The governors provide the school with strategic leadership and accountability. They regularly challenge school decisions and by doing so, help us to become as effective as possible. The main role is to support the school leadership and the staff – the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. Governors help the school to set and reach targets and to strive for excellence, so as to provide the best teaching and learning experience for the children at Thorndon Primary School.

Legal duties include:

• setting strategic direction, policies and objectives
• approving the school budget
• reviewing progress against the school's budget and objectives
• appointing, challenging and supporting the Executive Headteacher and the Head of School

Other roles include:

• agreeing the aims and objectives for the school
• agreeing performance targets for achieving those aims and objectives
• monitoring and evaluating the progress the school is making towards achieving those aims and objectives
• carry out monitoring visits linked to the School Development & Improvement Plan, and curriculum areas
• approving school policies
• ensuring all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum
• ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding requirements
• hearing appeals on pupil exclusion
• dealing with staff grievances and disciplinary action
• hearing the second stage of parental complaints

Our Local Governing Body meets twice every term, where we focus on areas such as finance, the curriculum, personnel, safeguarding, SEND, tec and in between the Local Governing Body meetings,  governors carry out school monitoring visits.

What do the governors not do?

The governors do not manage the school on a day-to-day basis. This is the role of the Head of School, supported by the Executive Headteacher. Whilst governors do visit the school regularly as part of their strategic role, they do not assess the quality of teaching. They monitor this by analysing data provided by the school and external sources (e.g. Ofsted).

They do not monitor individual children’s performance or behaviour. They identify themes and trends by monitoring the progress of groups of children.

Governors do receive feedback from stakeholders, including parents, but only deal with complaints that have not been resolved directly by the school. All parents are encouraged to approach the Head of School in the first instance.

Governors do not fundraise for the school (although many choose to do so).