What is the Governing Body?
The Governing Body is a group of individuals from different sectors of the School and wider Community responsible for the conduct of the school, with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement.
The make up of the Governing Body, which is controlled by Government led guiding principle, is defined in an Instrument of Government, agreed between Sir Graham Balfour School and the Staffordshire Children and Lifelong Learning Directorate.
Role
The role of the Governing Body is largely strategic, and is developed together with the Headteacher and the School Improvement Partner (SIP):
- Developing a Strategic Framework
- Setting aims and objectives for the school
- Adopting policies for achieving the aims and objectives
- Setting targets for achieving the aims and objectives
and
- Monitoring progress against the aims and objectives
The Framework is underpinned by the School Improvement Plan, which is reviewed annually, generally on an INSET day, with all members of the school staff, together with available Governors, being involved.
Governors
A single term of office for a Governor is a maximum of four years but at the end of any term, a retiring Governor is eligible to be considered for a further term, subject to vacancies existing and there being no restriction to them being re-appointed.
The category of Governors on the Sir Graham Balfour Governing Body, the number in each category and the way in which individual Governors are selected, can be found in SGB Governing Body.
Structure
The Full Governing Body has scheduled meetings twice a term, although on occasions, additional meetings may be necessary, addresses its duties using a number of sub-groups:
Main Committees
Each member of the Governing Body is required to be a member of a main committee but may, if appointed, represent their initial committee on one of the other two committees.
Governors are also required to be members of two of the following ad-hoc committees:
Disciplinary – Student
Disciplinary – Staff
Selection
Appeals
Teachers Pay First and Second Committees
These bodies only meet when events such as permanent exclusions, serious staff issues, redundancies, etc demand.
In addition, to enable informed and effective relationships to be built between the school staff and the Governing Body, Governors are linked, generally with at least one other Governor, to a school faculty/department.
Other Responsibilities
As well as attending meetings of the Full Governing Body and being linked with a faculty /department Governors are asked to, wherever possible, attend school functions.