

As the Governing Body of Darwen St James, we are proud to work alongside our dedicated headteacher, senior leadership team, and staff to provide an exceptional educational experience grounded in our shared Christian values. Guided by our vision of “nurturing ambition through a living faith,” we are committed to supporting every child to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually.

Our role as governors is to ensure the school’s strategic direction promotes high standards of education while fostering a culture of ambition and opportunity for all. We oversee key areas such as curriculum development, safeguarding, financial management, and school ethos, always keeping the well-being and success of our children at the heart of every decision.

At Darwen St James, we embrace the school’s mission to nurture ambition, rooted in John 3:18: “Let us not love with words or speech alone but with actions and truth.” This principle inspires us to foster a safe, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment where children grow in confidence and develop the resilience and curiosity needed to become positive citizens of tomorrow.

We believe in the importance of a strong partnership between school and home. We encourage parents and carers to engage with the school community, ensuring that every child receives the support they need to succeed. Our team of governors brings diverse skills and perspectives to enrich the school’s governance, and we welcome opportunities to collaborate with families, staff, and local stakeholders.

Whether you are a prospective parent, a current member of our school family, or simply interested in learning more about Darwen St James, we invite you to explore our website and see how our vision and values come to life.

With best wishes,

Tara Maynard

Chair of Governors

All of the academies in the Cidari Trust are accountable to their individual Local Governing Committees, which in turn is accountable to the Board of Directors of the Trust. In all our Academies the Local Governing Committee can appoint its own community Governors, and it is traditionally these posts which the Committee uses to cover skills gaps, hence these posts often being offered to Governors from the local business community. Parent and Staff representatives are are also elected on to the Committee and play a vital role in Governance. Finally, the For faith Academies, the church, via Cidari, appoint a number of foundation Governors to each Local Governing Committee.

Local Governing Committees make decisions which are in the best interests of the children and young people. Keeping the decision making as close as possible to those that are affected by the decisions makes for sound and efficient leadership and governance. 

Fulfilling the role of an Academy Governor is, therefore, both a serious undertaking and an enormously rewarding one. Not only do Governors bring their own knowledge and skills to the role, but, in learning how academies are run, they often develop their understanding of leadership. In addition, contributing to the growth and development of an academy and seeing tangible improvements in the attainment and wellbeing of the children is a satisfying and important contribution to the local community.

Our School Worship Team wrote a governing prayer that is said to  open each meeting.

Local Governing Committee

The local governing committees, set up for each of the Academies within the MAT, maintain their existing representation (unless serious Governance concerns have been evidenced) and are tasked with protecting the individual ethos of the Academy. Parents are elected to these local governing committees and so maintain an input into the governance of their Academy.  However, as mentioned above it is also responsibility of the MAT Board of Trustees to ensure it protects the individual ethos of each Academy within the MAT (whether church or community) in accordance with the company documents. More information regarding local Governing Committees and how to become a Governor in one of our Academies can be found by clicking here.