School Governors are volunteers who work with the school Head Teacher and staff to set, lead and drive the culture and values as well as oversee spending and budgets, they ensure money is well spent and used for best value. Through monitoring and supportive challenge, they make a real noticeable difference to the school, our families and the community. Being a governor is a rewarding and effective way of making a voluntary contribution to the community and to the lives of our local young people.
All Governing Boards have three core functions:
· Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
· Holding leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
· Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
At Silloth Primary School, we have a Full Governing body which is then divided into additional committees, Finance, Staffing and Premises Committee and Curriculum, Pupil and Welfare Committee.
Clearly defined governance roles, responsibilities and accountabilities reinforced through:
· appropriate governing body and committee arrangements that
reflect the school’s scale and structure
· enable robust oversight
· clear separation between the roles of strategic governance oversight and
operational school leadership
· positive relationships that encourage a professional culture
· processes for appropriate communication between all levels of governance and to pupils, parents, carers, staff and communities, to support transparency in decision making
· governance arrangements, remits and delegations that are understood by all those involved in governance, including school leaders
· publishing up-to-date and accessible information on governance arrangements
Each governor has specific responsibility or key area of responsibility for the school's work or performance. All of our governors are updated from each committee and each individual Governor focus visit, to ensure everyone knows and understands the bigger picture of the whole school. Our Governors undertake training to ensure our purpose and roles are understood.
Governors ensure that the School Improvement Plan 2023 / 24 is linked to the Ofsted Framework and covers all areas of school life.
Governors undertake regular monitoring visits, including on their key area of focus and with the School Improvement Plan in mind and this helps us understand, strengthen our knowledge and appreciate the workings of the school. This may be anything from a walk around the building to observe behaviours or a focused visit to monitor a particular aspect of the school's performance. Governors have discussions with both staff and pupils, their opinions are valued too!
By working closely with Catherine and the staff we help raise the standards and performance of the school, ensuring we are all striving to achieve the highest standards for every child. We ensure the children have a safe, secure environment where they can develop a love for learning.
Vicki Jackson MRSC
Chair of Governors
Governor Information 2023-2024
Attendance for 2023-2024 Governor meetings
Full Governing Body Terms of Reference