Governors

Governing Body

Chair of Governors

Mr Jack Richards

Governing Body Structure and Remit 

All schools have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’ which offers support, constructive advice, a sounding board for ideas, a second opinion on proposals and help where needed. However, a ‘critical friend’ also challenges, asks questions, seeks information, improves proposals and helps to arrive at the best solution for the pupils, staff and whole school community.

The Governing Body works in close partnership with the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are responsible and accountable for the school. It ensures the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives. The Governing Body works as a team with shared responsibilities.

Governors never make decisions on their own, nor do they act as individuals. The Full Governing Body meets six times per year for full governing board meetings and a further three times per year to work with staff on different curriculum areas.

Circle Model

The governors at Mount Pleasant Primary School have adopted a circle model of governance. This means that the Governing Body works as a ‘whole team’, meeting nine times per year, generally three times in each term. As Chair, I chair all committee meetings and this passes to the Vice Chair in my absence.

An agenda for each meeting will include all the tasks which the governing body is required to consider, and the governing body may ‘commission’ assignments or activities arising from the business of the meeting, which will be recorded in the minutes.

The key focus of meetings will change from one meeting to the next, spending 40 minutes on one key area, and then 20 minutes on another.

For example:

• Meeting 1 key focus: School improvement data, quality of education, safeguarding and special educational needs (SEND) 
• Meeting 2 key focus: Finances, premises, resources, health and safety
• Meeting 3 key focus:  Curriculum 

In addition to ‘commissioning’ activities or actions on their behalf, the governing body may wish to delegate monitoring activities to ‘monitoring pairs’ or ‘individuals’. This could apply to statutory functions, and/or the priorities of the School Improvement Plan. In each case, where a function has been delegated, there is a statutory duty to report any action or decision to the governing body at the next meeting.

Statutory committees only meet when they are needed, and these are:

• Headteacher Performance Management
• Pay Review
• Complaints
• Staff Discipline
• Pupil Discipline 

Governing Body Constitution

A school governing body must publish a list of members annually with the date they were appointed and when their term of office expires.

Declarations of Business Interests