Governance at our school
Governance is a vital part of all schools and a way that people in the community can offer their expertise, skill-set and enthusiasm to support the work of the school and drive strategic direction. Our governors are committed to playing their part in creating a community where everyone is safe, thriving and learning.
Who can become a governor?
There are no specific qualifications or requirements for the role, though you do need to be over 18 and to be eligible under the relevant rules and procedures. Every governing board needs a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience. You don't need to be a parent or have a background in education. The most important qualities are enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a desire to become involved in the education of children in your community.
To contribute, governors do have to commit time to:
- attend regular meetings (around 5 full governing board meetings plus 4 or 5 committee meetings a year)
- visit the school
- do some background reading
- take part in training and ongoing development
The role of governor is a responsible one, and not without challenges, but in exchange you can learn new skills, collaborate with others who have a similar interest, and engage in a valuable and important way with your local school community.
What are the three core functions of the governing board?
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding school leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
- Overseeing financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent.
What are its working arrangements?
The full governing board usually meets five times a year. In between these meetings, two committees, the Resources and the Teaching and Learning Committees, meet four or five times a year. There are also lead governors for specific areas, such as for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or pupil premium pupils.
What do the committees and lead governors do?
The work of the Resources Committee covers the school budget, Health and Safety, staffing and personnel matters and the school site. The Chair of this committee is Rob Hill.
The work of the Teaching and Learning Committee covers the curriculum, teaching and learning, performance data, SEND, children's attendance and safeguarding. The Chair of this committee is Mike Waterson.
Governors in lead roles visit the school regularly to focus on that area and report back to the relevant committee. The current governors have taken on roles in Safeguarding, SEND, Early Years, Pupil Premium pupils, and Premises and Health and Safety.
The governors also have a role in making decisions about disciplinary issues, pupil exclusions, staffing matters and grievances. This is done in the First Committee which only meets if necessary. If there is an appeal against the decision of the First Committee, then this would be heard by the Appeals Committee. Decisions about Pay are made by the Pay Committee.
Who is the Chair of governors?
Ian Stewart is Chair of governors and the Vice-Chair is Joel Mcilven. They hold office for two years.
How can I contact the Chair of governors?
You can email the Chair at chair@the-grove-primary.devon.sch.uk
What are the terms of reference for the committees?
Please click on the links below for the terms of reference for the Resources Committee and the Teaching and Learning Committee.
If you'd like to become a part of our team, please email Ian, the Chair. We would love to hear from you.
Meet the Governors
There are 9 governors on the governing board. They have been appointed or elected for terms of 4 years.
Please click on the links below to find out who they are, the committees that they belong to and their lead roles.