The Governing Body

All schools in England have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’ to support, to challenge, to ask questions, ultimately to represent the school community.

The Governing Body works in close partnership with the headteacher, staff and the local authority. Whilst the headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with such things as staffing, curriculum, school buildings, and finance. It ensures the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives.

A full review, in the form of an impact statement, will be produced by the Governing Body at the end of the academic year to review the school’s progress towards the identified school improvement priorities.

General information about the work of a school governing body, a guide to the laws affecting schools and governors and advice on how to become a school governor may be found by using the link below.

 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/governance  www.governornet.co.uk

 Information for the Derbyshire  Local Offer can be found on the link below.

 http://www.derbyshiresendlocaloffer.org

Welcome to our Governors' section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

Governor Roles and Committees

• Safeguarding ( Carolyn Burke & TBC).
• Special Educational Needs (Katie Maclean & Natalie Hickman)
• Early Years Foundation Stage (Natalie Hickman). 
• Anti-Bullying (Rachel Carman & TBC).
• Health and Safety and Premises (Martin Holland-Lloyd). 

• Finance, Personnel and Premises Sub-Committee

Natalie Hickman (Chair), Carolyn Burke, Martin Holland-Lloyd, Paul Schumann, Julie Carter [Associate]

• Teaching and Learning Sub-Committee

Paul Schumann, Rachel Carman, Dominique Lloyd, Katie Maclean

• Head Teacher Performance Management Sub-Committee

Carolyn Burke & Martin Holland-Lloyd

Governor Handbook 2020

The role of a governor

The role of a school governor is to contribute to the work of the governing body in raising standards of achievement for all pupils. This involves:

• ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
• overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

The individual governor has a responsibility, working alongside other members of the governing body, to the staff and pupils of the school and the school’s wider community.

Governors must have an interest in our children’s future, be willing to contribute and make a difference, respect the need for confidentiality and be able to work as part of a team. Governors must act with integrity, objectivity and honesty and in the best interests of the school.

What governors do

Governors are volunteers who attend meetings and work to further the school’s development. Together with the headteacher, responsibilities of governing bodies include:

• developing the school’s strategic plan
• determining aims, policies and priorities
• setting targets
• monitoring and evaluating
• deciding the number of staff
• overseeing the use of the school’s budget
• securing high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour

Governors provide the headteacher with support and advice, drawing on their knowledge and experience. They ask searching questions and respect the headteacher’s position as the professional leader of the school.

How much time it takes up

The amount of time each person gives to the role will vary. However you will need to be willing to:

• prepare for meetings - there will be papers that need reading
• attend meetings - the governing body must meet at least once a term, but you may also be asked to serve on at least 1 committee - meetings are normally during the evening but may also be during the day

Required Skills Set:

The Governing Board is constituted on the basis of the skills the Governing Board as a whole requires.  This skill set is detailed below.  Of course, no one governor need have all these skills, but the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Board are taken into account when recruiting new governors.

Fundamental skills

• Commitment to improving education for all pupils
• Ability to work in a professional manner as part of a team and take collective responsibility for decisions
• Willingness to learn
• Commitment to the school’s vision and ethos
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills
• Basic IT skills (i.e. word processing and email)

Understanding and/or experience of governance

• Experience of being a board member in another sector or a governor/trustee in another school
• Experience of chairing a board, governing body or committee
• Experience of professional leadership

Vision and strategic planning

• Understanding and experience of strategic planning
• Ability to analyse and review complex issues objectively
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to propose and consider innovative solutions
• Change management (e.g. overseeing a merger or an organisational restructure, changing careers)
• Understanding of current education policy

Holding the Head to account

• Communication skills, including being able to discuss sensitive issues tactfully
• Ability to analyse data
• Ability to question and challenge
• Experience of project management
• Performance management/appraisal of someone else
• Experience of being performance managed/appraised yourself

Financial Oversight

• Financial planning/management (e.g. as part of your job)
• Experience of procurement/purchasing
• Experience of premises and facilities management

Knowing your school community

• Links with the community
• Links with local businesses
• Knowledge of the local/regional economy
• Working or volunteering with young people (e.g. teaching, social work, youth work, sports coaching, health services for young people
• Understanding special educational needs

Functional experience

• Recruitment
• Negotiation
• Handling complaints, grievances or appeals
• Risk assessment
• Human resources
• Legal matters
• IT or management information systems
• PR and marketing
• Work placements or career planning
• Health services
• Safeguarding
• Quality assurance
• Surveying, consultation and/or research