The Governors form the school’s accountable body. They are responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards. The Governing Body aims to ensure that children are attending a successful school that provides them with a good education and supports their wellbeing.
The Governing Body:
Ø Sets the strategic direction of the school by:
Setting the values, aims and objectives for the school
Agreeing the policy framework for achieving those aims and objectives
Setting challenging goals and targets
Agreeing the school improvement strategy, which includes approving the budget and agreeing the staffing structure?
Ø Challenges and supports the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating:
The implementation and effectiveness of the policy framework
Progress towards targets
The implementation and effectiveness of the school improvement strategy
The budget and the staffing structure
Ø Ensures accountability by:
Signing off the school’s own self-evaluation report
Responding to Ofsted reports when necessary
Holding the Headteacher to account for the performance of the school
Ensuring parents, carers and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate
Making available information to the community
Ø Appoints and conducts the appraisal of the Headteacher who will deliver the aims (through the day to day management of the school, implementation of the agreed policy framework and school improvement strategy, and delivery of the curriculum) and report appropriately to the Governing Body.
For governing bodies to carry out their role effectively, governors must be:
Prepared and equipped to take their responsibilities seriously
Acknowledged as the accountable body by the lead professionals
Supported by the appropriate authorities in that task, and
Willing and able to monitor and review their own performance
The role of a governor:
In law the Governing Body is a corporate body, which means:
No governor can act on his/her own without proper authority from the full governing body
All governors carry equal responsibility for decisions made, and
Although appointed through different routes (i.e. parents, staff, Local Authority co-opted, foundation) the overriding concern of all governors has to be the welfare of the school as a whole.