Governors’ Whole School Aim

Our Governing Body works with the aim to enable and empower all members of our school community to follow the school vision and strive to grow confident and independent pupils with a love of learning, a strong sense of self-respect and empathy towards diverse cultures and faiths.

Governors’ Role

The role of the Governing Body is an intrinsic part of the leadership of the school. This impact statement is one way in which the Governing Body articulates their role in school leadership and the impact we have had on school improvement. The Governing Body is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers, who invest a huge amount of good will, hard work and time for the sole purpose of improving the education of every child in our school. The Government expects us as your Governing Body to be a dynamic group of highly skilled individuals who focus on supporting the Headteacher and all the staff to shape the strategic direction of school. As Governors, we are accountable for the performance of our school and we are measured by three core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction

• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils

• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure the money is spent well

Governors work co-operatively with the Headteacher and senior management in the writing and monitoring the School Development Plan. This sets aims for the forthcoming year and is based on priorities identified from data, school self-evaluation and Ofsted priorities. The SDP is set out with clear aims, the key tasks that will be completed in order to achieve these aims and the success criteria in order to measure outcomes. It is monitored and review termly, with an evaluation overview being completed and presented to governors.

Training

All members of Governing Body have and continue to have significant training. The impact of this is that the Governing Body are kept abreast of their responsibilities regarding the latest requirements and expectations. Alongside the whole governor body training, governors attend individual courses and training.

Impact of Full Governing Body Meetings

Governors attend two full governing body (FGB) meetings each term. In addition, some governors meet a number of other times as part of the Resources, School Improvement or Admissions Committees. Governors are linked to areas of the School Development Plan and have regular visits and meetings with staff to monitor progress against the SDP objectives. Governor visit reports, which are supported by an agreed report form to help Governors maintain and appropriate focus, are written and presented at full governing body meetings. The visits and reports impact greatly on the Governing Body’s ability to effectively ask important questions, support but also hold senior leaders to account.

The wellbeing of staff has been a priority and this has remained positive throughout the pandemic. This has resulted in children feeling happy and settled at school and able to focus on their learning at school or with home learning.

Impact of Resources Committee Meetings

The school budget is scrutinised and reviewed in detail at these meetings. On this committee, we have governors with strong finance skills who review end of year budgets, attend pre-budget meetings and question deficit/surplus balances. Using benchmarking information, the committee scrutinise the effect of pupil numbers on the budget and how this impacts on staffing and resources.  

Through working closely with the Headteacher, the Resources Committee has supported the school and held it accountable to ensure effective budgeting through the changes over the past few years.

Careful monitoring and planning of the budget by the Resources Committee has impacted positively on subsequent years where budgets have enabled the school to have a strong and effective staffing structure to drive school improvements.

The Resources Committee ensure ‘best value’ when purchasing items or services. The governors ensure that the school provide three quotes for items or services over a certain amount and have a rationale for using particular suppliers or tradespeople. Ensuring best value has seen the successful redecoration and refurbishment of the school. Best value practices have also been used for photocopying contracts, again ensuring the school is getting a good service and good value for money.

Pupil Premium Funding

The Resources and School Improvement Committees approve the planned spend of PP funding each year and challenge the Headteacher and senior leaders on the impact of the spending. Governors scrutinise evidence of impact on the outcomes for PP Children.  Data and evidence show how the gap between PP children and non-PP children closes as pupils move through the school. Details of the impact of Pupil Premium spending can be found on the website.

Sports Premium Funding

Alongside the PP funding, the Resources Committee monitors how the schools spends the Sports Premium Funding. The Primary PE and Sport Premium is ring-fenced and must only be spent on physical education and sport provision in schools. The funding aims to achieve improvement in all areas of PE, from the standard of physical education to introducing health focused physical activities and after school sports. 

Capital Projects

Much of the wonderful school grounds and school building, both inside and out are due to our passion for providing the best learning environment for the children. More recently, security at the school has improved, with new high level fencing around the school site, an improved CCTV system and fire alarms upgraded across the school.  The roof to the KS2 building was entirely rebuilt to ensure that the learning environments remain dry and warm. Children and staff are proud of their school and feel safe.

General Data Protection Regulation

Governors are responsible for ensuring the data protection policy is in place and being followed. Governors ensure the school has a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and that they attending regular training.

Safeguarding

The monitoring of safeguarding practices is a key priority for governors and is ongoing throughout the year. Along with the Headteacher, governors conduct regular safeguarding audits and monitor the actions identified from them. Safeguarding reports presented at FGB meetings provide an opportunity to challenge the safeguarding culture of the school and ensure robust procedures and practises are in place. Safeguarding questions are asked during governor visits. The impact of this challenge and monitoring is a confidence in the strong safeguarding ethos at our school.

Recruitment

Members of the governing body have completed “safer recruitment” training and have contributed to the successful recruitment of a strong staff team. The governing body have successfully recruited the current Headteacher in 2019 and supported the Headteacher with the appointment of the Deputy Headteacher. With a strong leadership team, Nash Mills has the skills to be self-improving and continue to raise standards and outcomes for pupils.

School Development Plan and Governor Visits

Link governors have responsibility for specific areas of school development. Each governor has conducted monitoring visits to review their area and have produced governor visit reports identifying strengths and next steps. In addition, we have held various Governor Mornings, for governors to come into school, find out a little more about a particular aspect of development and see pupil learning in action.  Reports are shared in full governor body meetings and result in greater accountability of staff. Action plans are updated regularly and success criteria is met. This is shared with governors during their visits.

Progress and Attainment

Data is made available to governors through termly meetings with verbal and written presentations followed by question and answer sessions with the Headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  Governors ask questions to ensure the schools standards and expectations are high. Governors challenge the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team on the data, holding them to account, especially for pupils or groups of learners who may have lower attainment. Particular scrutiny is placed on pupil progress across all ability groups including vulnerable groups and on the effective use of the Pupil Premium Funding.

School Policies

Governors review and approve policies annually. This takes place throughout the year in FGB meetings and Committee meetings. The Headteacher is asked to give examples of when the policies have been used to ensure the policies are being followed and practiced and to ensure policy review is not just a paper exercise. Policies are updated on the school website.

Performance Management

Governors are responsible for undertaking the Headteacher’s performance management review each year. Governors, supported by the local authority, set annual targets, which are reviewed at points throughout the year.

The Headteacher completes an annual performance management report for the governors evidencing that performance management has been completed for all staff and that staff have meet performance management targets. Governors scrutinise the report and use evidence to approve pay recommendations given by the Headteacher.