“Effective governance involves team-work with the headteacher, staff, governors and community”

Governors have varied backgrounds and expertise, reflecting the many different interest groups in our school, but they have one important thing in common: all are dedicated to ensuring that the children in our school enjoy the best education possible.

What do Governors do?

The responsibilities of the Governing Body can be summarised as providing strategic management, acting as a critical friend and ensuring accountability.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Plan the school’s long-term future and decide on the aims and objectives for the school
• Set the school’s strategic aims and values and reinforce ethos
• Monitor the provision of high standards of education and achievement
• Review the staffing structure
• Approve the Budget and ensuring proper budgetary management and control
• Review and agreeing policies and practice which allow the Head Teacher the necessary tools to carry out her responsibilities
• Ensure the national curriculum and religious education is taught
• Agree pupil progress and set targets for improvement
• Make sure children with special needs have access to the curriculum
• Ensure the school is well maintained
• Ensure Health and Safety requirements are met
• Receive and discuss reports on the resulting practice 
• Review our own working practices and standard

Types of Governor

There are various types of Governors drawn from different areas of the community.

Parent Governor

Elected by the parents and carers of children at the school.

Staff Governor

Selected by election from teaching and support staff from the school.

Co-opted Governor

Appointed by the Governing Body to represent the wider community or to provide specific skills.

LA Governor

Appointed by the Local Authority.

Our responsibility

Governors have a general, legally defined responsibility towards the effective management of the school.

Governors work with the Head Teacher and the Local Authority in a close and balanced partnership, making decisions about:

• The aims, general conduct and ethos of the school
• The Curriculum Policy including Sex Education, Religious Education and Collective Worship and Special Education Needs
• The school budget delegated under LMS, the allocation of resources an annual review of staff pay
• The Behaviour Policy
• Equal opportunities
• The maintenance of school buildings and use of the school premises outside the normal school hours
• The Action Plan following school inspection
• *  Attendance
• *  Health and Safety
• *  Special Educational Needs
• Looked after children 

* These posts are statutory posts on a school’s Governing Body

Working Parties

Working Parties are set up when a particular need is identified and the Full Governing Body (FGB) feels that it could be more effectively addressed if a group of Governors/school staff/parents worked in a smaller group and reported back to the FGB.

Working Parties’ membership is usually a mixture of Governors and school staff, but sometimes parents and other interested parties are invited along to contribute.  We also have recourse to external advisors who can offer expert assistance to help us move more swiftly with particular projects.

Other information

Being a school Governor is not just all about meetings!  Governors visit the school on planned visits.  We also come along to events that the school has organised, such as:

• Festivals and assemblies
• Christmas Productions 
• Christmas and Summer Fairs

Contacting the Governors

Any complaints must follow the school's complaint policy which can be found here. Please do not contact individual governors with concerns, these must be addressed to the school following our complaints policy found here. 

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