Welcome to our School!

As Chair of Governors I would like to welcome you to our website, and to our beautiful school. We are a small school but have a very big heart and truly care for the wellbeing, as well as the academic achievements, of all our children. In addition to our historic (though modernised!) school building we have a fantastic school field which is used extensively whenever the weather allows as well as for the annual sports day.

As a small school our staff are able to know every child and build on their strengths and interests, reflecting them in the content of lessons. We also offer an incredible range of extra-curricular activities ranging from many different sports to Lego, chess, dance, singing, cross country, science - and many more.

Our staff are amazing, dedicated and very experienced, our children thrive under their care. All our governors are very committed to the school and its children, we come into school as often as we can, attend class and whole school assemblies, quizzes, productions, sports day, Leavers Assembly, help on school trips, act as Dragons for Diamond Class’s Dragon’s Den in Enterprise Week and anything else we can! In this way we see school as it really is, not just sets of data.

If you decide to choose Richard Durning’s for your child, as I hope you will, I am sure you and your child will very happy with that decision.

I feel privileged to be a governor at Richard Durning’s and to be part of it’s more than 330 year history educating the children of this area. If you would like to be more involved in school life please speak to Mrs Whitfield, the Headteacher, about any governor vacancies, or consider becoming involved in our very supportive PTFA.

Judy Hales

Chair of Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Judy Hales - Chair of Governors, Foundation Governor, RD Charity Trustee

Term of Office Ends: December 2023

Responsibility:  Child Protection & Safeguarding, Online Safety, Prevent, English

Interest Affecting School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishment - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

I first became a governor at Richard Durning’s in 1994, almost 30 years ago now, when my eldest daughter started school here. I was working full time for HM Customs and Excise (later HMRC) so was unable to help in school with listening to children read etc. but thought this was a good way to contribute. I was originally a Local Authority appointed governor but have since become a Foundation governor as I am also Chair of the Trustees of the Richard Durning’s Charity. The role of a governor has changed considerably in the last 30 years but I still really love being involved in helping the school develop and seeing the children grow in every way, from tiny Ducklings or Reception children to confident Year 6 leavers. My interests outside school no longer include paid work but I enjoy looking after my grandchildren when needed, walking, and being part of two book groups. If you are interested in becoming a governor I can recommend it!

Rebecca Whitfield - Head Teacher

Term of Office Ends: Governor since Jan 2025, continues whilst employed as Head

Interest Affecting School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishment - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

Susan Hodson - Staff Governor 

Term of Office Ends - September 2028

Interests Affecting the School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishments - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

Simon Malcolm - Co-opted Governor

Term of Office Ends: October 2025

Responsibilities: Heath & Safety, Premises, Science

Interest Affecting School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishment - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

I joined Richard Durning’s Board of Governors in January 2018. Initially as a Parent Governor due to my eldest daughter attending the school and more recently as a Co-opted Governor. The role covers all aspects of the school and its’ development.
We all have complimentary individual skill sets that combine to deliver a great environment and opportunity for children to learn, develop and achieve their very best potential. My individual role is for the Premises, Health & Safety. We have building related projects that run in parallel to the general maintenance. I hold regular meetings and walk arounds, focussing on a specific area every 6 weeks. I enjoy all aspects of the role especially seeing the children’s developments and achievements. My day job outside school duties, along with my brother is the operation of factories throughout the North West designing & manufacturing sustainable recycled packaging 24 hours per day 7 days per week. I have two daughters who take up any remaining time I may have.

Natasha Laithwaite - Co-opted Governor

Term of Office Ends: November 2026

Responsibilities: Curriculum, PSHE and RE

Interest Affecting School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishment - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

Hi, I'm Natasha. I have two daughters who love attending Richard Durning’s. I have been a parent at the school since my eldest started as a Duckling. I have had the privilege of being a school governor since November 2022. My career background is in HR. I’m a Civil Servant and have worked in both the private and public sectors specialising in; Employee Relations; HR Business Partnering; Organisation Design and Development; and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  For the last 13 years I’ve been a volunteer with Inspiring the Future, which has enabled me to meet many primary and secondary school children during that time.  I’m passionate about their aim to help broaden children’s horizons and raise aspirations; to challenge gender and social stereotypes; and to help boost children’s motivation, attainment and future prospects. Helping children to feel they belong, that they have a voice and can be their authentic selves is incredibly important to me.  Outside of work and volunteering I have a love of reading, the arts and chocolate.

Kath Miller - Foundation Governor

Term of Office Ends: February 2026

Responsibility:  Wellbeing, EYFS, SEND

Interest Affecting School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishment - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

I have been a Governor at Richard Durning’s since 2010 and a Trustee of the Richard Durning’s Charity since 2017. I am a retired primary school Deputy-Head Teacher and have taught both key Stage 1 & 2 and still have a passion for Education. My particular interests are developing literacy skills and the creative arts. In addition to my role as Governor, I provide voluntary support to staff and children at Richard Durnings’s for two days per week. This support includes:

• supporting children to develop their skills across all curriculum areas

• participating in school trips including residential visits to Tower Wood

• lunch-time story club for Key Stage 1

• supporting PTA events

Claire Fiddler - Parent Governor

Term of Office Ends - October 2025

Responsibilities - Finance & Staffing, Languages & Music

Interests Affecting the School - Uniform Supplier

Interest in Other Educational Establishments - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

Hi, I'm Claire and I have been a Parent Governor since October 2021.

As a farmer's daughter born and bred in Lancashire, I feel a real affinity with the school and a desire to give something back to the local community. I have a wide and varied career history which has allowed me to travel the world and gain experience in a variety of areas from customer service right through to board level, in both apparel manufacturing and software development. A passion for process and efficiency drives my every day. 

Alongside my day job, I still live and work on the family farm, where we breed both commercial and pedigree 'Dutch Spotted' sheep. I also have a number of small businesses that keep me busy just in case there's any danger of me getting bored.

In my spare time I enjoy heading off to the lake district to mess around on the water or popping out for a walk or cycle. I also enjoy fine tuning my aim at the clay pigeon shooting range (dreaming of Olympic glory!!)

Mark Dickson - Parent Governor

Responsibilities - History & Geography, Link Training, GDPR & Benchmarking, Maths 

Term of Office Ends - October 2025

Interests Affecting the School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishments - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

Hello, I’m Mark and I’ve been a Parent Governor since October 2021. I joined the governing board as my son has really loved going to the school since he started in 2018 and I was keen to give something back; working with the other board members to help ensure the best possible learning opportunities for all the children. I am a mathematician by background and have worked as a professional statistician in Central UK Government for over twenty years, across a range of different Government Departments. My day-to-day role involves analysing data, understanding and forecasting trends and my work is used to inform ministers and to help enable them to make policy decisions. I have lived locally to the school since I moved back to Lancashire from London in 2011. Outside of work, I love family holidays and weekends away exploring new places. I also really enjoy coaching the local village junior football team as a volunteer.

Lisa Tomlinson - Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities - E.Safety, Computing, History, Art and Design Technology  

Term of Office Ends - September 2028

Interests Affecting the School - None

Interest in Other Educational Establishments - None

Financial Interest Affecting School - None

Material Interest Between Another Governor and Staff - None

As a former pupil of Richard Durning’s myself, I feel privileged to be accepted onto the board of governors as of Autumn 2024. The school holds a special place in my affections due to the many fond memories from my own schooldays, and also as a parent when my daughter attended. These ties run deeper still as my dad was a pupil here in the 1940s, his mother before him and her mother before that. There may even be previous generations of scholars that I haven’t as yet discovered, who knows!

Recently I made quite a dramatic career change, from twenty odd years as a primary teacher to working part-time for my daughter and her partner in their fashion business, which I love. However, as I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of teaching and being a governor in my previous school, I now wish to give something back to my old primary school. As I now have the time to volunteer one morning a week, I am also lucky enough to get to know all the super children and staff here.

My particular interest as a new governor lies in continuing the rich traditions of Richard Durning’s at the heart of the community, and taking this forward to educate and nurture local children for possibly the next three hundred years!

Finance Information

Please see link to the webpage that is dedicated to our school for the Schools Financial Benchmarking Service.  Please just follow the prompts to find school's specific page.

 https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/school/detail?urn=119409  

Governor Information

Governors formally meet each half term, i.e. 6 times a year, unless more frequent meetings are needed. All governors are involved in all areas of governance, e.g. Finance, Curriculum, Staffing, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Training, etc although each governor has some specific responsibility for a particular area such as Safeguarding (Mrs Hales) or H&S (Mr Malcolm). Each governor also reports to the full governing board on an allocated curriculum area, English, Maths, Science, Computing etc. explaining how that area of the curriculum is taught and how pupil progress is monitored. Governors also have links with their adopted class which strengthen the bond between governors, staff, and children.

Our governors are all very committed to the school and give their time and expertise willingly for the benefit of all the children.

In the last 12 months attendance at meetings has been as follows –

Judy Hales  - all attended

Catherine Hodgson (previous Head)  - all attended

Sarah Bowey - apologies sent for two meetings

Kath Miller – all attended

Simon Malcolm - all attended

Carl Culshaw - apologies sent for one meeting

Mark Dickson - all attended

Clare Fiddler – apologies sent for one meeting

Natasha Laithwaite - all attended

Apologies were sent, and accepted, by those who were unable to attend meetings.