As well as sitting on committees, Governors have a number of individual responsibilities. Wherever possible linked to our own skills and expertise.

Whenever possible, due to work commitments, governors will try to visit school to discuss relevant areas. If this is not possible reports are then sent to the governors and questioned via email, virtual meetings or phone calls.

Impact of full Governing Body Meetings

Governors attend two full governing body meetings each term. In addition, there is a finance committee that meets regularly to scrutinise financial matters and report back to the governors. each governor is linked to one of the four self-evaluation areas and the school development plan.

Before governor meetings take place, each governor meets with the appropriate member of staff to find out more details about their area of responsibility. A report is then written and presented at the next full governing body meeting. The impact of this is that governors are much better informed, can ask important questions and can therefore hold leaders to account for standards in their area effectively. Evidence of this can be found in governing body minutes.

At least three of the full governing body meetings Governors also receive a report from the Headteacher on all aspects of the running of the school, including quality of teaching and learning, attendance, behaviour and safety. Governors discuss this report and ask questions of the Headteacher thereby improving their knowledge and understanding of the school. It is also an opportunity to challenge the Headteacher and to question aspects of the school’s performance. At these meetings we also review the School Improvement Plan, School Financial Value Standards, Self-Evaluation Form and policies.

Impact of Support and Challenge Meetings and Monitoring

During 2021/22, governors established Support and Challenge meetings to take place each half term as a minimum. The key focus of these meetings is to take time to monitor the quality of the school’s self-evaluation (SEF) and also monitor the implementation of the school development plan (SDP).  Governors report back findings to full governing body meetings. The impact of this initiative has been a much sharper focus on the SDP and SEF as well as on the pace of improvements in school. It also ensures that the focus is on the right priorities for the school at this stage in its development.

The Governor with responsibility for teaching and learning and standards, is tasked with following our pupils’ progress and assessment using data provided by the SLT from internal and external tracking systems. Allowing us to track all groups of children within school and against similar schools nationally.

For maximum progress to be made it is important that we look closely at all curriculum areas, interventions, children in receipt of pupil premium, the outcomes of sports premium and safeguarding including personal development, behaviour and attitudes, attendance, e-safety and the prevent strategy.

Governors have received training on assessment, EHC Plans and Safeguarding, and have been taken through both internal and external data and reports by the SLT. There is a high level of competency in data analysis in the school leadership team. Governors ensure that they ask the school about the comparative progress and attainment of different groups including those targeted by the pupil premium grant and the different ethnicity, gender, and ability groups. They ensure that the pupil premium grant is used to have an impact on the outcome of disadvantaged pupils. Governors receive information regarding the use of Sports Premium Funding and the impact this has on the development of PE across the school.

For the academic year 2021/22, the Governors also received additional information regarding the school’s strategy for providing Academic Mentors and School-led intervention support. The impact of additional intervention plans during the last academic year, along with pupil premium plans for 2021/22 has been shared.

Governors have a wide range of skills in many education areas within mainstream and special educational needs settings and we encourage inclusiveness of all pupils.

Impact of Budget Scrutiny

In the Finance committee we are tasked with ensuring that all monies allocated to all areas are accounted for and spent accordingly.

The key elements of termly business are discussed and governors hold the headteacher to account for the financial performance of the school and approve the draft and final school budgets. Governors also receive an in-depth Pupil Premium Grant Allocation/Provision and Impact report which helps us to assess whether this funding is being spent correctly supporting the highest possible outcomes for these children. We also scrutinise the effect of pupil numbers on the budget.

In this meeting, we also look at building maintenance, building improvement and the health and safety audit. This ensures that our pupils and staff reside in an environment conducive with learning while also providing a feeling of security and wellbeing.

The governing body is competent in financial management.

The governors bring a wide range of expertise to the school and this helps to ensure that budgets are monitored effectively and improvements are effective and continuous. The impact of the governors’ role in the school ensures that the budget is managed effectively and the school is continually moving forward.

The school budget is further scrutinised and reviewed in detail at the full governing body meetings. Governors review end of year budgets, attend pre-budget meetings and question deficit/surplus balances.

The impact of this is that governors agree and approve the school budget and ensure that finances are used efficiently and effectively across school. In addition, the governors ensure the Headteacher and school business manager are reporting the impact of best value for money systems.

This committee also monitors staff absence, staff well-being and the school staffing structure.

Additional committees linked to resources and finance are:

SFVS Panel, the Pay Committee and the Headteacher’s Performance Management Committee.

Governor Attendance

All Committees and Panels are well attended ensuring that all governors are well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the best ways forward.  We consider ourselves a pro-active not a re-active governing body.

Governing body Diversity Data

As a school we recognise that a diversity of thought, voices and perspectives is essential to good governance and the effective running of any organisation. We regularly collect diversity information from our governors and, depending on current data, can use this to:

• target recruitment to address gaps in experience and diversity
• develop and adapt board practices to ensure full participation
• prioritise training and awareness-raising in identified areas
• address potential ‘blind spots’ through seeking wider advice and perspectives on current and upcoming opportunities, challenges and risks

However, we are unable to publish this information as it would mean that individual members of our governing body are identifiable.

Strategic Direction and School Development Plan

Setting the strategic direction of the school is a vital role of governors. They support the Headteacher and senior leadership team in setting the school’s priorities and strategic direction.

Governors continually monitor the School Development Plan (SDP). They receive reports from the Headteacher relating to the SDP and monitor the progress towards achieving targets and goals.

Governors receive reports on the progress of each area of the SDP throughout the year. We then receive an in-depth end of year evaluation detailing the progression, the methods used, pupil outcomes, the timescale in which it was actioned, resources used to enable the progress, the success criteria and how and who it was monitored by.

This information along with questioning and analysis of data helps to set the SDP for the following year.

The SDP 2022-23

Governors have reviewed the SDP for this coming year and its key areas for improvement across the school: Click Here to View

Policies

Governors review all relevant policies, during the relevant committee meetings, on a programmed basis to ensure that they meet the statutory requirements and that all guidance is relevant and up to date. Specific attention is paid to ensure that the school complies with the Department of Education mandatory policy list and the Local Authority recommended list.

The Governors written statement of behaviour principles can be found on our policies page at this link: Click Here

Impact of Training

All members of the governing body have and continue to receive training. The impact of this is that the governing body are kept abreast of their responsibilities regarding the latest requirements and expectations. Learning and actions from this training are shared at full governing body meetings and this has helped to inform the work of governors. Recent training has included:

• Safeguarding
• Support and challenge
• Effective monitoring
• The role of the governor
• Staff wellbeing and workload
• Quality first curriculum
• Careers Education
• Therapeutic support and interventions
• Governor induction
• Essential knowledge for effective governance
• Health and safety.

Headteacher Appraisal

The governing body carries out Headteacher appraisal annually and ensures this is in line with national requirements. Governors have undertaken Headteacher appraisal training and with expert assistance from an education adviser, the appraisal is carried out. This process allows us to look closely at the performance of the Headteacher, have discussions about areas of strength and if necessary, those for development. New targets are set against criteria which the Headteachers’ performance will be evaluated. The impact of this is that governors have good understanding of the Headteacher’s performance as measured against the National Standards of Excellence for Head Teachers.

Other Impact Across the School

As governors we celebrate the fantastic work around school and provide challenge and support in areas that can improve and monitor progress in all areas.

• Safeguarding. Governors have completed “safeguarding” training.
• Link governors have specific responsibility for specific areas of interest within school. Each governor conducts a monitoring visit to review their area and produced a report which has been shared with the full governing body. This makes sure that governors have good details on which to make important decisions and can also raise important questions about standards where necessary
• Progress and attainment. Governors have been able to develop clear understanding of the rates of progress and attainment of pupils in school through information provided by school leaders. The impact of this is that governors are aware of how well pupils are achieving and where there are issues, challenging questions can be asked to ensure that any identified problems are addressed in a timely manner. This ensures that all pupils make good progress.
• Governor join the senior leadership team on at least a termly basis to look at pupils’ work. The impact of this is that best practice examples are identified and senior leaders shared this with staff more widely across school and this subsequently raised expectations.
• Governors continue to monitor policies throughout the year including safeguarding policies. The impact is that all policies are kept up to date, parents and staff are very well informed about expectations and it also ensures compliance with statutory duties.

This impact statement was reviewed, agreed and approved by Governors at the Full Governing Body meeting on 5^th October 2022.