Drayton Green Governing Body
Our Governing Body, its committees and terms of reference
Like all maintained schools in England, Drayton Green Primary School has a governing body (GB) which, alongside the senior leadership team, is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the school. This includes contributing to decisions on key issues such as: vision and values; staffing; curriculum; finance; premises; behaviour and standards and SENd.
Whilst the Headteacher is responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with all of these areas to ensure the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives. We work in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff and the Local Authority. Our key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’: to support, to challenge, and to ask questions. The Headteacher keeps us informed through a weekly meeting with the Chair of Governors, through her reports and through the various committees. The weekly meeting with the Chair provides an opportunity to address any issues which may have arisen and celebrate day to day successes.
The governors are proud of the achievements and the diversity of the school. However, there is a clear drive for the school to become outstanding in all areas of its work, to give our children the best possible start in life.
In addition to the school improvement plan, the governors have their own two year action plan which sets out our specific aims and what success would like.
See below a link to the GB action plan 23 -25
The Governing Body has a range of powers and duties laid down by various Education Acts. In the main, these responsibilities relate to:
We also adopt, review and monitor a range of policies that govern the management and operation of the school.
Financial Information
If you would like to know how the school spends its income compared with other schools, please go to https/:schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk
We carry out our responsibilities through a governing body meeting each half term. These formal meetings are supplemented by a series of committee meetings dealing with more specific issues. Two committees of governors usually meet monthly
There is also a staffing committee which is a subgroup of the ReCo.
The terms and reference of these committees can be seen below.
NB Although there are standing members of each committee, all governors are invited to all meetings should they be available.
Membership
Membership of the Governing Body includes parents, teaching staff and representatives from the local community and the Local Authority.
Statutory guidance from the DfE states that
‘The governing body must not be smaller than seven members, and must include: at least two parent governors; • the headteacher unless the headteacher resigns as a governor; one, and only one, staff governor; one, and only one, local authority governor. The governing body may appoint as many additional co-opted governors as they consider necessary.
Governing bodies should be no bigger than necessary to secure the range of skills they need. Smaller governing bodies are likely to be more cohesive and dynamic.’
The size of our GB was reduced in 2017 when a new Instrument of Government was proposed and agreed by the LA.
It currently consists of the 2 parent governors; 1 Local Authority governor; 1 Headteacher; 1 staff governor; 8 co-opted governors.
The term of office for all categories of governors, except the Headteacher, is four years.
See below our Instrument of Government agreed 2017
Coopted governors
Our coopted governors were appointed by the GB. Most were recruited to meet the need for a specific set of skills, knowledge or experience. Co-opted governors can be people who live or work in the community served by the school, or people who do not work or live close to the school but are committed to the good governance and success of the school.
Our coopted governors are: Marion Hardy (Chair); Ania Rontaler (Vice Chair); Ian Potts (Vice Chair); Shahla Kamranpour; Gavin Haddon; Zoe Zarkos; Theo Whitaker; Vacancy.
Local authority governor
Our local authority governor was proposed by the LA and his appointment was agreed and he was coopted by the GB.
Cllr Ben Wesson is our LA Governor.
Parent governors
Parents (including guardians/carers) of registered pupils at the school are eligible to stand for election as parent governors.
Parent governors are elected by the parent body and are appointed for a period of four years. However, when we recruited in 2022 there were no nominations and two parents were appointed as associate members of the GB for one year.
Elections were held again in September 2023. One parent stood unopposed and was coopted to the GB.
Leaving us with one vacancy, another parent was approached to be an associate member of the GB for one year. .
Parent governor for 23/4: Ilaria Gastaudo. Associate parent member of the GB for 23/24: Asafa Kponou.
If you are interested in becoming a parent governor and would like to talk about the role, please contact the Chair on
cgovdgps@gmail.com
Staff Governor
Both teaching and support staff paid to work in the school are eligible for staff governorship. One Staff Governor is elected by the school staff and must be paid to work at the school. volunteers are not eligible.
Our staff governor is Iwona Miodek.
Headteacher
The Headteacher, Karen Doherty, is a member of the Governing Body by virtue of her position.
Resources Committee
Ania Rontaler (Chair), Headteacher, Ian Potts, Marion Hardy, Theo Whitaker, Cllr Wesson, Shahla Kamranpour.
School Improvement committee
Marion Hardy (Chair) , Zoe Zarkos, Headteacher, Ilaria Gastaudo, vacancy
Skills required of school governors
The National Governance Association (NGA) has published a list of skills required for school governance. An individual governor is not expected to have all the skills listed in the audit, but they should be covered across the governing body:
See below the NGA skills audit
Register of Interests
Governors have a legal duty to act in the best interests of their schools. Where there are personal or financial interests, which may conflict with this duty, they must identify, prevent and record the conflict. Generally, governors must not be involved in discussions or vote on matters to which their conflict relates.
We review our register of interests which might be a source of conflict, both personal and pecuniary at the start of every meeting
See below our register of interests
Expectations
On appointment, all governors are expected to:
Governors may claim reasonable expenses in order to carry out their duties as governors.
GB allowances policy can be seen below.
Marion Hardy
Chair of Governors
.