Governors

Annual Statement:

The governing body continue to work on its three core functions:

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

In November 2014, the school’s Ofsted report credited this work –

• ‘Governors are extremely well organised and focussed upon the school’s performance. They are very clear about their remit and are well inducted and trained. Governors work very effectively alongside leaders to contribute to, and monitor, the school’s performance.
• Governors are very clear about the school’s strengths and areas for development. They are diligent in holding leaders to account. They ask astute questions and support and challenge leaders well. Governors have a clear understanding of how well the school is doing through analysing data about students’ comparative achievement and by acquiring a detailed knowledge about the quality of teaching. They work with leaders towards future improvement. They are active in the performance management of teachers and in deciding on salary progression, rewarding those who perform well. Governors have been involved in addressing any under performance in teaching.
• Governors manage the school’s resources very well and have excellent controls and procedures to ensure good financial planning, probity and sustainability. This leads to effective deployment of resources which link clearly to school improvement. They check the impact of spending, including pupil premium funding and year 7 catch-up funding.’

The governing body has recently been strengthened to include 1 newly appointed co-opted governor with links to further education and two newly elected parent governors. Each governor now has a monitoring role, linked to school improvement plan priorities. Each governor also has an opportunity to assess his/her contribution to the work of the governing body, through governor self-evaluation sessions. Succession planning has developed through vice-chairs of each committee and of the governing body as a whole. Governor visits have taken place, where governors have had the opportunity to see aspects of the school in action. Governor knowledge and skills are developed through sole and joint training and information sessions.