Governors

“The school benefits from a strong team of knowledgeable and effective governors. They share a great sense of ambition and challenge in all aspects of school performance. They are fully committed to school improvement and work effectively with leaders. They are clear about their purpose and determined to ensure the best outcomes for pupils. Governors visit the school regularly to check on the effectiveness of the school’s work. They are fully aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development.”— Ofsted

Horniman School is run by a committed group of governors

The governing body is the school’s accountable body. It is responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards. The governing body aims to ensure that children are attending a successful school which provides them with a good education and supports their well being.

The governing body:

• Sets 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 challenging goals and targets

  • Agreeing the school improvement strategy which includes approving the budget and agreeing the staffing structure

     

• Challenges and supports 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

     

• Ensures accountability by:

  • signing off the school’s own self-evaluation report

  • responding to Ofsted reports when necessary

  • holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school

  • ensuring parents, carers and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate

  • making available information to the community

     

• Appoints and conducts the appraisal of the headteacher 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 governing body.

   

  For governing bodies to carry out their role effectively, governors must be:

• Prepared and equipped to take their responsibilities seriously;

• Acknowledged as the accountable body by the lead professionals;

• Supported by the appropriate authorities in that task; and

• Willing and able to monitor and review their own performance.

   

  The role of a governor

  In law the governing body is a corporate body, which means:

• no governor can act on her/his own without proper authority from the full governing body;

• all governors carry equal responsibility for decisions made, and

• although appointed through different routes (i.e. parents, staff, Local Authority co-opted, foundation), the overriding concern of all governors has to be the welfare of the school as a whole.