

01582 621514
Pickford Hill, Harpenden, AL5 5HL
Sauncey Wood Primary School
'Growing Curious Minds'
For all enquiries please contact our school office team

THE GOVERNING BOARD
INTRODUCTION
School governors offer their time on a voluntary basis and the board is made up of parents, teachers and members of the local community and local authority. We use our skills and interests to support and work with the Headteacher in managing the school. The governors monitor and evaluate the school's progress by regularly reviewing what is happening in the school - from pupil progress, to absences, facilities, finance and health and safety.
Parents are welcome to contact the Chair of Governors by e-mail (michelle.saas@saunceywood.herts.sch.uk) or by telephoning the School Office. However, it should be noted that governors do not get involved in individual pupil issues or specific complaints about, for example, teaching or playground matters. Parents and carers should speak to the class teacher in the first instance or to the Headteacher. If a matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, then governors may become involved via the school’s formal Complaints Procedure, but this would always be a last resort.
WHAT WE DO
The Governing Board’s main roles are to ensure:·
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that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined
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that the headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the school
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the sound, proper and effective use of the school’s financial resources
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that the voices of all school stakeholders are heard.
Governors also act as a ‘Critical Friend’ to the school, working in partnership with the Head, Senior Leadership Team and other school stakeholders to help provide the best possible education for pupils, including those with special educational needs.
HOW WE WORK
To be effective, governors need to understand how the school works and how regulation and policy impact the school and the educational progress being made by pupils. In particular, governors are expected to:
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Attend the formal Full Governing Board meetings (normally 6 per year) and strategy days (1-2 per days per year).
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Undertake a range of training courses relevant to their role in the Governing Board.
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Become a governor link or part of a monitoring pair for a particular area of school activity such as pupil educational data, curriculum implementation, finance, well-being, health and safety and safeguarding. Link Governors and monitoring pairs visit the school and review data, guidance and documents to monitor their area and report to the board.
Governors (other than associate governors) have equal rights to participate in the work of the Governing Board and to state their own views, but always work as a team and are bound by the collective decisions of that team.
Minutes of meetings (other than for confidential matters discussed) are available from the school office on request.
STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD
Governors are volunteers nominated and appointed for four-year terms by the school staff, parents, Local Authority or the Governing Board. The constitution of the Sauncey Wood Governing Board comprises:-
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Five Parent Governors - elected by and from the parents.
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Two Staff Governors - the Headteacher and a Governor elected by the staff.
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Five Co-opted Governors - appointed by the Governing Board. These are often people from the local community who have specialist skills e.g. finance, marketing, HR, management.
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One Local Authority (LA) Governor - nominated by the LA and appointed by the Governing Board.






