Governor roles

Structure and remit of the Local Governing Body

Please click here for Governor Attendance at Meetings 2023-2024

Please click here for Governor Register of Business and Pecuniary Interests

Please click here for Governor Profiles  https://www.skyswood.herts.sch.uk/our-governors/

Please click here for further governance information on the Trust website https://www.ambitioneducationtrust.org/information/governance

Under the Terms of Reference for Local Governing Boards of the AET, our structure is as follows:

Headteacher

Chair of Governors

Up to 5 Trust Appointed Governors

Up to 2 (minimum 1) Staff Governors, 1 must be a Teacher

Up to 3 (minimum 2) elected Parent Governors

Plus up to 2 co-opted Governors appointed by the AET according to skills.

Under the AET Scheme of Delegation, the scope of responsibilities of the LGB is as follows:

Admissions and the School Day

Curriculum and Standards

Ensure the School achieves at least good outcomes and progress for all its students/pupils

• Ensure all relevant statutory education policies are in place
• Ensure there is an appropriate and effective curriculum
• Ensure all teaching is at least good
• Ensure appropriate and effective staffing
• Ensure and approve an appropriate and effective school improvement plan
• Approve the School’s self-evaluation form

Students

Including, behaviour, wellbeing and safeguarding, attendance, nutritional standard of lunches, provision of free school meals (FSM)

Finance and risk management and reporting

Including monitoring the impact of the school budget on standards; reviewing value for money of the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG); ensuring that issues with budgetary impact are reported to the Trust CFO

Staffing and Performance Management

Including implementation of policies, staffing structure, headteacher appointment, staff wellbeing and attendance.  Governors are involved in the Headteacher appraisal cycle.

Safeguarding

Including Health and Safety, security and the undertaking of regular Safeguarding reviews by the nominated Safeguarding Governor

Public relations/ stakeholder engagement

This includes monitoring the school website to ensure its compliance with DfE and Trust requirements

Governance

As a LGB in a multi-academy trust (MAT) we assist the Trust in getting a local perspective on our school.  A key part of our role is to monitor teaching and learning in detail.  We are not responsible for operational issues.  We act as a ‘critical friend’, having oversight of the areas outlined above.

We carry out these duties in a number of ways:

Each governor carries out a ‘school visit’ at least once per term.  Group visits are arranged to focus on each of the School Improvement Plan aims, for example reviewing the improvement of and use of the outside areas during 2023/4.  In addition to these opportunities, link governors arrange additional monitoring visits.  Some of these are related to statutory responsibilities, such as Safeguarding and SEND.  Others are to support and represent other areas of school life, such as our Early Years offer.  We have a school visits policy, and visit reports are made in conjunction with the relevant staff member and shared with the LGB members.

Our Chairs have regular ‘catch-up’ meetings with our Headteacher.

Full Governing Board meetings are held 5 times per academic year, following and adapting suggested agendas provided by the AET.  The structure of the meetings, and the inclusion of particular agenda items ensures that we discuss, monitor and carry out our responsibilities.  We hold 2 meetings in the Autumn term, one in the Spring term, and 2 in the Summer term. 

A key document for these meetings is the report from our Headteacher, which enables us to ask supportive questions about issues in our areas of responsibility.  This includes regular reporting on the quality of teaching and the curriculum, and on the key performance indicators across Early Years, Key Stage 1 and key Stage 2.  We regularly monitor the progress of pupils with SEND and the progress of under-served groups.  Safeguarding is a standing agenda item.

Meetings are attended by other staff members where appropriate, and by AET officers.  We also have a link Trustee from the AET.

Governors attend regular training to support them in developing their roles.  This includes the completion of Level 1 Safeguarding training every 3 years; Cyber security training.