Governors
We have a committed Governing Body which undertake the job of governing the school on a voluntary basis; playing an active part in the life of our school. Governors are responsible for ensuring that our school is constantly developing to meet the very highest of standards for our children’s learning. Its is made up of staff, parents and members of the community.
What does a Governor do?
School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children's education.
Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. 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.
‘Governance has never been more critical to the education of our nation’s young people. The governance duty is, above all, to drive relentless ambition for the young people served by our schools system, whatever the circumstances’.
Governance Handbook DfE October, 2020
Strategic Leadership
School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy headteacher. In some schools the site is owned by the governing board. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.
Each individual governor is a member of a governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing board; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.
The role of the governing board is a strategic one; its key functions are to;
- Set the aims and objectives of the school.
- Set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives.
- Set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives.
- Monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives.
- Be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend).
- The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing board.
Who can be a governor?
Almost anyone over 18 years of age can be a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and capacity for working with other people. There are different types of schools with different categories of governor.
What are the ‘different categories’?
- Parent
- Staff
- Foundation
- Partnership
- Local Authority
- Co-opted
The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however, all governors have the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing board.
How do I become a school governor?
Please follow the links at the bottom of this page about becoming a school governor. If you would like to express an interest in becoming a governor at Abbey Village, please contact Mrs Wendy Curtis ( Chair of Governors) at chair@abbeyvillage.lancs.sch.uk or Mrs Shelley Bennett (head teacher) at head@abbeyvillage.lancs.sch.uk for further information and to find out about forthcoming vacancies.
Governance Structure at Abbey Village
The role of the governing body is strategic. The Department for Education’s Governance Handbook identifies three core functions for governing bodies;
- ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- holding the head teacher 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
Members of the governing body are appointed based on their skills, in order to contribute to effective governance and the success of the school.
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Committee |
Committee Remit |
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Finance and Resources Committee |
To provide guidance and assistance to the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and the Governing Body, in matters relating to budgeting and finance in line with financial regulations. |
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Standards & Effectiveness Committee |
To consider and advise the governing body on standards and other matters relating to the school’s running, including statutory requirements and the school’s teaching and learning policy. In respect of the Nursery and Reception years this means the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. They consider and advise the governing body on curriculum initiatives and data. They advise against standards and quality of teaching and learning in accordance with the school's teaching and learning policy and examine the school's data- both statutory and optional. |
Committee Remittance
The School Governors have a vital role to play in the running of the school and are closely involved in all the major decisions. The Governing Body is a combination of appointed, elected and co-opted Governors and is made up in accordance with the school's Instrument of Governance. The membership is as follows:
Governing Body Meeting Attendance 2024-2025
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Name and Category |
Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term | ||||||
| Full Governing Board | SEC | Finance and Resources | Full Governing Board | SEC | Finance and Resources | Full Governing Board | SEC | Finance and Resources | |
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Shelley Bennett Head Teacher |
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Bob Mellor Chair of Governors Co-opted |
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Wendy Curtis Vice Chair of Governors Co-opted |
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Ruth Murphy Co-opted |
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Rachel Hopkins Staff Governor |
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Luke Twigger Parent Governor |
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Alison Hazlewood Parent Governor |
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Jennifer Sides Co-Opted |
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Brian Wright LCC Clerk |