School Governing Body

The Governing Body

The government expects governing bodies to have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

  • Supporting as well as holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school, its pupils and the performance management of staff

  • Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

Responsibilities

The governing body has statutory responsibilities for the conduct of the school and ensures high standards of educational achievement are achieved and maintained. Working with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, the governors responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Setting targets for pupil achievement and outcomes

  • Managing the school's finances and ensuring value for money

  • Ensuring the curriculum offer is broad and balanced

  • Ensuring statutory legal, health & safety and other relevant duties are in place

  • Reviewing staff performance and pay levels.

The governing body focuses its time and energy on school improvement and has considerable discretion in deciding how to discharge its responsibilities. Governing bodies are required to constitute themselves in line with the governments regulations and to appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair. The governing body may choose to delegate responsibilities to individual governors or committees of governors. The governing body may choose to delegate many of its functions to the Headteacher, who has day to day responsibility for the running of the school.

Roles and Actions

There are a range of roles and actions the governing body or individual governors need to consider:

Constitution of the governing body – the governing body must be constituted in line with the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2003. These regulations cover the number and type (category) of governors that make up the governing body.

Terms of reference of the governing body – more information can be found on this website about the different categories, roles and committees that can be involved with being a governor. In brief, the different categories are:

Parent Governors: selected by election (or appointment if insufficient people stand for election) and drawn from parents and carers of the children at the school
Staff Governors: selected by election from teaching and support staff paid to work at the school
Co-opted Governors: appointed by the governing body to represent community interests
Local Authority Governors: appointed by the local authority

Full Governing Body:

  • Mrs. E. Randall – Chair of Governing Body

  • Mr. P. Karslake – Vice Chair of Governing Body

  • Mrs. A. Goold – Headteacher

  • Mr. J. Turner-Wing – Staff Governor

  • Mrs. R. Curtis – Associate Governor

  • Mrs. H Tull – Parent Governor

  • Mr. J. Carr – Parent Governor

  • Mr. M. Selvan – Co-opted Governor

  • Mrs. J. Scott – Clerk

  • Mr M Obalanlege – Co-opted Governor

  • Mr. J. Lynes – Associate Governor

Learning & Achievement Committee:

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr. J. Turner-Wing

  • Mrs. R. Curtis (in attendance)

  • Mrs. A. Goold

  • Mr. J. Lynes (In attendance) – Associate Governor

Resources Committee:

  • Mr. P. Karslake – Chair of Committee

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr. J. Turner-Wing (in attendance)

  • Mrs. R. Curtis (in attendance)

  • Mrs. A. Goold

  • Mr. J. Lynes (In attendance) – Associate Governor

Pay Committee:

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr M Obalanlege

Pay Appeals Committee:

  • Mr. J. Carr

  • Mr. M. Selvan

Headteacher's Performance Review:

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr. P. Karslake

  • Mrs. Lizzy Camp (External Improvement Advisor)

Governors with Specific Responsibilities:

  • SEND / Pupil Premium – Mr. J. Carr

  • Child Protection – Mrs. E. Randall

  • Looked After Children, Attendance – Mrs. H Tull

Monitoring of the curriculum is in hubs to reflect the schools working groups:

  • STEM – (Maths, Science, DT and Computing) – Mr. M. Selvan, Mrs. H Tull

  • Culture – (RSE, Humanities, MFL, PSHE) – Ms. E. Bunnage

  • Creative – (English, Phonics, Music, Art and PE) – Mr. J. Carr, Mrs. E. Randall

Record of any Governor Business Interests, including family relationships:

  • J. Turner-Wing – Staff Governor – Personal relationship with Miss. A. Friday and is the elected Chair of Governors at Newhaven/Kings Park School

  • Mrs. E. Randall – Chair of Governors - None

  • Mr. P. Karslake – None

  • Mrs. A. Goold – Headteacher – G&M Eternal Limited, Directorship declared

  • Mrs. R. Curtis – None

  • Mrs. H Tull – None

  • Mr. J Carr – None