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

  • Mr. J Sinclair – Associate Governor

  • Mr. J. Carr – Co-opted Governor

  • Mrs. J. Scott – Clerk

  • Mr M Obalanlege – Co-opted Governor

  • Mr. J. Lynes – Associate Governor

  • Ms. E. Tabaton – Co-opted Governor

  • Ms. D. Toby – Parent Governor

Learning & Achievement Committee:

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr. J. Turner-Wing

  • Mr. J Sinclair (in attendance)

  • Mrs. A. Goold

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

  • Mr. M Obalanlege – Chair of Committee

  • Mr. J. Carr

  • Ms. E. Tabaton

Resources Committee:

  • Mr. P. Karslake – Chair of Committee

  • Mrs. E. Randall

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

  • Mr. J Sinclair (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

Headteacher’s Performance Review:

  • Mrs. E. Randall

  • Mr. P. Karslake

  • Mrs. Lizzy Camp (External Improvement Advisor)

  • Mr. J. Carr

Governors with Specific Responsibilities:

  • SEND / Pupil Premium – Mr. J. Carr

  • Safeguarding – Mrs. E. Randall

  • Children in Our Care – Ms. E. Tabaton

  • Pupil Premium – Mr. J. Carr, Ms. E. Tabaton

Each area of the School Development Plan is linked to an area of the Ofsted framework and as such has a link governor:

  • Quality of education: Mr M Obalanlege

  • Behaviour and attitudes: Ms E Tabaton

  • Personal Development: Mrs. E. Randall

  • Leadership and management: Mr. J. Carr and Mr. P. Karslake

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, Governor at Dulverton Primary school declared

  • Mr. J Sinclair – None

  • Mr. J Carr – None