What do our school governors do?

​Governors are volunteers who are responsible for overseeing the management side of a school: strategy, policy, budgeting and staffing. They enable our school to run as effectively as possible, working alongside senior leaders and supporting teachers to provide excellent education to children.

Being a school governor is a commitment to attending governing body meetings which consider issues such as setting the school vision, mitigating financial risk and scrutinising educational outcomes. They are also involved in our school community, acting as critical friends to the headteacher and senior leaders.

Governors bring a wide range of skills and expertise from their professional lives to the governing board and we benefit greatly from working with these skilled volunteers, for example some of our governors have experience of finance, safeguarding, school management and human resources. 

 

Chair of Governors - Mrs Jane Brothwood

Vice Chair of Governors - Mrs Mandy Parker

 

How to become a governor

 

​Meet our governors

 

View the Governors' Register of Business

 

Core governor responsibilities

Setting the strategic direction

Governing bodies are the key strategic decision makers in every school. Along with the Head Teacher, it is the job of our governing body to set the school’s aims and objectives around how the school will develop and improve. They set the policies, formulate plans and agree targets to help our school achieve these objectives, as well as regularly reviewing their strategic framework in light of that progress.

Creating robust accountability

The governing body is there to support and challenge our school’s senior leadership team. They play a crucial role in holding our Head Teacher to account for securing the best possible outcomes for our pupils. By challenging key decisions and asking pertinent questions about the school’s performance data, our governors aim to guarantee high standards in education.

Ensuring financial probity

Governing bodies have a strategic role in the financial management of schools. Their key responsibilities include, setting financial priorities through the school development plan, 3 year financial plan and the annual budget. They also decide on how our school’s delegated budget should be spent in accordance with the school improvement plan and statutory curriculum requirement.

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Read our Governors Annual Report 2023-24 to find out more about how.

 

How does our Governing Body work?

​Governing body meetings

We hold full governing body meetings twice a term in addition to smaller committee meetings. We send out all the supporting documentation a week prior to these meeting to allow Governors to have time to read and familiarise themselves with the paperwork.  It also gives them time to raise any questions they might have, and challenge the information provided. 

Whilst there are many important aspects of the role of a governor, the most important is the business that takes place at these meetings.

Our governing body

Governor Meetings

 

School visits

Our Governing body is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our school and its curriculum. School visits help our governors to understand more about the school and the reality of school life. Governor visits to classrooms are not a form of inspection but serve as a clear monitoring function on the implementation of the school’s strategic planning. 

Governor visits are encouraged. While these have not been possible, governors have continued to have regular contact using remote visits and meetings. 

 

 

'Governors are fully involved in checking on the well-being of leaders and holding them to account for their curriculum plans. Changes to the governing body have meant that governors have the expertise to ask the right questions. They know in detail the content and quality of remote learning and the reasons why work has been adapted, for example in physical education. They have regular links with senior leaders for English, mathematics and SEND. Governors are assiduous in ensuring that the safety of all pupils, including the most vulnerable, is a standing agenda item on all their meetings.'

OFSTED March 2021