Governing Body
The Governing Body operates collectively in the best interests of all students, rather than as a collection of individuals with their own private agendas. The core functions of the Governing Body focus on
providing strategic leadership through clarity of vision, holding the Head Teacher to account for educational performance and leadership of staff and making sure that the school’s money is well spent.
This is a demanding task for which all Governors need to have, or develop, relevant and appropriate skills. All Governors are also subject to DBS checks. Equality of opportunity applies to all members of the school community; students, staff, governors, parents and community members, taking account of gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, sexual orientation, age, ability, disability and social circumstance. This sets the tone and culture for governance and shapes the schools’ strategic priorities.
Meetings
The Governing Body meets three times a term at 6.00pm. Each meeting starts with a short Finance meeting, followed by a full Governing Body meeting, which is normally completed within two hours. The school endeavours to issue all papers a week in advance of the meeting, though occasionally external constraints mean a small number of items may be tabled at the meeting. Governors are expected to attend or offer apologies for reasons of absence. The meeting schedule for the 2018 to 2019 academic year is:
Autumn Term 2018
Tuesday 25th September Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Thursday 18th October Governor Day (Achievement)
Tuesday 13th November Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Thursday 6th December Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Spring Term 2019
Tuesday 15th January Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Tuesday 5th February Governor Day (Quality of Teaching)
Thursday 28th February Link Governor Meetings 5.00 – 6.00pm
Thursday 28th February Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Tuesday 26th March Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Summer Term 2019
Tuesday 30th April Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Thursday 6th June Link Governor Meetings 5.00 – 6.00pm
Thursday 6th June Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
Tuesday 25th June Governor Day (Behaviour & Safety)
Tuesday 9th July Full Governors Finance & General 6.00 – 8.00pm
The three Governor Days listed take place at school each term, offering an opportunity for a longer meeting when governors can focus on matters such as analysis of exam results, plans for the future and meet students and staff. These meetings last between a half and a full day.
All Governors take responsibility for focusing on a particular area of the School Development Plan, as listed in the table below. During their link meetings, responsible governors will meet with senior leaders to review the relevant section of the school development plan and progress made against goals set.
Governors are encouraged to attend school events and visit the school during the day so they may be more fully aware of how the school is addressing issues identified for development.
Additional responsibilities
Governors may also be involved in appointments, exclusion hearings and appeals for a variety of reasons.
Skills and Training
New Governors will be assigned a mentor who is an experienced governor colleague and will have an induction programme consisting of meetings with the Head Teacher and Chair of the Governing Body. The school will arrange agreed training using Worcestershire County Council’s training programme or a range of online materials and resources.
Our Board of Governors
| Name | Appointing Body | Term of Office | Link Responsibility | Business Interests | Attendance 2017-18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Haskins (Chair) | Partnership | Leadership, Estate/Infrastructure (Budget, Site, ICT) | None Declared | 14/14 | |
| Sarah Booth (Vice Chair) | Partnerhship | Culture Plan including Safeguarding, Well-Being Plan, Community / Family Plan | None Declared | 14/14 | |
| Keith Cairns | Parent | Culture Plan including Safeguarding, Well-Being Plan, Community / Family Plan | None Declared | 10/14 | |
| Terry Livesey | Parent | Leadership, Estate/Infrastructure (Budget, Site, ICT) | None Declared | 10/10 | |
| Simon Lord | Parent | Teaching Plan Including SEND, Achievement Plan (Curriculum Administration), Future Preparation | None Declared | 9/14 | |
| Stephen Riley | Parent | Teaching Plan Including SEND, Achievement Plan (Curriculum Administration), Future Preparation | None Declared | 7/10 | |
| Jillian Sharples | Co-Opted | Leadership, Estate/Infrastructure (Budget, Site, ICT) | None Declared | 14/14 | |
| Alison Shiels | Co-Opted | 18/01/2018 – 17/01/2022 | Culture Plan including Safeguarding, Well-Being Plan, Community/ Family Plan | Personal Interest – Staff | 7/7 |
| Helen Squire | Local Authority | 29/09/2017 – 28/09/2021 | Teaching Plan Including SEND, Achievement Plan (Curriculum Administration), Future Preparation | None Declared | 9/14 |
| Dave Hadley-Pryce | Staff Head Teacher | 03/01/2017 – | Head Teacher | – | 14/14 |
| Della Ransom | Staff | 25/09/2018 – | – | – | N/A |
| Clare Farrell | Associate Member | – | Business Manager | – | N/A |
| Ginny Campbell | Staff | 26/11/2015 – 27/03/2018 | – | – | 8/9 |
| Suzy Humphries | Co-Opted | 01/09/2015 – 10/11/2017 | Leadership, Estate/Infrastructure (Budget, Site, ICT) | None Declared | 1/1 |
| Marcia Bennett (Clerk) | – | – | – | – | N/A |