GOVERNING BODY

The Governing Body of Earls Barton Primary School was established on 1st January 2017 in accordance with the Instrument of Government agreed by the Local Authority, as EBPS is a Community School maintained by the Local Authority.

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of their school, working to ensure it delivers a good quality education.  

So what does a Governor do?

We are responsible for working with the Headteacher to raise standards of achievement for all pupils at the school, for setting the budget and for overseeing the curriculum. We also have powers with respect to the appointment and dismissal of staff and the exclusion and re-instatement of pupils.

Why do schools need Governors?

Every school has a governing body to represent the public in the running of schools. School governors bring perspectives from ordinary life and work with the staff and the local authority to help secure the best possible education for the children in the school. They have important responsibilities such as managing the school budget, overseeing the curriculum and appointing staff.

How do Governing bodies work?

Governing bodies must act as a corporate body. They must act with integrity, objectivity and honesty and in the best interests of the school. They must be open about, and prepared to explain, their decisions and actions. The size of the governing body can range from 9 to 20 (this can vary for voluntary aided schools). Each governing body can adopt the most suitable model within certain guiding principles. The governing body should carry out their functions with the aim of taking a largely strategic role in the running of the school.

The governing body will:

• promote high standards of educational attainment
• set targets for pupil achievement
• take general responsibility for the conduct of the school
• manage the school's budget, including how many staff will work there and their pay
• make sure that the curriculum is balanced and broadly based
• participate in the appointment of senior staff (including appointing the headteacher)

The Earls Barton Primary School Governors meet formally at least once a term. There are several Standing Agenda Items which must be included, and the remainder of the meeting is organized so that every aspect of the school’s development is covered throughout the year. This includes the updating and revision of those policies which must have Governor approval. These must then be published on the school website. Last year, following a review and evaluation of the Governors’ effectiveness, we changed how we work, and at our review and evaluation at the end of the year we agreed to continue with this, as it had proved to be more efficient in terms of time and communications.   Details of specific Governor focus areas have been agreed for this academic year and cover all aspects previously dealt with by committees, and include new initiatives for which Governors are now responsible. The meetings of the Full Governing Body are now inclusive for all Governors and are enabling active and productive discussions.

We are fortunate at Earls Barton Primary to have very supportive and involved parents, and are committed to ensuring that as Governors we keep parents involved and informed about what is happening. There is a programme of activities which encourage parents to visit the school and see how their children are learning, as well as new ways of ensuring that both staff and Governors have an understanding of the parent voice. Governors are also trying to have a presence at these activities, and welcome feedback from parents/carers, and can also be contacted through either the email address for the website or through the website contact form.

GOVERNORS 2018-2019 AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

SPECIFIC/INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018 - 19

All Governors have signed the Code of Conduct for Governors and work to the Terms of Reference.

All Governors will sign a Declaration of Interest forms, which identify relevant business and pecuniary interests (as recorded in the register of interests) including:

• Governance roles in other educational institutions;
• Any material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff (including spouses, partners and close relatives)

The Clerk to the Governors is: Helen Dabrowski

REGISTER OF INTERESTS 2017-18

DATES OF GOVERNOR MEETINGS 2018-19

11th October 2018

29th November 2018

24th January 2019

14th March 2019

Budget Meeting – TBA

2nd May 2019

13th June 2019

18th July 2019

GOVERNOR ATTENDANCE 2017-18