Our Governors

What do Governors do?

The main role of the governing body is to support and challenge the school.  This means focusing on the core functions of providing strategic leadership, holding the headteacher to account and making sure the school’s money is well spent.  The governing body achieves this through working closely with school staff to have a clear understanding of what is going well and the areas in which the school needs to improve.

The Full Governing Body meets every half term.  The Chair is Mrs Helen Glover.

The Governing Body is supported by the Clerk to the Governing Body, Allison Collier.  She can be contacted via the school office.

The Governing Body works strategically to:

• Decide with the Headteacher, staff, pupils and parents the direction of the school through school development planning
• Focus on raising standards of achievement, establishing high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning, so that pupils achieve their potential
• Ensure the school has clear aims and values supported by the whole school community and ensure these are evident in the school’s day to day operation
• Help to set and keep under review policies that provide a broad framework within which the Headteacher and staff should run the school.

The Governing Body work to support and challenge the school by:

• Recognising and celebrating the achievements of the school
• Knowing where the school is not achieving as well as it could
• Providing support and encouragement when strategies to bring about improvement are being explored
• Monitoring and evaluating how the school is progressing.

The Governors are accountable to the community.  To achieve this they:

• Are required to conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement
• Have the right to discuss, question and refine proposals and should respect the professional roles of the Headteacher and other staff, and their responsibilities for the management of the schoo
• Must be prepared to account for the school ’s overall performance and to explain its decisions and actions to anyone who has a legitimate interest.
• The Governing Body will need to account to the whole school community for the performance of the school.

Structure of the Governing Body

There are 11 positions, 8 are filled and there are 3 vacancies.  There are a number of different categories of governor, namely co-opted, parent, Local Authority and staff governor.  Our constitution limits the number of governors in each category. 

Our Governing Body has two committees: the Pay Committee and the Headteacher Performance Management Committee.

Interested in being a Governor?

The role of a school governor is demanding but very rewarding and it is a good way to give back to the local community.  School governing bodies are responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the headteacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school's aims and policies.  

We currently have vacancies in the following areas:

• Co-opted Governors (x1)
• Parent Governor (x2)

Please contact the Chair of Governors via the school office if you are interested in finding out more.

Governors' Attendance

We expect all governors to be concerned and involved with the school and its activities. At the very least this means attending Full Governing Body meetings and all Committee meetings where Governors have agreed to be member.  Regular and consistent attendance by members at Governing Body meetings and Committees ensures that all meetings are quorate and therefore are able to make decisions. Also a variety of views can be expressed which in turn facilitates informed and effective decision–making and spreads the workload fairly amongst the Governors.

Non attendance

There may be times where prior arrangements, unexpected situations or ill health mean that a member cannot attend a meeting. In such cases the member must send apologies for the full Governing Body, to the Chair of Governors or Clerk, or for Committees to the Chair of the Committee prior to the meeting.  A Committee Chair must apologise for absence to the Chair of Governors.  If no apology is received before the meeting then the Governors’ consent at a Full Governing Body meeting will not be given.  When a member has been absent for two consecutive meetings, the Chair or Vice-Chair of Governors / Committee will be responsible for contacting the member to find out whether the member’s absence is likely to continue and/or whether the member wishes to continue in office.  For further information on the attendance of governors please contact the Chair of Governors.

Minutes of Full Governing Body Meetings

Minutes of Full Governing Body Meetings are available on request from our school office.

Contacting the Governors

The governing body is always keen to hear the views of anyone interested in the welfare of our school.  Messages can be left at the school office by letter. If you have a complaint, please look at the policy on the website. We encourage you to speak with the school in the first instance.