“Governance should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focussed on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.”
Governance Handbook, 2020
Our Role
The role of the Governing Board is to be ambitious for all children to achieve the best possible outcomes through a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement. The Board achieves this by:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
To be effective the Governing Board requires six key features:
- Strategic leadership that sets and champions vision, ethos and strategy
- Accountability that drives up educational standards and financial performance
- People with the right skills, experience, qualities and capacity
- Structures that reinforce clearly defined roles and responsibilities
- Compliance with statutory and contractual requirements
- Evaluation to monitor and improve the quality and impact of governance
At St Michaels CE [Controlled] Infant School we achieve this through a team of people who work together with the leadership team to continually evaluate the strengths of the school and identify areas for development.
Our Responsibilities
At St Michaels CE [Controlled] Infant School we operate a flat structure where all Governors are held accountable for ensuring the school is performing well and meeting its strategic educational aims and objectives. To ensure that this is robust and achievable Governors hold individual roles and responsibilities. This allows the Board to effectively monitor school performance and the progress it is making towards achieving improvement priorities. All Governors are therefore expected to be able to contribute to Board meetings, submit reports and validate evidence.
|
Governor |
Role |
Responsibilities |
|
Dot Patton |
Headteacher |
Leading self-evaluation and school improvement and reporting to the Governing Body on school performance |
|
Miriam Thorley |
Deputy Head |
Assisting the Headteacher in the leadership of the school, including reporting to the Governing Body on curriculum and assessment |
|
Sue Tadman |
FGB Chair
Pay and Performance Chair
Designated Training Governor |
Leading the Governing Body and monitoring the quality of education in the school and holding leaders to account
Ensuring Performance Management and Pay decisions are robust and in line with agreed policy and process
Ensuring the Governing Body has the knowledge and skillset to fulfil its core functions. |
| Stephen Corcoran |
FGB Vice-Chair Finance |
Supporting the Chair in leading the Governing Body. Strategically monitoring the finances of the school, ensuring that resources are deployed effectively and compliantly Reporting to the FGB on budget setting, review and recommendation |
| Stewart Carter | Finance |
Strategically monitoring the finances of the school, ensuring that resources are deployed effectively and compliantly Reporting to the FGB on budget setting, review and recommendation |
| Catherine Njenga |
Safeguarding
Attendance |
Ensuring all Safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and being correctly implemented to keep children safe in education Making sure that the school is monitoring attendance and doing all it can to make sure children are coming to school regularly and on time |
|
Catherine Macdonald |
SEND
Pupil Premium |
Making sure that pupils with additional special educational needs or disability are having their needs met in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice, SEND policy and Report
Monitoring how the school supports pupils from families with low income or are from the Armed Services |
| Jo Chambers | Equality | Ensuring that the school understands the needs of pupils and families with protected characteristics or may have barriers to accessing education, for example where English in not the first language spoken or understood |
| Alwyn Pereira |
Christian distinctiveness HT Pay and Performance Chair |
Ensuring that the school upholds its Christian values Leading the Performance Management and Pay Review of the Headteacher |
|
Julia Powell |
Mental Health and Wellbeing HT Pay and Performance |
Supporting the school to build a culture of positive mental health and well being Supporting the Performance Management and Pay Review of the Headteacher |
| Lee Westmorland | Health and Safety | Ensuring all Health and Safety policies and procedures are in place and being correctly implemented to keep children and adults safe at school |
| Richard Lehane | TBC | Newly appointed |
Monitoring and Reporting
The Governing Board meets as a full governor body [FGB] at least 8 times each academic year, spread over each term. The Board also uses a Working Party model to support additional priorities or foci that the school may have. Governors undertake monitoring visits each term in accordance with their individual role and responsibility and the key improvement priorities of the school. Governors are expected to report to the FGB in accordance with the Board’s annual monitoring schedule.
Skills and Training
The Governing Board is committed to ensuring that it has the appropriate skills and knowledge to effectively fulfil its role and obligations. We achieve this through regularly reviewing and auditing the skills held by Governors against the competency framework for effective Governance and the context and priorities of the school. This enables us to be proactive in seeking appointments to the Board and ensuring both individual and collective Governor training meets the needs of the school. All Governors are expected to take up training and development opportunities relevant to their individual role and the Designated Training Governor organises annual whole board training in response to Governor self-evaluation and school improvement priorities.
Governor Review and Self-Evaluation
It is important that the Governing Body reviews and evaluates its performance and contribution to the overall effectiveness of the school. This includes working with school leaders to glean the views of parents, staff and pupils. The Governing Body aims to achieve this annually and uses the outcomes to improve our own as well as the school performance.
The Governing Body also reviews the impact that it has had in achieving its core functions through reviews after FGB meetings and through its annual self evaluation.