Welcome to our Governors' section.

The Governing Body and its Role

School governors are drawn from different parts of the community and can be parents and staff or from the LA, the community and other groups. This helps ensure the governing body has sufficient diversity of skills, views and experience but does not mean governors of a particular category represent that group on the governing body. For example, parent governors do not represent the parents at the school and do not report back to them.

Governors are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

When a school is inspected by Ofsted, its governing body will be required to show evidence that governors conform with their three core functions.

In the work that they do, a governors’ essential focus is on:

• Setting vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the headteacher and school management to account
• Asking the right questions
• Being aware of the importance of objective data and their sources
• Overseeing financial performance
• Setting policies, targets and priorities for achieving those objectives
• Monitoring performance and progress towards those objectives
• Reviewing achievements against the set aims and objectives
• Enabling better governance through training, review and planning

Another aspect of the governors role has traditionally been referred to as being a ‘critical friend’ of the school whereby in addition to the duties laid out above governors can and should also:

• Offer support
• Provide constructive advice
• Act as a sounding board - for the headteacher’s ideas
• Give a second opinion on proposals - which includes asking questions and challenging assumptions
• Help in arriving at the best solution - to further the best interests of the school

Parent governors are:
 Well placed to understand parents’ views and to remind the governing body how matters being discussed affect parents
 In a good position to help the governing body to communicate effectively with parents
Parent governors are not:
 Expected to gather the views of other parents and take them to the governing body
 Only expected to represent the interests of parents
 Expected to vote as instructed by other parents

How Does the Governing Body Meet Their Responsibilities?

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

• The Governors work with the Senior Leadership of the school to set the school’s vision. This is periodically reviewed to ensure it remains appropriate for our pupils and school community;
• Governors review and approve all polices to ensure they are robust, and consistent with the strategic direction of the school; and
• We have a diverse Governing Body, which includes a number of parents and a range of skills and experience. Together with a culture of open discussion, this provides robust challenge and a range of ideas, which are channelled through meetings to guide strategic direction.

Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff

• Education performance is reported to the Governing Body. In some instances, this has been moderated externally. Governors analyse and challenge this data, and ensure that areas of development are identified, understood and reflected in the School’s Improvement Plan;
• The Governors have received a report from the Local Authority's Education Improvement Adviser who undertook a review of the education provision of the school;
• Governors undertake monitoring visits into school to look at specific areas (for example EYFS) and also annually come in for a monitoring day to look at a range of areas, and to meet staff and pupils;
• There are experienced link governors who undertake the performance management of the Head Teacher, alongside an external adviser; and
• The Finance Committee scrutinise and challenge the annual appraisal process of the teaching staff.

Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

• We review and approve the school’s Finance Policy;
• There is financial expertise and skills within the Governing Body;
• We have a finance link governor who, amongst other things, undertakes checks on controls surrounding financial expenditure of the school, for example complete the annual SFVS (Schools Financial Value Standard) checks and monitors the debit card spend, reconciliations and petty cash access;
• The Finance Committee of the Full Governing Body scrutinises and challenges the budget setting and performance against the budget, and considers pay decisions;
• We receive reports from periodic external audits of the school’s financial controls; and
• The Pupil Premium budget is carefully planned, reported on, monitored and challenged so that children receive the best possible support from this entitlement.

Safeguarding

The Governing Body has a clear focus on keeping our children safe - through setting safeguarding policies, ensuring they are implemented and monitored effectively, and fostering an environment where concerns can be raised.

Equalities

The Governing Body support and challenge the school to continuously strive to ensure that everyone, in our school and wider community, is treated with respect and dignity. In our school each person will be given fair and equal opportunities to develop their full potential regardless of their gender, transgender, ethnicity, culture and religious background, sexuality, disability, or special educational needs and ability. The school actively promotes equality and fosters positive attitudes and commitment to an education for equality.

Two of the above Governors have submitted a positive 'Declaration of Interest'. They are also Governors at West Bridgford Junior School.

All Governors have voting rights on decisions made by their Committee or at the Full Governing Body Meeting.  The exception to this is that staff governors have no voting rights on any matters concerning staff pay or terms and conditions.

No Governor is related to any member of staff.

All of our Governors currently serve a term of office of 4 years (except the Headteacher who is a Governor for the duration of the appointment)