In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing boards, the three core strategic functions of the Governing Board are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
Governance Arrangements.
In September 2022, a new Instrument of Governance was established and the Governing Board is now made up of 10 Governors:
- LEA Representatives: 1
- Foundation Governors: 2
- Parents: 2
- Co-Opted Governors: 3
- Staff: 1
- Headteacher: 1
Skills and knowledge required that contribute to effective Governance and the success to the school:
- Knowledge of the school and local area
- Finance
- Personnel H/R
- Health and Safety
- Information Technology
- Buildings
- Communication
- Leadership and Decision Making
How to contact your Governors:
Governors can be contacted by the following methods:
Telephone:
Stretton Handley 01246 590418
Letter:
Chair of Governors, Stretton Handley, Beresford Ln, Woolley Moor, Alfreton DE55 6FH
E-mail:
info@strettonhandley.derbyshire.sch.uk
Governing Board
Terms of office and membership of committees as confirmed at a Full Governing Board meeting September, 2024.
Name of Governor |
Category |
End of term of Office |
Committee |
Specific Area of Responsibility |
Louise Nicholson |
Head teacher |
All |
All | |
Margaret Gill |
Local Authority Chair |
01.09.26 |
FPP |
Safeguarding Pupil Premium |
Scott Macpherson |
Parent Vice Chair |
13.10.26 |
FPP |
Maths Y5/6 |
Samantha Gray |
Parent |
24.04.28 |
FPP | |
Laura Ogden |
Co-opted |
24.04.28 |
HTPM |
Safeguarding |
Elizabeth Cooke |
Co-opted |
01.09.26 |
SI & PP HTPM |
EYFS Curriculum |
Vacancy |
Co-opted | |||
Fran Roberts |
Ex Officio Foundation |
10.12.26 |
SI & PP |
Church School Links SEND |
Jasmine Barratt |
Staff |
SI & PP | ||
Bev Bunting |
Foundation Governor |
15.07.28 |
HTPM |
Committees
FPP – Finance, Personnel & Premises
SI & PP – School Improvement and Pupil Progress
HTPM – Headteacher Performance Management
Appointing Bodies
- Headteacher – by virtue of their position
- Staff – elected by school staff
- Parent – elected by parents
- Local Authority – nominated by the local authority
- Co-opted – appointed by the GB
Named Governors with specific responsibilities
Some governors will have specific areas of responsibility that they will report on to the FGB.
Instrument of Governance 2022 (PDF)
Governor Visits
The governors visit the school as part of their involvement with SDP, Safeguarding and other areas of Governance. Governors with specific responsibilities meet for regular reviews and updates and then present a report to the Full Governing Board. Governors regularly attend school open evenings, assemblies, presentations and information evenings including sports and musical events in order to engage with parents and seek their feedback. Furthermore, they actively seek opportunities for our children to be ambassadors for the school both within our community and further afield.
Declaration of Pecuniary & Personal Interest
All governors sign a declaration of pecuniary interest at the start of each year.
Conflicts of interest 2024/2025 – Liz Cooke Parent of member of staff (Stretton Handley)
At the start of each governors meeting, any conflicts of interest for agenda items are recorded and acted on accordingly.
Dates of Meetings for the academic year 2024-2025
Full Governing Body
23.09.24
27.01.25
28.04.25
07.07.25
Finance, Personnel & Premises Committee
14.10.24
School Improvement Committee
06.11.24
HTPM Committee
11.10.24
Further Committee Meeting Dates – to be arranged at the first meeting of each committee.
Dates of Meetings for the academic year 2023-2024
Full Governing Body
28.09.23
29.01.24
22.04.24
15.07.24
Finance, Personnel & Premises Committee
20.10.23
13.11.23
01.03.24
26.03.24
15.04.24
School Improvement Committee
21.09.23
8.02.24
11.07.24
Head Teacher Performance Management Committee
28.11.23
School Improvement and Pupil Progress Committee
This committee is responsible for monitoring:
- The delivery of the National Curriculum
- Pupil Progress
- Quality of Education
- The SEND provision
- Pupil Premium
- Sports Premium
- Behaviour and attitudes
Finance and Resources Committee
This committee is responsible for:
- Agreeing and monitoring the school budget, including staffing and resource costs
- Monitoring systems that promote the health and safety of the pupils and staff within school
- Monitoring buildings and premises work carried out
- Monitoring the spending of grants, such as the Pupil Premium or Sports Premium funding
- Agreeing the Published Admission Number (PAN)
- Reviewing staffing structures and pay progression
- Monitoring staff and pupil absence
- Monitoring exclusions
- Monitoring behaviour
- Parental complaint
Governor Training
Governors attended various training events as necessary to fulfil their roles and responsibilities including Safeguarding and GDPR.
Induction pack for new governors (Revised March 2022)
Attendance of meetings
A record is kept, by the clerk to the governing board, of governors’ attendance at meetings. Apologies for absence are presented to meetings for acceptance.
Attendance by Governors to all meetings is reviewed annually.
Data Analysis
Data is made available to governors through the Headteacher Report with verbal and written presentations followed by question and answer sessions with the Headteacher which includes scrutiny of the data from all year groups in order to heighten their awareness of focus groups and vulnerable areas, whilst maintaining governor knowledge.
Policies
Governors review all relevant policies on a scheduled basis to ensure that all guidance is current, relevant and up to date. Specific attention is paid to ensure that the school complies with the Department of Education mandatory policy list
Staff Recruitment
The Headteacher and a number of governors are trained in Safer Recruitment. Governors are involved in the recruitment and selection of all teaching staff and use the appointment process to ensure that high quality staff, who share the schools’ vision statement and aims, are appointed. Governors work hard to recruit quality teachers and leaders. They have considered a wide range of strategies to ensure that the right staff are appointed to drive forward the actions that are necessary to improve the school.
Financial Management
The governing body has been trained in School Finance management. The governors work with school staff to achieve ‘The Schools Financial Value Standard and Assurance’ (SFVS) on an annual basis. The impact of the governors’ role in the school ensures that the budget is well managed and improvements are effective and continuous. External audits confirm that finances are well managed.
Safeguarding
Governors take responsibility for ensuring that safeguarding arrangements meet current statutory requirements. They evaluate and review the annual safeguarding audit.
Strategic Planning for the future
Governors work co-operatively with the Headteacher and senior leaders in the writing and monitoring of the School Improvement Plan (SIP). The SIP details aims for the forthcoming year and is based on priorities identified from data, school self-evaluation and Ofsted priorities. The SIP lays out clear strategies and tasks, details who is responsible for carrying these out and the resources required. Monitoring procedures and tasks for the governing body are also included.
Wider Contribution of the Governing Board
The wider contribution of the Governing Board to the leadership and management of the school has involved:
- Monitoring Safeguarding and attending safeguarding briefings.
- Monitoring the current budget and approving the budget for 2021 -2022 including the allocation of Pupil Premium funding, Sports Premium funding and monitoring its impact.
- Reviewing a wide range of existing and new policies.
- Undertaking the performance management of the Headteacher.
- Monitoring regular updates on behaviour, attendance and SEND
- Monitoring new developments within the curriculum such as the continued development of Guided Reading
- Analysing a range of data sources and agreeing targets
- Monitoring the condition of the school building
- Approving various educational visits
- Engaging in Governor training
- Engagement in Curriculum Development Day
- Learning Walks around school