The Role of the Governing Body

The governing body is responsible for ensuring that the school strives for and achieves excellence in its quality of teaching for learning. This is defined by the Department for Education (DfE) as:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2. Holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent.

The governing body works with the headteacher and the school team to build a common vision and purpose for the school. Together we decide the school's strategy for improvement so that pupils learn most effectively and achieve the highest standards. Governors work strategically, drawing on their own knowledge and experience. Governors act as a critical friend to the school, providing support, information and advice as well as asking challenging questions and ensuring ongoing improvement in all areas.

If you need to contact the governing body please email the clerk to the governing body, Daniela Warr Schori: dwarrschori@sendcofe.co.uk

The constitution of the governing body

School governance is regulated by law, in particular the “School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowance) (England) Regulations” of 2013. Governors are required to publish information about their governing body and also to declare any financial or other interest that could potentially lead to a conflict of interest.

Our governing body consists of twelve governors.  Governors are elected or appointed in different ways to be representative of the different stakeholder groups who have an interest in the school.  Whenever possible governors are recruited for the skills and commitment they can bring that enhance the role of governing body. 

Governing body meetings

As governors we meet termly as the full governing body each term to look at:

• what has been achieved against the School Development Plan
• information received about the school
• ensuring our statutory duties are being met
• challenging the school and ourselves 
• ensuring the strategic direction of the school will meet all pupils’ needs

All governors are expected to attend full governing body meetings. 

The governing body also has the following committees:
Finance and resources

• Governors meet termly to look at financial data, health, safety and premises and human resources.

Admissions

• Governors meet to draw up the draft admissions policy for recommendation to the full governing body, ensure that applications received are ranked against the admissions policy and consider any further questions about admissions.

Pay

• Governors consider the information supplied by the headteacher and ensure that the pay policy is applied.

Headteacher appraisal panel

• Governors work with an external advisor to determine annual objectives and track progress against those objectives during the year.