Strategy and Finance

Governance at St. John’s School is carried out by a team of volunteer governors, the Headteacher and a member of School Staff. The Full Governing Body (FGB) has a Chair, a Vice Chair and FGB members who work as part of the governing body and on committees and working groups. 

Together they oversee, challenge, and support the Headteacher and her team to plan the future direction for the school that will best serve the interests of current and future children. The shared goal is to ensure delivery of the school’s strategic objectives, including safeguarding and curriculum development, and to oversee the financial performance of the school, making sure its money is well spent. 

FGB focus is on Curriculum, Resources and Finance and individual governors have responsibility for Child Protection, Safeguarding, Special Educational Needs, Health and Safety, links with the Guildford Diocese and training.  Additionally, governors are involved in specialist Working Groups and Panels when the need arises.

It is important to recognise that all governors at St. Johns School are part of a team whose main concern is the welfare of the whole school. Governors do not have individual power to act alone, and the Governing Body makes decisions democratically, by consensus. 

The Headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including implementing policy, managing the School Development Plan and managing the curriculum. 

The FGB work to a Strategic Plan.

Latest News on School Strategy

Over the last two years St John's School governors have been looking at ways to secure the future of St John’s School against a backdrop of changes in the educational landscape. 

The Government has stated an ambition (via the Schools White Paper) for all schools to be within—or entering—a multi academy trust by 2030 with almost 50% of primary schools now academies. Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council are in the process of transitioning to a unitary authority as part of local government reorganisation and we have seen rising costs, lower birth rates predicted across Surrey and limitations on school funding. 

St John’s School governors have kept these changes carefully under review and have been looking at options to ensure long term success and financial stability of the school going forward. After much research, becoming an academy school and joining a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) was considered the best option. 

• Several MATs were considered by the Governing Body throughout 2025 and the best fit for St John’s School, as a Church of England School, was the Good Shepherd Multi-Academy Trust (GST).
• St John’s School Governors approached the Trust, and the Trust accepted St John’s request to join it. GST serves 24 schools across Surrey and Hampshire and is governed by the Guildford Diocese Educational Trust.
• As a small infant school, being part of a bigger team will bring many benefits including better financial security, collaboration and knowledge sharing for staff, more efficient management of resources and support with policies, data, systems and IT. This in turn will free up Headteacher, governor and teaching time, to the benefit of teaching and learning of children across the school. 
• As a Governing Body we now follow a process of statutory consultation – where we formally share the schools’ plans to convert to an academy school. This involves talking with people and organisations who have an interest in the school including staff members and parents of pupils who attend the school, St John’s Parochial Church Council, the Guildford Diocese and ultimately the Department for Education. 
• St John’s School will keep parents, carers and friends of the school informed throughout the process of academisation and hope that St John’s will formally join the GST by Summer 2026, once all the formal procedures have been carried out. 

This was a hearts and minds decision with unanimous support from the Governing body, who want to strengthen St John’s School now and for future generations.  We are excited about the possibilities this offers and hope you will be too. 

The parent consultation process ended in the Autumn/Winter term 2025 but further questions can be directed to the Chair of Governors or the Headteacher via the school office.