About the Governing Board

The Governors at The Stoke Poges School come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some governors are from the school staff, some are parents, some are appointed by the Local Authority and others are representatives from our local community.

The governors work together as a group bringing their own particular experience to support the school and to ensure that the children are getting the best possible education. We have to make important decisions about issues such as the priorities for each year, the way the curriculum is delivered and the budget.

Full Governing Board meetings happen every term, with extra meetings as required. At these meetings we monitor progress against the school’s priorities, review the school development plan and set the overall strategic direction of the school.

The governing board has three main committees to support its work. At the Finance, Personnel and Resources Committee we monitor income and expenditure to make sure that there is no over-spend and that the budget is supporting the curriculum and whole school improvement plan. Health and Safety is a sub-committee that reports into this committee.

At the Teaching and Learning Committee, we monitor the achievements of the children and make decisions about changes to the curriculum. We involve the Subject and Phase Leaders in these discussions to ensure we understand first-hand how the governing board can support our teachers to achieve the learning goals of the children.

The Pay and Performance committee meets annually following the staff performance reviews. In addition there are more regular meetings to set the annual objectives for the headteacher and review progress against those objectives.

The purpose of having a governing board is to:

• help the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement;
• hold the Headteacher to account for delivering the school’s goals;
• be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice to help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community;
• make the school accountable to the public for what it does; and
• work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review.

The governing board does not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action.

Most governors are also Link Governors, who are responsible for visiting our school in between meetings and monitoring progress in individual subjects and key areas such as Safeguarding and Special Educational Needs. Many governors also enjoy coming into school on a regular basis and involve themselves in the day-to- day life of the school. We are proud of our school and feel privileged to support the Headteacher and staff in delivering a varied and stimulating education for our children.

Governor applications are welcomed from all members of the community. Elections are held when vacancies arise. You can find a list of the current governors below. If you have any suggestions or queries, or would like to enquire about being a Governor at the Stoke Poges School, please leave a message, with your contact details, with the school office.