Eldene Primary Governing Body
Eldene Primary Governing Body would like share with you our recently
produced Governance Report. The report is intended to provide you
with an overview of the work that we have carried out during the reporting period and
explain the challenges, our structure, members’ attendance and the activities that we
are involved in. We hope you will find the information contained in this report useful and
informative.
Eldene School Governance Report 2014-16
This is the report by the Governing Body of Eldene School for the years 2014 -16 as
required by the Department for Education.
The Governors of Eldene School recognise their role as stated in “The School
Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013.
Departmental advice for school leaders and governing bodies of maintained
schools and management committees of PRUs in England (January 2014)”
The Governing Body provides non-executive leadership. Its role is to operate as a board
akin to the board of trustees of a charity, or the board of directors of a company. In all
matters, the ‘board of governors’ operates at a strategic level, leaving the Headteacher
and senior school leaders responsible and accountable to it for the operational day-today running of the school.
A clear understanding of, and distinction between, the role of the Governing Body (GB)
and the Headteacher is crucial to effective governance. The regulations make clear that
the Headteacher is responsible for the educational performance of the school and for
the internal organisation, management and control of the school – which includes the
performance management of staff. The GB’s role is to hold the Headteacher to account
for exercising their professional judgement in these matters and for the performance of
all of their other duties. Having advised the GB, the Headteacher must comply with any
reasonable direction given by it. The responsibilities and parameters of the work of the
governors is clearly set out in the ‘Scheme of Delegation’ available on the school
website.
Areas of Challenge provided by the Governors in holding the Headteacher and her
staff to account have been:
 The end of KS data for the Year 2013 – 2014. This was scrutinised and the data
was challenged by the Governors in the light of the lower than required
performance. Discussion was undertaken with the Headteacher and the School
Improvement Partner and intervention strategies were agreed and put in place.
 Discussions with the Headteacher and the School Improvement Partner for the
Year 2014 – 15 data showed that an improvement in progress had occurred at
KS2 and that attainment in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and
Phonics screening in has shown an upward trend. The Governors now recognise
that there is a need during the academic Year 2015-16 for a specific focus by the
school on an improvement in KS1 results.
 The Governors commissioned a Pupil Premium Review by an external advisor
because it had concerns about achievement for specific vulnerable groups of
children which focussed on how the Pupil Premium Grant was being spent and
what impact that was having on educational outcomes. The outcome of that
review showed that clear improvement in progress and achievement has been
identified by the children on that programme. Additionally, the reviewer reassured
the governors that the Pupil Premium Grant is being wisely spent, and funds
allocated appropriately to intervention strategies which are bringing results. The
Governors are pleased to report that as a result of this positive review, the
Achievement For All programme has been extended for a further year.
This challenge is maintained by the governors to ensure that the school is on track and
maintains or improves its intention to fulfil its ambitious targets for all pupils.
The Governing body recognises:
“Although governors are volunteers, they have a vital and demanding role that requires
skill and professionalism. It is only right that the board of governors is accountable to
Ofsted for its effectiveness”.
The regulations define three core functions consistent with the strategic role of the
board. These are to:
 set the vision and strategic direction of school;
 hold the Headteacher to account for its educational performance; and
 ensure financial resources are well spent. “
The Governing Body is cognisant of and constantly reminds itself of these duties when
engaged in activities with the school.
The activities, monitoring and support given by the Governing Body are all aimed at
fulfilling their responsibilities as ‘critical friends’ of the school, the Headteacher and staff.
Structure - The Governing Body is made up as follows:
The Headteacher
1 Local Authority Governor
2 Parent Governors
1 Staff Governor
7 Co-opted Governors
All of these Governors have full voting rights
Additionally there are 4 Associate Members:
The School Business Manager
The Premises Manager
The Clerk to the Governors
The Deputy Headteacher
None of these have voting rights but act in an advisory capacity for the Governing Body
The body is subdivided into three committees, Finance, Staffing and Premises and the
delegated work and decisions of these three committees are reported at each full
Governing Body meeting which occur 6 times a year. Information regarding the work of
the committees and the full minutes of the Governing Body meetings can be found on
the school web site.
Attendance - A register is maintained of governor attendance at meetings and all
governor attendance is listed on the minutes of each meeting.
For the Academic year 2014-15
Attendance at Full Governors Meetings
93% from 7 meetings
Attendance at Committee Meetings
88% from15 meetings
For the Academic Year 2015 – 16 so far
Attendance at Full Governors meetings
93% from 2 meetings
Attendance at Committee Meetings
93% from 6 meetings
These attendances show a firm and consistent commitment to the role of governor.
Interests - Each governor has an additional focus of interest as well as being a full
voting member of the Governing Body. Governors identify these areas of special
interest at individual level and it allows governors to keep a close eye on activities
associated with that focus area. The interactions between governors and the staff are
reported in detail at each full governor meeting.
The special areas of interest for this year are:
Staffing and recruitment; Additional Educational Needs; staff welfare; early years
activities; the curriculum, teaching and learning; school data; child protection and
safeguarding; finance; disadvantaged children and national educational initiatives; the
EFA and community; school leadership and management; school improvement plan
priorities; premises.
Visits - Governors visit the school on a regular basis with the Chair and Vice Chair
meeting with the Headteacher weekly. Additionally, governors have attended and taken
part in meetings with external professionals connected with Ofsted, progress of the
nursery development audit, Achievement for All Initiative, Pupil Premium Review, Local
authority reviews, the Headteacher Appraisal and meetings with the School
Improvement Partner.
Governors have also been in attendance during school plays and nativities, celebration
assemblies, school musical performances at the Oasis, sports days, Year 6 BBQ,
Christmas lunch and parents evenings.
Wearing their ‘critical friend’ hat governors have undertaken ‘Learning Walks’
accompanied by the Headteacher to observe teaching in progress, look at marking and
feedback, working Walls, the teaching of mathematics, reading and writing and school
displays. These visits are reported on and kept by the Headteacher.
It is significant that Ofsted and the Pupil Premium Reviewer commented on the fact that
the Governing Body was well informed, supportive and rigorously pursues the quest for
excellence in the areas of teaching and learning.
Challenges faced and undertaken this year by the Governing Body:
 Ensuring the appropriate management of school finances. This has been
undertaken in partnership with the School Business Manager and an
external finance technician
 Kept an overview of the appropriate spending of the allocation of monies
from the Pupil Premium grant
 The change in management structure at Middle and Senior Leadership
level
 Recruitment of high quality staff
 The introduction, development and assessment of the major school,
initiative Assessment for All
 The recruitment, establishment and development of the Little Owls
Nursery
 The extensive refits to the heating, lighting and alarm systems in the
school
 The introduction of the new curriculum
 The introduction of teaching and evaluation of intervention strategies
where appropriate
 The maintenance and development of the existing high quality
 teaching and learning
All of these responsibilities have been achieved within an excellent professional working
relationship with the Headteacher and her Senior Leadership Team.
Governor Specific targets for this academic Year
In addition to the support and actions given to all areas of the School Improvement
Plan, the Governors have identified 2 specific targets for themselves.
 To improve the Governor’s knowledge of what Monitoring Teaching and Learning
means
 To have a better understanding of the terminology used in the Governing Body
annual self-evaluation questionnaire and how the phrases used in the document
can be evidenced in a school context
Overall at this moment in the academic year, the Governing Body feels that it is fulfilling
its statutory obligations and fully supports the work of the Headteacher and her staff.
Dr M A Bosher
Chair of Governors
December 2016
We hope you have found the information contained in this report useful and informative
and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Christmas and Happy
New Year.
For more information about the Governing Body, please visit:
http://www.eldeneprimaryschool.org.uk/governors