Role of the Governing Body

Our role is to ensure that the school meets its commitment to provide the best possible education for all of its pupils within a stimulating, secure and happy environment. We bring a wide range of skills and experience from a variety of backgrounds, supporting the school while also monitoring performance and constructively challenging the school’s leadership team to keep standards high.

We have three key functions:

• providing strategic leadership;

• holding the Headteacher to account for the performance of pupils and the performance management of staff;

• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Our decisions are made collectively by the full Governing Body, which meets regularly throughout the year. Due to the size of the governing board, we do not operate standing committees; instead, key areas such as curriculum, premises, finance and staffing are considered and scrutinised by the full Governing Body, with appropriate delegation where required.

In addition, individual governors take lead roles for monitoring specific subjects and specialist areas such as Safeguarding or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Governors in these roles meet regularly with the corresponding members of school staff to discuss plans, progress and resources, and report back to the Governing Body.

An important part of our role is to know the school well through regular visits and by getting involved in school events. We also keep our own knowledge up to date through national and local authority training, and we maintain links with other local governing bodies to share ideas, experience and best practice.