Governance
The Governing Board
All schools in England have a Governing Board. The Governing Board works in close partnership with the headteacher, staff, Diocese and the local authority. Whilst the headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with such things as staffing, curriculum, school buildings and finance. It ensures that the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives.
Governing boards of Catholic voluntary aided schools are the employers and the admissions body for the school. The board consists of members drawn from a range of backgrounds including Foundation Governors who represent the Diocese, Parent Governors who bring a parent perspective to the board (they do not represent the parents), a Staff Governor who brings a staff perspective to the board (they do not represent the staff), and a Local Authority Governor who brings the LA perspective to the board.
The Governing Body Role
The Governing Body has three roles:
- ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and
its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
- overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
Effective governors do not need educational expertise but do need to be committed to their school, be willing to ask questions and act as a critical friend. They also need to be able to work as an enthusiastic member of the governing body. The headteacher works closely with the governing body as its principal professional advisor. Governing body policy decisions will then be implemented by the headteacher in the day-to-day running of the school.
Foundation Governors
Foundation Governors are appointed in the name of the Bishop by the Episcopal Delegate for Education and they form the majority of the board. They have a legal duty to preserve and develop the Catholic ethos of the school and ensure that it is conducted in accordance with its Trust Deed. Their responsibility is not only to consider the interests of their individual school or college but also the interests of other schools and colleges and Catholic education in general across the Diocese.
Meetings
At SASJ, there are four governor meetings each term; one of the Full Governing Body and three smaller committees. The three committees are:
Resources Committee
This looks at the school's finances, staffing, buildings and health and safety.
Curriculum Committee
This committee considers how we cover the curriculum each year, including relevant policy updates.
Standards and Effectiveness Committee
The SEC meets to analyse data from results across the school.
All Governors are invited to the Full Governing Body meetings, with the smaller committees being made up of governors chosen for their personal strengths and areas of interest.
