The Governing Body exists to provide strategic management to a school, and to act as a "critical friend", supporting the work of the headteacher and other staff.
The Governing Body has three key functions:
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
It is common practice for governing bodies to put in place committees to manage their business effectively. The Roles, Procedures and Allowances Regulations state that the full governing body must determine the constitution, membership and terms of reference for all committees and review this annually.
Committees and Panels
School Development Group: responsible for understanding of the current issues of the school, how these issues are being addressed and challenge the school on improvements being made in these areas, demonstrating assurance and accountability.
Staff Discipline and Appeals Committees: responsible for matters relating to staff discipline.
Attendance Panel: to consider an employee’s level of absence and whether the school can sustain the absence.
Pupil Discipline Committee: to consider any suspension, either fixed term of more than five days or ten lunchtimes in any one term, or permanent exclusion, or where exclusion would result in the loss of an opportunity to take any public examination.
Complaints Appeal Panel: to determine appeals against Stage 2 decisions on formal complaints made under the School's Complaints Procedure.
Pay Review Committee: responsible for setting and reviewing the Headteacher's performance targets; to recommend the whole school pay policy for adoption by the Governing Body on an annual basis; to have delegated responsibility for determining all pay and performance matters relating to staff, including the Headteacher.