Introduction

At the start of this new school year, the Governors at Cherbourg would like to take the opportunity to tell you a little more about who we are and what we do to support the school to be the best it can be for our students. If you’d like to know more or are interested in becoming a governor, please do get in touch.

What is a school governing body?

Our governing body is made up of parents, volunteers from the local community and the wider world of business, offering a diverse range of skills and views, bringing a breadth of experience to the team.  We are required to have a strong focus on 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, and the performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

As well as the main governing body, a good deal of our work is delegated to our Resources committee, where we manage our school’s budget.

Types of Governors

Parent Governors are vital members of the governing body as they provide a critical parental perspective. Anyone can apply to be a parent governor and they are entitled to serve out their term of office even if their child has left the school.

Local Authority Governors are nominated by the County Council, primarily to help ensure high quality education and bring an independent perspective.

Staff Governors include the Headteacher plus at least one other member of staff elected by and from amongst the teaching and non-teaching staff at the school.

Co-opted Governors are appointed by the governing body based on the skills and experience that they have.

Associate Governors are not part of the main governing body but are allowed to attend meetings and sit on our committee and can be given voting rights. An associate brings expertise and experience in a specific area.

What does a governor do?

As a governor we are expected to contribute to the work of the governing body in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children in the school.  We are expected to possess, or be willing to train, to have skills and experiences that will help the governing body work effectively. In practical terms, we meet regularly during the term with additional committee meetings.  There are usually 6 full governing body meetings a year, with a further 6 meetings for the Resources Committee.

There are also planned visits to the school each term and time for training.  It is estimated that our time commitment for all of this can be over 48 hours per year. Reading minutes and the paperwork in preparation for meetings will easily add another 24 hours each year.  Being a school governor helps ensure that our children receive the very best experiences and opportunities to enable them to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Who are the Cherbourg Primary School governors?

Chair of the Governors: Lucy Cruickshanks

Co-opted Governors: Stuart Cox, Anne Harris, Wayne Irish, James Moth, Fiona Stevens, Caroline Tiller

Headteacher: Wendy Smith

Local Authority Governors: Sue Mussell

Parent Governors: Shayek Ahmed, Julie Coltart, Alice Leyman, Tamsin Leyman

Staff Governor: Saffron Stevens

The Resources Committee

The overall purpose of the Resources Committee is to monitor the school’s performance and implementation of policies in the areas of:

• Finance
• Premises
• Personnel
• Health and safety

The Resources Committee reports to the full governing body and provides updates and, where required, seeks approval of budget expenditure and financial planning. This Committee is chaired by Stuart Cox.

Interested in becoming a governor?

Being a school governor is a responsible and rewarding role. You can make a real difference to children and families through the decisions you help to make. You can also learn a great deal about education and the well being of children, helping to ensure that pupils at Cherbourg Primary school make good progress.

We are always looking for ways in which school governors can bring their skills and knowledge to benefit the school and the children. So if you think you have something to offer and you want to support a good school to be even better, then contact us on

admin@cherbourg.hants.sch.uk

For more easy to read information on being a governor check out; http://www3.hants.gov.uk/education/governors.htm