Governors
Purpose of the Governing Body
The Department for Education describes the purpose of a governing body as follows. The governing body should:
help the school to set high standards by planning for the school's future and setting targets for school improvement
keep the pressure up on school improvement
be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
make the school accountable to the public for what it does
work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the head teacher and staff
not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action.
In addition as a Church of England school, its Foundation Governors have responsibility for preserving, developing and safeguarding the Christian Ethos and religious character of the school and upholding the principles of the Trust Deed.
Foundation governors should undertake the following activities:
Report back to the Parish Church Council regularly on the work of the school with particular regard to the development of its Christian foundation
Ensure that the School Development Plan includes strategy for the development areas in respect of the school’s church school status
Be prepared to offer challenge and support to the school and parish as they strengthen their links
Undertake appropriate training e.g. Diocesan training for foundation governors
Foundation Governors also play an active part in supporting the Head Teacher in evaluating the school as a Church school. When SIAMS inspections take place foundation governors will be interviewed to ensure that they are fulfilling their role as a ‘critical friend’, committed to safeguarding the Christian Ethos of the school.
Structure and Membership of Cossington's Governing Body
A governing body is made up of Local Authority, parent, staff and co-opted governors from which a Chair and Vice Chair are elected.
Cossington's governing body comprises:
5 Parents
3 Foundation governors
1 Local Authority
1 Head Teacher
2 staff (elected)
3 community/co-opted
(Co-opted governors can be parents, staff or community governors but the proportion of staff on a governing body, including the Head, cannot exceed one third of the total.)
A Chair of Governors and a Vice Chair are elected from the foundation, parent, Local Authority and co-opted governors (staff and the ex-officio head cannot take on these roles).
Full governor meetings are clerked by an appointed Clerk to the Governors.
Committees
To achieve these goals governors meet to discuss, challenge and support the school and its staff. The full Governing Board meet half termly, but governors will also attend committee meeting to focus on particular areas of the school. These committees are:
Finance, Personnel & General Purposes
Standards
Health, Safety & Safeguarding
Christian Distinctiveness
Headteacher Performance Management
Pay
Curriculum and Strategic leadership
Full Governors' Meetings
Cossington's governing body meets half-termly for meetings.
These are chaired by the chair of governors and clerked by a trained clerk.
The head teacher is also present at all regular meetings.
The head teacher presents a half-termly report which outlines the progress of teaching and learning in the school based on the results of lesson observations and data from assessments, along with progress on the School Improvement Plan, staffing, concerns, absences, exclusions and budget.
A typical meeting includes:
Declaration of interests
Ratifying minutes of previous meetings
Matters arising from previous meetings
Head teacher's report
Reviewing and approving policies
Reports from governors with special responsibilities
Correspondence sent to the Chair
Any other urgent business
Paper copies of minutes from the governors meetings, are available, upon request, from the school office.