The main purpose of the Governing Body is to help raise standards of achievement.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the internal organisation and management of the school, but will look to the Governors for support and challenge. It is the duty of the Governors, working with the Head, to keep under review the way the school is developing.

The Governing Body helps to provide the best possible education by:

  • Helping to shape the school’s future direction, setting the school values, vision and strategic aims, agreeing plans and policies and making creative use of resources.
  • Monitoring and evaluating performance, acting as a critical friend to the Headteacher, and to support and challenge the Head in managing the school.
  • Ensuring that the school is accountable to the children and parents it serves, to the local community, to those who fund and maintain it, as well as to the staff it employs.

Governing Body Responsibilities

The Governing Body is responsible for tasks such as:

  • Helping to shape the school’s future direction and setting the school’s objectives, targets and policies.
  • Promoting high standards of education and achievement.
  • Making sure the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs.
  • Deciding how the school can encourage pupil’s spiritual, moral and cultural development.
  • Monitoring and approving budgets.
  • Monitoring and reviewing the performance of the school and the progress towards targets.
  • Appointing the Head Teacher

School governance is the most important volunteering role in education and an effective Governing Body is a source of enormous strength to a school. As such, Governors are at the heart of how a school operates. It is important they get things right. How they do their job affects pupils, staff and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community.

Clerk to Governors – Fran Calladine – 01629 825577  fcalladine@anthonygell.co.uk

What Do Governors Do?

Governors are expected to lend their support in ensuring that the school is doing its best for all students.

Some of the ways they offer support are as by working as a team and by the following:

  • Offering their skills
  • Supporting the headteacher and school staff.
  • Giving time to the school
  • Making purposeful visits
  • Delegating tasks sensibly
  • Preparing to volunteer

 

The Governing Body stay informed by the following:

    • Reading school, LEA and DfES documents as identified
    • Attending Governor training
    • Visiting the school
    • Listening to others
    • Observing how things are done

The Governing Body Develop Relationships by the following:

    • Talking to teachers, parents and pupils
    • Maintaining contacts with their community
    • Talking about the school and its success
    • Attending school events and bring others along
    • Being a good ambassador for the school
    • Being a critical friend to the school

All governors are also expected to be involved in more specific tasks such as:

  • Attend and play an active part in meetings of the Full Governing Body (5-6 per annum)
  • Be a member of one of the standing sub-committees (3-4 meetings per annum for each committee)
  • Be a member of staff interview panels if necessary
  • Attend school events such parents’ evenings, school plays, concerts, sporting events, open days
  • Undertake training as appropriate
  • Be a Link Governor with a specific department
  • Keep up to date with national policy and changes in the education sector, the regulatory framework including OfSTED and the law for governors

In addition individual governors may be asked to take a role in a number of other activities. In considering which of these governors participate in, the particular expertise, experience and interests of individual governors will be important: Examples of these are Chair one of the sub committees; be a member of a sub-committee other than a standing committee; organise induction for new governors, work with a member of the SLT on a particular area of responsibility such as health and safety, safe guarding, etc, participate in disciplinary procedures as appropriate.

Where Can I get Additional Information?

If you would like to contact our Governing Body for more information regarding Governors or how to become a Governor then please email us on contactgovs@anthonygell.co.uk

If you would like to contact the Chair of Governors directly then please email chairofgovernors@anthonygell.co.uk

There are also a number of websites that can give you more general information, including how to become a Governor. Some of these are;