Meet the Governors

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the Head Teacher and are involved in the appointment of other staff. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the Head Teacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Each individual governor is a member of a governing body, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing body. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body. 

The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to

• set the aims and objectives for the school
• set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
• set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
• monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
• be a source of challenge and support to the Head Teacher (a critical friend).

Each governor is a member of either Business or Curriculum sub committee. An overview of the roles of these committees are:

Business Committee

• To review policies and procedures that fall in the remit of business committee. 
• To draw up, taking into account the School Improvement Plan priorities, and approve the annual budget plan of expenditure for the school.
• To monitor the school’s income and expenditure (budget share and Standards Funds) and report the financial situation to the Governing Board each term.
• To monitor the effect of the pupil premium on the progress and educational attainment of those pupil for whom the funding was allocated and to publish the information on the school’s website as required by the School Information Regulations 2008.
• To monitor the effect of primary PE and sport funding on the provision of PE and sport.
• To review and approve as required the staffing structure for the school in consultation with the headteacher.
• To assist the Governing Board and the headteacher to discharge their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in collaboration with the LA.

Curriculum Committee

• To advise the Governing Board on the school’s curriculum statement and their statutory obligations regarding the National Curriculum.
• To provide guidance and assistance to the headteacher and the Governing Board in all matters relating to the curriculum, including pastoral care, pupil behaviour and home school relationships.
• To advise and ensure individual governors take a leading role in relation to specific curriculum areas (Governor Subject links). Reports will link to the school improvement plan and this will then be shared in FGB meetings.
• To co-ordinate all governor visits.
• To review attendance, behaviour, racial and SEND reports.
• To review, amend where appropriate, and approve for adoption all policies and procedure documents that fall within the scope of the Curriculum Committee.
• Various methods are used to monitor and review progress across the school including data. This includes monitoring disadvantaged, SEND, EAL and more able.
• To monitor and evaluate the school’s SATs results on an annual basis and report any conclusions to the Governing Board.
• To monitor school Improvement with the help of information contained in such documents as School Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) Fisher Family Trust (FFT) and Target Tracker.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

This will vary depending on the number of governing body meetings and the amount of committee work governors choose to do. Governors work as a team and as such the amount of time that each governor can give to the role will vary. In addition to meetings, governors need to get to know their school. This will be done by visiting the school for events, focused visits and attend the more informal activities taking place in school, for example open days, assemblies, school fetes and concerts. The majority of meetings tend to take place in the evenings, but this will be agreed by all members of the governing body.

By becoming a school governor you will

• Help ensure that every child at the school reaches his/her potential
• Play a vital part in raising standards and achievement
• Make an important contribution to your community
• Have an opportunity to gain new skills
• Work as part of a team

If you think you have what it takes to be a school governor, please contact the Head Teacher, Kerry Jarman by emailing admin@wavendongateschool.co.uk, or Joanna Cattigan the Chair of Governors by emailing jcattigan@wavendongateschool.co.uk.