Our Governors

Welcome to Melbourne Primary School Governors' page. The most important thing about our school is the people in it. At Melbourne we are very proud of both our staff and the children and the way they contribute to the calm, positive and productive atmosphere that visitors always comment on.

We believe that children are happy at Melbourne and see our school as a place where they can achieve and succeed. The Local Governing Body is a strong working group committed to the welfare of the school. It is responsible for the appointment of the Headteacher and in legal terms is the “responsible authority” with employer responsibility for all staff.

It currently comprises:

Six trust appointed governors
One staff governors plus the Headteacher (ex officio)
Two parent governors (elected by a ballot for which all parents and guardians are eligible to vote)

The Governing Body

Governors meet twice every term for a full Local Governing Body meeting. Governors also sit on one or two committees which also meet regularly (eg Appeals, Complaints and Pay/Performance Review).

The most important quality we seek in a governor is the desire to make a difference to children’s lives through education. In addition to this, attributes that a make a good school governor include:

A desire to help the local community
An external perspective
A willingness to change assumptions
The time to get involved
The ability to work as part of a team

What do governors do?

Among other responsibilities they:

Set appropriate targets for pupil achievement
Develop and review the School Improvement Plan
Manage the school’s budget
Review curriculum
Act as a “critical friend” to Headteacher and other professionals
Appoint Headteacher
Establish and review performance management
Manage legal duties e.g. to pupils with Special Educational Needs
Self evaluate school’s strengths and weaknesses, prepare for Ofsted inspections and draw up action plan post Ofsted visit
Hear exclusion and disciplinary appeals
Governors do not get involved in the day to day operational aspects of school – this is the job of the Headteacher and her staff. Their role is more strategic and long term

Why does it matter?

According to Ofsted, “…where governance is good, standards of attainment are more likely to be higher than in other schools. The quality of teaching, the behaviour of the pupils, and leadership and management are also more likely to be good. Where governance is weak, schools are more likely to be less successful overall.”

'Governors have a wide range of skills and expertise to support the school’s work and do so effectively. They, too, are ambitious for the school and are confident in asking searching questions about the school’s performance, any proposed actions to make improvements and the impact of these actions to accelerate pupils’ progress. They are astute in recruiting high-calibre staff because they want the best for the school, and hold leaders to account effectively for the progress pupils make.' OFSTED October 2017

How might I become involved?

If you’d like to have an informal discussion about the possibility of becoming a Governor, do contact Jane Henley Chair of the Local Governing Body, via the school.

Governing Body Meeting Dates 2018 - 2019

	Date	Overall School Effectiveness Reports
Cycle 1	2^nd Oct 2018	Outcomes for Pupils
Cycle 2	28^th Nov 2018	Quality of T&L and Early Years Provision
Cycle 3	29^th Jan 2019	Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare
Cycle 4	23^rd Apr 2019	Effectiveness of Leadership and Management and FOP
Cycle 5	26^th Jun 2019
Cycle 6	10^th Jul 2019	Primary Results

Any issues concerning pupils at the school should, in the first instance, be discussed with the class teacher and thereafter with Mrs Fielding, the Headteacher. If you do not feel the matter has been resolved to your satisfaction, then you can write to Mrs Henley c/o the school.