About the Governors

Our Governors are all volunteers that give up their skills, experience and time for free in order to help and support our school. Members of the Governing Body include parents, staff and members of our local communities, and as a Church of England school we also have two Foundation Governors nominated by the local church. A Governor’s term of office normally lasts for four years.

Governors are individuals who are interested in the best education for children in schools. They share the view that every child deserves to receive the best education and the opportunity to achieve their potential during each stage of their education experience, at whichever school they attend.

Each child is unique, and schools must be aware of what may be standing in the way of a pupil’s being able to achieve their best. Teachers have to know when and how to adapt their methods and procedures in order to make a positive difference for every child. The Head teacher and senior leadership team have to make the right decisions to enable this to happen. This will involve decisions on how money is spent and how experience and expertise are deployed, and what and when interventions need to be introduced.

Children and staff also need to feel safe and their wellbeing needs to be looked after; policies and procedures to protect every person in the school community must be up-to-date and in place.

The school’s strategic direction and year-on-year planning cycles to achieve the best outcomes for all pupils requires monitoring and evaluation. The governing body is an important member of the senior leadership team, and governors play a crucial role in monitoring what has been put in place to achieve the best outcome for every pupil.

Governors are given training so that they can understand the various demands on teachers and the Head teacher and schools. Individual governors can develop a link with a teacher with a specific responsibility, such as Early Years, or the teaching of Literacy, Science or Outdoor Learning, for example.

Governors receive regular reports from the headteacher. They are able and encouraged to ask probing questions in order to feel satisfied that pupil progress is on track, that pupil safety is being maintained, and that new interventions are making a positive difference as intended. They also make sure that budget forecasts and spending is healthy and being controlled responsibly with agreed priorities in place.

Governors, in this way, hold the headteacher to account. They help set the vision and strategic direction and provide the accountability that the school needs to deliver the best possible education for every young person. Each year we agree our action plan and objectives for the year ahead, you can view what they are by using the link below.

We also share a list of governors, how long they have been on the governing board and what their attendance record is like. That information is available to view by using the link below.

“The role of the governing board is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school. Time and time again Ofsted (the national inspection body for schools) has noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management – including by the governing board” (National Governors’ Association).

Should you wish to contact the governing body, the chair of governors can be reached at chair@churchfields.wilts.sch.uk

How We Work

Governor Meetings

Who’s Who

Becoming a Governor