CROCKENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

GOVERNING BODY

ACADEMIC YEAR 2021 - 2022 

Appointed Chair (01.09.15): Mrs Isabel Sheppard Fidler, and Appointed Vice Chair: Laurie Everest

What do Governors do?

School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children's education.  Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards.  

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools.  Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy headteacher.  Ultimately, it is the governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools.   Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing body; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:

• set the aims and objectives of the school
• set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
• set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
• monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
• be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher

Who can become a School Governor?

Almost anyone over the age of 18 can become a school governor.  There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people.  At Crockenhill Primary School our governing body is made up of the following categories of governor:

• Parent:  These governors must have a child at the school at the time they are elected.  When vacancies arise, all parents are invited to express an interest in standing and if there are more parents interested than there are vacancies, an election is held in which all parents in the school have a vote.
• Staff:  One staff governor post is taken by the headteacher.  Other staff governor posts can be elected by the staff.  
• Local authority:  These are appointed by the local Authority are tend to be people who have expressed an interest in joining a governing body and have a skills set that would help in its function.
• Co-opted:  These governors are appointed by the governing body.  they are people who in the opinion of the governing body have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
• Associate members:  Associate members are appointed by the governing body to serve on one or more governing body committee.  They may also attend full governing body meetings.  They are not governors and therefore do not have a vote in governing body decisions, but may be given a vote on decisions made by committees to which they are appointed.

The Governing Body meets six times a year (once in each Term) and is made up of twelve (12) Governors:    

• The Head Teacher;          
• One (1) Local Authority Governor;
• Four (4) Parent Governors;        
• One (1) Staff Governor;  
• Five (5) Co-Opted Governors.

All Governors serve on at least one of the two Governing Body Sub-Committees (currently Finance & Premises, and Standards & Curriculum) and all have monitoring responsibilities.  The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected annually at the first meeting of the School Year (held in Term 1).  Membership of the Sub-Committees is reviewed and agreed at the full GB meeting held in Term 1.  Governors sign a Declaration of Business Interests form at the full GB meeting in Term 1, and are also required to declare any change of business interests verbally at the start of every full Governing Body and Sub-Committee meeting.  [For full details, see table below]. 

All elected Governors (Parent; Staff; and Co-Opted) will serve a Term of Office of four years.  Membership of the Governing Body will cease immediately should a Staff member leave the School. 

Governors are obliged to disclose the number of employees at Crockenhill Primary School who earn in excess of £100k. There are 0 employees who earn in excess of £100k. (updated March 2022)