Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Board of

Mellor St. Mary’s C of E Primary School

School Year 2017/2018

Role of the Governing Board

The role of the governing board in a local authority maintained school is set out in education law, namely to ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement’. The board also has a legal responsibility to promote pupil wellbeing. It does this by:

Setting Strategic Direction - Ensuring clarity of vision and ethos

- Engaging with stakeholders

- Making sure statutory duties are met.

Creating Robust Accountability - Accountability for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety

- Strengthening and supporting school leadership

- Performance managing the Headteacher

- Contributing to school self-evaluation.

Ensuring Financial Probity - Making sure the school’s money is well spent

- Monitoring the use of the Pupil Premium grant and other resources to overcome barriers to learning.

Governance Arrangements

The governing board is made up as follows:

• 2 x Parent Governors
• 1 x Headteacher
• 1 x Staff Governor
• 1 x Local Authority Governor
• 7 x Foundation Governors

The full Governing Board meets once per term with an additional Business meeting early in the Autumn Term. Governors also meet at least termly as committees to consider various aspects of the school in detail. At Mellor St. Mary’s School we have the following committees:

Curriculum Committee

The main function of this committee is to monitor and evaluate the standards and achievement of the school and the quality of education provided. This includes use the impact assessment of Pupil Premium and Sports Premium funding.

Standards and effectiveness Committee

This is a committee set up to specifically monitor implementation of the School Action Plan prepared to address improvement requirements identified by the LA’s Monitoring and Intervention Team.

Staffing and Finance Committee

The main functions of this committee are to:

1. Formulate and recommend an annual budget to the full Governing Board. Thereafter to monitor financial performance against budget and report to the Governing Board on a termly basis.
2. To establish the staffing structure for the school and make recommendations to the Governing Board
3. To appoint all Teaching staff other than Head teacher or Deputy Head

Buildings premises and health and safety Committee

The main functions of this committee are to:

1. To present the governing board with an annual planned maintenance, repair and replacement programme (including school grounds)
2. To ensure that the school’s statutory responsibilities relating to the security of the building, staff and pupils and visitors are met
3. To consider any alterations or extensions to the building
4. To review the Educational Visits policy and regularly review requests for non residential visits.
5. To have an overview of the building’s accessibility in line with appropriate requirements.

Head teacher’s Performance Appraisal Committee

The main functions of this committee are:

1. To meet annually with the School Improvement Partner (SIP) to determine if performance targets have been met, and to set new targets
2. Monitor the progress against targets throughout the year.
3. To make recommendations to the Pay Committee in respect of successful meeting of targets set.

Pay Committee

The main functions of this committee are:

1. To draft the whole school pay policy (based on the DfES model pay policy) for submission to the GB and to review annually
2. To agree salary progressions for Head teacher, Deputy Head, and salaries for all teachers in the light of recommendations made to them.

Governors visit school regularly to meet pupils and staff, in addition to monitoring specific aspects of the curriculum or areas such as SEN and safeguarding. A number of governors routinely provide in class support by way of assistance in reading and maths.

A revised visits policy was adopted during the year. This policy now includes a number of questions which may be asked of pupils during governor school visits. This enables governors to prepare in advance, questions they may ask particular pupil groups such as the school council, pupil premium children, high ability children and Looked After and SEND pupils. This approach was successfully trialled with the School Council who enthusiastically engaged in a discussion on British Values.

A further related policy which was introduced during the year was a governor Induction Policy. Again, this was successfully used to monitor, and record the induction of a new governor to the governing board.

There are also committees that meet, if required, to consider such things as pupil discipline, staffing appeals and complaints and pay Appeals.

A list of Governors, their terms of office and positions of responsibility can be accessed by clicking here http://www.mellor.lancs.sch.uk/governors/

Governors’ Attendance Record

Governing boards make decisions collectively, though they may choose to delegate responsibility to committees, or individuals (including the Headteacher). Attending Governing Board meetings is an essential part of a governor’s role and the attendance record for the governors of our school is excellent. This ensures that all governors receive the necessary information all at the same time and therefore important and informed decisions can be made as and when necessary on all aspects of the school, staff and pupils.

The attendance record for all governors can be accessed by clicking http://www.mellor.lancs.sch.uk/governor-meeting-attendance-2017-18/

Assessment and Impact of the Governing Board during 2017/2018 School Year

Finance and Staffing Committee

• Financial Management, budget-setting and monitoring including use of Pupil Premium grant
• Staff recruitment, performance and pay reviews
• Meeting the Schools’ Financial Value Standard

Standards Committee

• Data analysis – attainment and pupil progress
• Monitoring the school Curriculum and extra-curricular activities
• Special Educational Needs provision
• Pupil attendance
• Pupil behaviour and safety
• Child protection and pupil welfare

Buildings premises and health and safety Committee

• Building developments/improvements. Specifically, major improvements have been made to the reception area of the school which has enhanced the security and safeguarding provision, and has made the entrance to the school much more secure though still welcoming.
• Health and Safety monitoring

Full Governing Board

The impact of the governing board is reviewed at every meeting of the full board. The following items were noted during the year:

• Governor training and development
• Monitoring of the school website
• Data scrutiny
• Approval of arrangements for improving teaching and learning by engaging external support
• Questioning of data in the headteachers termly report
• Establishment of separate committee to scrutinise internal data
• Governor oversight of GDPR compliance
• Establishment of an online safety group
• Outcome of governor training leading to a review of school vision
• Importance of pupil voice discussed
• Revised governor responsibilities and committee membership resulting in governors having a better understanding of the schools strengths and areas for development

Future Plans for Continuous Improvement

A ’20 Questions for Governors Course’ was run in February.

The key issue emerging from this course was the need for the school to establish a revised vision for the school which all stake holders could buy into. A preliminary workshop was held with staff and the Vice Chair of the governing board. This needs to be followed up by a second workshop with the full governing board.

Further items for consideration were as follows.

• Collaboration with other local GBs
• Greater understanding of school’s performance data
• More structured approach to governor visits
• Consider improving how we listen to, understand and respond to our pupils, staff and parents

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