Governors Home
Welcome to the Governors’ section of the Ridgeway Academy website which I hope you will find interesting and informative.
This section gives a broad outline of the role of the Governors, how we go about fulfilling our responsibilities and who we are.
Anne Garland – Chair of Governors
Role of the Local Governing Body
The Department for Education states that Governing Bodies –
“….are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. For maintained schools this is reflected in the law, which states that the purpose of maintained school governing bodies is to ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school’.
In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well.
The Local Governing Body is accountable to the Alban Academies Trust. We have a strategic role in the development of the school but are not involved in the day-to-day management – that is the role of the Headteacher. We are accountable to the wider community for the conduct of the school and in turn hold the school leadership group to account for raising standards and ensuring every child fulfils their potential. We are a diverse group of people with a wide variety of skills and experience which, coupled with our knowledge of the school, we use to challenge and support the leadership group in their work.
Local Governing Body Organisation
The Local Governing Body meets six times a year. At each meeting we receive a report from the Headteacher and minutes from the various committees. Other items are discussed or approved at specific times of the year for example exam results, plan for school improvement and budget.
The main Local Governing Body is supported by four main committees which meet once each half term.
- The Resources Committee is concerned with budget and finance, premises and health and safety.
- The Human Resources Committee considers staffing, appraisal and training.
- The Curriculum, Achievement and Well-being committee deals with standards, curriculum, pastoral care and student well-being, SEND and Pupil Premium.
- The Strategic Committee, comprising the chairs of these committees plus the chair of governors which plans the work of the committees. There are also two other subcommittees who report to the Local Governing Body on specific areas-i.e. pay committee and admissions committee.
All governors are members of at least one committee. We also attend public events such as secondary transfer evening, school play performances, music concerts, the annual Awards Evening and prize-giving assemblies. Please come and talk with Governors while you are at these events.
In addition, each Governor is linked to a faculty or specific area of school such as Child Protection, Behaviour or SEND. In this role Governors regularly come into school to meet with staff and students.
