​Chair of Local School Committee: James Maton

Overview

Fleetville Junior School is fortunate to have a committed team of governors who, together, make up the Local School Committee (LSC) of the school. We play an important role in the leadership and life of the school. As governors we are unpaid volunteers and are either elected or appointed to serve a four year term of office. The LSC constitution allows for the following membership:

• The Headteacher and/or Deputy Headteacher
• 1 elected member of staff.
• 2 elected parent governors.
• Up to 5 other members co-opted on a skills basis to cover finance, fundraising, HR, education, estate management, H&S.  These members can be recruited from the parent body, local community, Trust Board or staff; however not more than 2 of the co-opted governors should be parents.

All governors have equal rights to participate in the work of the governing body and are encouraged to state their individual opinions. However we work as a team and are bound by the collective decisions of the group.

The LSC is a committee of the Spiral Partnership Trust, the charity that is legally responsible for overseeing the operations of the Trust’s schools. The Trust itself is governed by a Board of Directors, a group of individuals akin to school governors. The LSC is represented on the Trust by the Chair of Governors. Our decisions are monitored by, and may be influenced by, the Board of Directors who are ultimately responsible for all the actions of the Trust’s schools.

More information about school governors in Hertfordshire can be found on the Herts Direct website: www.hertsdirect.org/governors.

Requirements of a School Governor

As individuals we each have different motivation for becoming a school governor. We come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a range of expertise and experience to the LSC. It is not necessary to be an expert on educational matters, but it is vital to seek to understand the role and its responsibilities fully, and to be prepared to put in the time and effort required to carry out the job effectively. Enthusiasm, commitment, the ability to collaborate effectively and to reflect on data and decisions are key qualities required.

All governors have access to support and formal training opportunities which they are expected to take advantage of in order to learn about their role and to become effective governors.

A Governor’s Role

We work in partnership with the School’s Leadership Team to ensure the best possible all-round education is being provided for all pupils in a high quality learning environment, making the most of the resources available to the school and ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and procedures. Whilst the day to day management and operation of the school are the responsibility of the Headteacher, supported by the Leadership Team, governors have a strategic role and are required to hold the school to account for standards of learning and teaching and to provide constructive challenge and support.

The Work of A Governor

The role of a school governor involves a significant commitment, but the work is planned in a structured way in order to accommodate personal commitments, including, for the majority of governors, full or part-time paid work and family commitments.

The LSC has 6 formal meetings per year, one per half term.

In addition to attending meetings, governors perform their work by visiting the school to observe and gather evidence, and will contribute too, to working parties in order to progress specific actions when required.

Examples of ways in which we have contributed to the school in the past year include:

Strategic actions: - addressing the leadership structure of the school, ensuring that the Trust’s decision making took into account the needs of our school and its pupils;

Holding to account: - requiring the School’s Leadership Team to provide information, and providing challenge, about:

• Pupil progress and attainment across year groups.
• How the Pupil Premium Grant and Sports Premium are spent, and the impact of these decision on learning.
• Key school development objectives.

Communication

Governors communicate with parents via an annual (and occasionally, other) newsletter, providing a round-up of our work and the school’s achievements during the year, and through an annual parent survey. You will also see us informally, at school and PTA events throughout the year.

Contact

If you wish to contact the LSC on a specific issue, or would simply like to find out more about how we work, please do so via the school office on the usual phone number or by email at admin@fleetvillejm.herts.sch.uk.

It should be noted that governors do not get involved in individual pupil issues or specific complaints. Parents should speak, in the first instance, with their child’s teacher for any matter arising, and then to the Headteacher. If a matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties then governors may become involved via the school’s formal Complaints Procedure, but this would always be as a last resort.