What is a Governing Body?
The Governing Body is a group of volunteers – with representatives from parents, the community, the local authority and staff including the Head Teacher. We also have a professional clerk. All Governors are committed to making a positive contribution to the school and the education of all pupils.
The Governing Body is collectively responsible for:
- Ensuring clarity of the School’s vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for achievement of the School Improvement Plan - including the quality of teaching, pupil’s progress & achievement and pupil’s behaviour and safety.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure that its resources are managed effectively.
The Head Teacher and the Leadership Team are able to draw on our skills to support and strengthen their decision making, monitor their programme of continuous school improvement and ensure that the school fulfils all statutory obligations.
As part of our commitment to Safeguarding pupils, all Governor appointments are subject to checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Appointments are made with a term of office of 4 years. Some Governors then seek reappointment for subsequent terms.
The Full Governing Body meets 3 times a year, plus 3 Committees meet at least once a term to discuss Resources (this includes Staffing, Finance, Premises & Health and Safety), Curriculum and Christian Distinctiveness. Governors rely on reports from the Head teacher, Staff and Committees, feedback from stakeholders plus their own scheduled visits to the School. Minutes from past meetings are public documents available for anyone to read, and are kept in the school office. We do, however, maintain the right to confidentiality where appropriate. Non-governors may attend meetings at the invitation of the Governing Body.
Should you wish to contact the Governing Body, please email clerk@governors.org
Governors’ Allowances
School governors provide a voluntary service, and cannot be paid for their role as a governor. But they can receive out of pocket expenses. This may include reasonable expenses to cover travel costs or child care costs incurred as a result of fulfilling their role as governor. Where the board has a delegated budget, whether to pay allowances and what allowances might reasonably be paid are matters for the board to decide. Where a board does not have a delegated budget, allowances and expenses may be paid by the local authority at a rate determined by them.
Payments can only be paid for expenditure necessarily incurred to enable the person to perform any duty as a governor. This does not include payments to cover loss of earnings for attending meetings. Travel expenses must be at a rate not exceeding the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) approved mileage rates which are changed annually and are on HMRC website. Other expenses should be paid on provision of a receipt and be limited to the amount shown on the receipt. Further sources of inform