Our Purpose

The Board of Governors is accountable to the Diocese for the school’s effectiveness as a Catholic school and to the Catholic community, and the wider community, who entrust their children to the school for the outcomes achieved by their children, in all aspects of their learning. 

Our Responsibilities   

The Board of Governors has 4 key responsibilities: 

1. Set the strategic direction of the school by: setting the values, aims and objectives for the school; agreeing the policy framework for achieving those aims and objectives; setting targets; agreeing the school improvement strategy which includes approving the budget and agreeing the staffing structure.   

2. Act as a “critical friend” in challenging and supporting the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: the implementation and effectiveness of the policy framework; progress towards targets; the implementation and effectiveness of the school improvement strategy; the budget and the staffing structure; and conducting quality self-evaluation.   

3. Ensure accountability by: responding to Ofsted reports when necessary; holding the principal to account for the performance of the school, ensuring parents and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate; and making available information to the community   

4. Appoint and performance manage the Head Teacher who will deliver the aims (through the day to day management of the school, implementation of the agreed policy framework and school improvement strategy, and delivery of the curriculum) and report appropriately to the Board of Governors.

Our Structure 

The Full Governing Body is attended by all Governors/Trustees and considers any strategic issues that affect more than one area of School Life, receives reports from the Head Teacher and its key Committees, and approve matters reserved for it. 

Most of the work of the Governing Body is undertaken through its three key Committees and through targeted Governor Duty Visits. 

Below is a summary of the responsibilities of each Committee:

The Curriculum and Achievement Committee oversees pupil achievement, ensuring the school provides a high quality learning experience and delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in keeping with the school's aims, all pupil needs and legal requirements.   

The Resources and Audit Committee oversees: i) the school finances ensuring that the school complies with any Department for Education (DfE) and Schools Financial Value Standard (SVFS) requirements, responding to any issues arising from the audit of the school's accounts or SFVS review and ensuring value for money; ii) the maintenance and development of the school site and premises; and iii) the adoption and implementation of staffing policies and procedures, ensuring that all principles of good and fair employment practice are adhered to, that staff and trade unions are consulted and legal requirements fulfilled.   

The Children, Families & Community Committee oversees the school's contribution to pupil well-being, including the extent to which pupils feel safe, adopt healthy lifestyles and contribute to the school and wider community, monitors attendance and evaluates strategies designed to maximise it, establishes, monitors and evaluates child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures, monitors and evaluate strategies to ensure that pupils are enabled to contribute to the school and the wider community, monitors and evaluates the engagement of parents with the school, parental views and how these are taken into account and considers ways in which home-school links can be further developed, monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of communications with parents including statutory requirements such as the complaints procedure and home-school agreement (Statement of Partnership), monitors community links and evaluates the school’s contribution to promoting community cohesion, monitors the range of the extended school offer and evaluates its impact, and monitors and evaluates the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

Our Bursar, Pauline O'Hara, Assistant Headteachers Kate Hubbard and Ros Ost and Site Manager, Claude O’Reilly, are co-opted onto different committees but do not have voting rights.   

Link Governors

All of the Governors are Link Governors for a particular allocated area. This means that they will take steps to become informed about relevant documents and legislation on the particular topic and will: 

• link with a (named) member of school staff with responsibilities in the relevant area; 
• complete duty visits and write a report; 
• report to committees and / or full governing body meetings on the topic; and 
• review and recommend relevant policies related to the topic. 

The current Link Governors are:

The Academy Trust has three Members.  
The current Members are:

• Mr Oliver Kunc (Chair of Governors)
• Father Victor Darlington (non-Governor)
• Mr Paul McCallum (non-Governor)

Clerk

Our Clerk attends and keeps minutes of all Full Governing Body Meetings and Committee Meetings, copies of which are held on file in School and may be obtained by contacting the School Office in person or via email at office@stagathas.school