The Role & Responsibilities of the Governing Body

The Department for Education (DfE) sets out information on the role of governing bodies in its Governance Handbook. The Handbook states that the key role of the governing body is to ‘provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance’.

The Handbook also sets out the three core functions of the governing body:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff.
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Governors ensure safeguarding procedures are followed

• The governors all have enhanced DBS checks.
• The are required to read KCSIE part 1 and 2 every year.
• They engage in safer recruitment training.
• Other training is required in specific areas if required.
• They are aware of the legalities of the school’s single central register.
• When governors attend school they know they must sign in and out and wear their governors lanyard for recognition at all times.
• They follow governane policy requirements for safeguarding and child protection.

Governors ensure that the school achieves its outcomes for all pupils

• Data is shared with all governors. This includes school demographics, attendance and educational outcomes. 
• Governors receive data reports about specific groups of pupils to ensure that no pupils are being left behind.  Children's names are never shared.
• Governors support and engage in the strategic direction of the school and are diligent in monitoring the progress of the school’s development plan. They ask about the impact that the plans are having on children and staff development how we know.
• Governors monitor the school finances so there are resources for learning and teaching and that enrichment activities are accessible for all.

Governors engage effectively with the school community

• Governors are expected to visit the school during the working day, at least twice a year, as this enables them to understand how the school operates on a daily basis.  They sometimes attend events to support the school and the children who represent St Mary's.