HARTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

 

Annual Statement for the Governing Body

Autumn 2015

This annual statement outlines how the Governing Board of Harton Primary School has fulfilled its responsibilities and how it has met the strategic functions of a school’s Governing Board set out by the government.

•        Holding the Head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
•        Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
•        Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

 

The Governing Board acts as a critical friend to the school. To do this it needs to be informed about the performance of staff and pupils including the quality of teaching and progress towards the priorities identified in the School Improvement Plan and the most recent Ofsted inspection.

Throughout the year the Governing Board along with the Finance and Building Committee oversee the school’s financial performance to ensure money is well spent – they monitor pupil data and pupil progress and look carefully at the impact of pupil premium spending. They review school policies and hold subject leaders to account.

All Governors have a Curriculum Subject link role as part of their monitoring work. They come into school on a timetabled, termly basis to talk to Subject Leaders and discuss the standards of attainment and progress in each of the curriculum areas. This also includes the areas of SEN and Safeguarding.

The Governing Board monitors the School Improvement Plan on a termly basis through questioning and discussion of the Head teacher’s report and by first hand observations in the school.  The Head teacher’s termly report is submitted prior to the full Governing Board meeting which enables Governors to formulate questions to put to the Head teacher in advance of the meeting.

Through these purposeful visits and discussions, Governors have a clearer understanding of the systems in place to enable children to make good or better than expected progress in their learning.

Governors are involved in Ofsted Inspections – in the last inspection in 2013, Ofsted stated:

“Governors provide good support and challenge to the school. They know about the quality of teaching and the school’s data. They spend the pupil premium money wisely to improve pupils’ progress. They are very committed to the school and want pupils to have equality of opportunity to achieve well. “

 

The work of the Governing Body during 2014 / 2015

 

This has been a busy year for the Governing Board. Since September 2014 there have been 5 termly meetings and 7 committee meetings.

 

The Head teacher along with the Governing Board appointed a new Foundation Stage Leader in the Autumn Term 2014.

 

An extension to the Foundation Stage was planned and delivered by the beginning of the new Academic Year in 2015. This process was overseen by Governors at all stages.

The Foundation Stage unit now has 3 purpose built Reception classrooms, enabling staff to focus more on improving children’s basic skills and achieving a higher percentage of pupils gaining a Good Level of Development by the end of 2016. The nursery too has benefitted by having greater space indoors and outdoors and a new cloakroom entrance to the unit.

 

A further audit of Governors skills in the Autumn term has helped to identify training needs and these will be addressed throughout the current academic year – 2015 / 2016.

 

How you can contact the Governing Body

We welcome suggestions, feedback and ideas and are happy to give more information if you are interested in finding out about becoming a governor.

The Chair of Governors, Mrs Margaret Reay, can be contacted via the School Office who also hold a full list of governors and minutes of full governing board meetings.

 

Composition of the Governing Board

 

•        4 parent governors
•        1 head teacher
•        1 staff governor
•        1 local authority governor
•        8 co-opted governors

 

Committees of the Governing Board

 

•        Finance and buildings
•        Personnel
•        Pupil discipline and parental complaints
•        Appeals
•        Standards and Curriculum (removed from the structure summer 2015)

 

Chair of Governors

Mrs M Reay

 

Vice Chair of Governors

Mr S Duffy

Name	Category	Appointing Body	Terms of Office	Committees (if associate member has voting rights)	Official responsibility
Scott Duffy	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Personnel	Vice Chair of Governors Chair of Personnel
Neil Maxwell	Local Authority	Local Authority	31/03/15 to 30/03/19
Lawrence Nolan	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Finance & Buildings Personnel
Kerry Jackson	Parent	Parents	20/05/15 to 19/05/19
Gillian Dolan	Parent	Parents	20/05/15 to 19/05/19	Finance & Buildings
Jo-Ann Griffiths	Parent	Parents	16/11/12 to 15/11/16
Michelle Reay	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Personnel
Sonia Dutton	Parent	Parents	20/05/15 to 19/05/19	Personnel
Clare Allen	Staff	School Staff	27/04/15 to 26/04/19
Glynis Heslop	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Finance & Buildings
Alison Chipchase	Head Teacher	By Virtue of Position		Finance & Buildings Personnel	Head Teacher
Margaret Reay	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Finance & Buildings	Chair of Governors Chair of Finance & Buildings
Sheree Wilson	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19	Finance & Buildings
Keith Palmer	Co-opted	Governing Board	21/05/15 to 20/05/19
Ann-Marie Pettit	Co-opted	Governing Board	08/07/15 to 07/07/19
Lorna Vasey	Staff	Staff	01/04/11 to30/03/15
David Whitehead	Staff	Staff	01/04/11 to31/12/14	Finance & Buildings
Danielle Wilkinson	Parent	Parents	20/05/11 to19/05/15
Sarah Houston	Parent	Parents	20/05/11 to19/05/15	Personnel
Suzanne Etchells	Parent	Parents	20/05/11 to19/05/11
Eileen Leask	Local Authority	Local Authority	01/04/11 to31/03/15	Finance & Buildings
Mark Jupp	Local Authority	Local Authority	05/09/11 to26/02/15

Attendance 2014/15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTER OF GOVERNOR INTERESTS

 

HARTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

 

 

Name	Position	Nature of Interest	Date Interest Registered	Date Interest Ceased	Notes
Scott Duffy	Co-opted	Governor at Harton Technology College   Trustee at Jarrow School	01/06/05     26/03/10
Neil Maxwell	Local Authority	None	23/09/15
Lawrence Nolan	Co-opted	None	19/10/15
Kerry Jackson	Parent	None	14/10/15
Gillian Dolan	Parent	None	23/09/15
Jo-Ann Griffiths	Parent	None	23/10/15
Michelle Reay	Co-opted	None	23/09/15
Sonia Dutton	Parent	None	23/09/15
Clare Allen	Staff	None	23/09/15
Glynis Heslop	Co-opted	None	23/09/15
Alison Chipchase	Head Teacher	Co-opted Governor at The Beacon Centre	23/09/15
Margaret Reay	Co-opted	None	23/09/15
Sheree Wilson	Co-opted	None	14/10/15
Keith Palmer	Co-opted	None	23/09/15
Ann-Marie Pettit	Co-opted	None	23/09/15

Date of Review:              ________________________________________________