What is the role of the governor?
Governors are a group of volunteers who include parents, staff and members of our local community.
Our main role is to promote on-going improvements in standards throughout the school. We help the Headteacher and staff plan the school’s long-term direction and we evaluate progress. We help set the school’s aims and values and are responsible for some staff appointments, including the head. Many of our responsibilities carry a statutory requirement. This means we are obliged by law to do things such as agree the annual budget.
Our role is sometimes described as a ‘critical friend’. This does not mean that we are there to criticise the Head or the school. Instead we try to ask useful questions to gain a greater understanding of the school and to foster an ethos of continuous improvement.
The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:
- set the aims and objectives for the school
- set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
- set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
- monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
- be a source of challenge and support to the Headteacher (a critical friend)
The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.
The Full Governing Body meets 4 times each year.
The current Chair of Governors is Mrs Julie D’Arcy (Co-opted Governor) and the Vice-chair of Governors is Mrs Wendy Shepherd (Co-opted Governor). The Clerk to Governors is Mrs Susie Warriner.
To help the Full Board of Governors in its duties, it also has two active sub-committees.
The School Performance Committee meet 3 times each year and supports and monitors the school's improvement agenda. This includes looking closely at pupil performance data and the performance of all staff. It focuses its work around the School Improvement Plan, the School Evaluation information and the data and performance outcomes. It also has an overview of the curriculum and values of the school and the provision for Pupil Premium, vulnerable groups and the PE & Sport Premium.
This committee is currently chaired by Matthew Dixon and clerked by Susie Warriner.
The current members of this committee are:
Wendy Shepherd, Ian Mottram, Lynzi Ewbank, Gemma Paley and Yvonne Buxton. Various subject and Senior Leaders are invited to attend at various times throughout the year.
The School Management Committee focusses its work on health and safety, finance, buildings and personnel/staffing issues. This committee has the overall responsibility for policies and ensuring the Governing Body meets statutory requirements. It meets 3 times each year.
This committee is currently chaired by Julie D'Arcy and is clerked by Susie Warriner.
The current members of this committee are:
Amber Grant, Jayne Wicks, Ian Mottram, Beki Bulmer and Andrea Tiley. Mel Shepherd (Caretaker) and a member of the admin team (Health and Safety Administrator) are invited to attend.
