THE GOVERNING BOARD

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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. You may like to join our governors for an informal chat during the annual Governor Day, usually held in September.

 

Parents are welcome to contact the joint Chairs of Governors by e-mail (bpymm@saunceywood.herts.sch.uk or cnoakes@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.

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WHAT WE DO

The Governing Board’s main roles are to:

· Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school

· Hold executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance of school staff

· Oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

· Ensure 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.

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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:

 

· Attend the formal Full Governing Board meetings (minimum of 3 per year) and strategy days (1-2 per days per year).

· Be a member of either the Resources Committee or the School Improvement Committee (usually 1 meeting each per term).

· Undertake a range of training courses relevant to their role in the Governing Board.

· Become a governor link for a particular area of school activity such as pupil educational data, curriculum implementation, finance, well-being, health and safety and safeguarding.

 

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.

 

Attendance at meetings is recorded and you can see our meeting attendance for the previous academic year by clicking on the “Meeting Attendance” menu button.

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Minutes of meetings (other than for confidential matters discussed) are available from the school office on request.