The Board of Governors
Who are we?
We are a group of volunteers made up from the wider school community. In our school, there are 5 main types of Governor.
- Parent
- Local Education Authority
- Community
- Foundation ( being a C of E school, our foundation is the Church)
- Staff
The Board of Governors is led by the Chair of Governors, who is assisted by a Vice Chair. The rest of the Governing Body is organised into small working committees with a Chair for each Committee.
Chair-Alison Procter
Vice Chair- Noel Simpson
Finance and Resource Committee: Katherine Davies (Chair), Tim Tollworthy, Rhian Parry, Ted Dummer, Kevin Balcombe, Sarah Field, Gary Mayhew.
Curriculum and Staffing Committee: Noel Simpson (Chair), Rosie Black, Jackie Lock, Jackie Austin, Rev. Marcus Ronchetti, Edward Roberts.
We meet once a term as Committees,and twice as a Full Governing Body.
Why Do we Need Governors?
- Our role is to be strategic in helping the school plan ahead by setting aims and objectives, and the targets associated with achieving those aims.
- Setting the budget for the year, and monitoring the spending against that budget.
- Monitoring and evaluating the progress made on reaching those targets.
- Acting as a critical friend by offering support and constructive help.
In essence, we want to ensure that this school continues to offer a very good all round education while continuing to raise standards and promote excellence.
What do we do and how do we do it.
We work closely with the school and staff on setting agendas for specific tasks that we need to cover. Some of these are statutory and we are required by Law to ensure that they are achieved. For example: setting the budget, and reviewing policies such as the Child Protection Policy and Safeguarding. Other tasks may be specific to a project in hand such as the “Park and Stride” initiative. In our role as monitoring progress, we need to ask the right questions and ensure there is evidence for the progress made.
OUR CODE OF CONDUCT
As governors we take our role very seriously and the way we work together is governed by our “CODE OF CONDUCT”, a copy of which can be obtained from the school office. The Code specifically covers the following areas:
- Confidentiality
- Complaints
- Conflicts of Interest
- Commitment
- Critical Friend
- Mutual Respect
- Training
- Evaluation
- Being part of the school life.
Copies of governor minutes are available from the school office.
Should any difficulty concerning the education of your child arise, then correct procedure is to bring the matter to the class teacher . The majority of issues are best dealt with the class teacher or head teacher . If, however, the matter remains unresolved, as a last resort, the matter can be referred to the Governors Appeal Panel via the school office.
BECOMING A GOVERNOR
And finally, becoming a Governor involves time, commitment, and passion for seeing the school thrive and prosper. We try to use all the skills that people have from helping in the recruitment process, to designing pamphlets, writing letters and giving objective feedback. The rewards associated with being a Governor can far outweigh the time commitment. We are proud to be part of a school that is making positive steps towards ensuring that every child gets the very best all round school experience.
You can contact your governing body by leaving your number with school office or email office@midhurst-pri.w-sussex.sch.uk with any questions.