Keep Hatch Primary School Governing Body

Being a school governor is both a rewarding and challenging experience. At Keep Hatch, as in any other school, Governors are volunteers who play an important role in leading our school and work in partnership with the Headteacher and senior school leaders to ensure that every child gets the best possible education.

We have written this guidance to help aspiring governors learn more about what being a governor entails and the demands of the role. If after reading this you would like to find out more information, please email lmatthews@fraysacademytrust.org

The Board of Directors for the Frays Academy Trust has the overall responsibility for Governance across all of the schools in the Trust. Information about the Board of Directors and Governance structure can be found here.

The Board have made the decision to appoint ‘Local’ Governing Bodies to be responsible for overseeing the day to day management of the schools and the strategic development.

Our meetings take place on a half-termly basis and we meet as a whole Local Governing Body at every meeting. We also have two sub-committees: Finance and Curriculum, which also meet half-termly.

Please find a link here to the Frays Academy Trust Scheme of Delegation.

Local Governing Body of Keep Hatch Primary School

In accordance with the Scheme of Delegation the Local Governing Body (LGB) consists of:

• four governors (not staff) appointed by the Board of Directors;
• one staff governor;
• one parent governor;
• any additional governors appointed by the Board of Directors.

The number of people who shall sit on the Local Governing Body shall be not less than four and not more than seven.

Membership

Due to recent changes to the constitution of local governing bodies, headteachers no longer serve as governors, but attend all meetings.

The Role of the Governing Body

The governing body is responsible for the conduct of the school and must promote high standards of educational achievement at the school, with a strong focus on three core functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

In order to do this, governors need to gain knowledge of how their school operates through attending meetings, reading documentation, reviewing school data and engaging in regular visits to the school.

The governing body is not responsible for the day to day management of the school, this lies with the Headteacher, Mrs Appleby, who is accountable for educational performance and operational responsibility

Who can become a school governor?

Anyone who is over 18 and living in the UK can become a school governor.

You don’t need to be a parent / carer to a child at Keep Hatch, we also welcome volunteers from the local community and local businesses who can bring enthusiasm, experience and expertise to be able to effectively support the Head Teacher and staff to drive the school forward.

What do school governors do?

The governing body do not manage the school on a day-to-day basis, but are required to oversee the development of the school. Together with the Headteacher, governors set the future direction for the school and decide how the school’s budget should be spent.

Decisions are made collectively on matters such as performance targets, school policies, the school’s improvement / development plan, and the school’s staffing structure. Governors report to parents on the school’s achievements and respond to inspection recommendations. They hear appeals from pupils and staff and consider complaints. Governors provide the Headteacher with support and advice, drawing on their knowledge and experience.

Governors are known as ‘critical friends’ to their schools because they are expected to question, challenge and support the reports and information they receive from the Headteacher and senior leaders, whilst respecting the Headteacher’s position as professional leader of the school.

The governing body operates a code of conduct which sets an ethos of professionalism and high expectations of governors. You will be provided with this as part of your induction into the school and will be expected to work within it, since a governing body operates as a corporate entity with corporate responsibility.

How much time is involved with being a school governor?

Generally, governors need 6-8 hours each month to fulfil their duties – some months it will be less, other months it will be more.

At Keep Hatch, the Full Governing Body meets every month and our meetings are normally held in the evenings at 6pm. We agree our meeting dates for the year early in the Autumn Term and occasionally, extra meetings will be required.

Outside of meetings, Governors do need to be able to dedicate some time to their role as certain functions are delegated to specific areas of the school (e.g. subject links) and business management (e.g. Finance sub-committee). Also governors need to spend time for background reading, school visits, producing reports for their governor colleagues, attending events and representing the Governing Body. Governors will also need to undertake training relevant to their governor role, which may be in the evenings, or ½ day or a day.

What if I don’t have the right experience?

Everyone has something to offer the Keep Hatch governing body because you don’t need specific experience or qualifications to become a school governor. We are looking for people who can bring energy, ideas and experience of life to support school staff in the organisation and management of schools. Whether you are a parent / carer, or have strong links to the local community or local businesses, we would be pleased to discuss the possibility of becoming a governor at Keep Hatch with you.

Our school governors come from different walks of life and use their skills to support our children’s education. Governors are required to commit to the role, be inquisitive to question, and have a willingness to learn, especially if training or a development activity is needed to fill any gaps in the skills you have to contribute to effective governance. Good inter-personal skills, a basic level of literacy in English, and sufficient numeracy skills to be able to understand basic data are essential.

Why should you become a school governor?

Governors have the opportunity to make a positive impact on young people’s lives and contribute to the issues that you feel passionately about. It is also a great opportunity to not only use your skills and expertise to contribute to making our schools more effective, but to develop new ones such as board-level leadership, strategic planning, chairing, financial planning, and team working. These skills are valued by employers and can help your own career development.

What are the next steps?

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Governor, please email lmatthews@fraysacademytrust.org

The Current Governors

Details of the current Governors can be found here Local Governance of Keep Hatch Primary School