Introduction to our Governing Bodies by our Chair

Vision

Children are at the heart of everything we do at Denmead Junior School.

We are committed to teaching and encouraging our children to live our core values:

Inclusive, Authentic and Aspire (for excellence)

As part of this we:

• Promise to be an inclusive school.
• Will have high expectations in all areas of school life.
• Develop a growth mindset for lifelong learning.
• Deliver the best learning environment we can.

In doing this, we will give every child the opportunity to flourish and create happy memories that will last a lifetime and prepare them for their future education and life.

 

Governor Responsibilities

 

There are three core functions of School Governors:

• Strategic – we ensure the clarity of vision, ethos and the strategic direction of the school.
• Critical Friend – we hold the headteacher and senior leaders of the school to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
• Accountability – we oversee the financial performance of the school, making sure its money is well spent.

 

Constitution

The governing body for DJS is made up of up to 13 volunteers, representing the school’s different stakeholder groups.

• Headteacher – There is always a space on the board for the Headteacher, but it is voluntary for the Headteacher to be a governor. If they choose not to be then this place remains unfilled.
• Staff – There is a space on the board for the staff governor. This position is chosen by the staff at the school. Any member of staff (not just teachers) may put themselves forward for election. If there are multiple applicants then there is an election where each staff member can vote for their preferred candidate.
• Local Authority – There is a space on the board for a Local Authority governor. This person is recommended by the County Councillor for Denmead, however it is the Board’s decision on whether or not to accept this person.
• Parents – There are two spaces reserved for Parent Governors on the board. These governors are elected by parents. If there is an election and there are the same, or fewer candidates than spaces then the candidate will be appointed, if there more candidates then there will be an election.
• Community – There are eight spaces on the board for community governors. These are all people that the Governing Body chooses to co-opt onto the board. These governors can be drawn from the local community, and may include parents and staff. They are chosen for their external skills and experience to ensure the board has a broad range of knowledge and talents.

All governors are elected for a term of 4 years.

There is also the Clerk to the Governors (also called Governance Professional) who does not have any voting rights, but on top of minuting all the meetings provides expertise on the rules and regulations around school governance to the board. This is a crucial role and is performed for DJS be a very experienced Clerk;

Miss Julie Smith - clerk@denmead-jun.hants.sch.uk

At the first Governing Body meeting of the year, the Chair is elected. The Chair is:

                        Mr Glenn Taylor – email: djs-chair@amadyss.co.uk

 

 

Meetings

Our Full Governing Body meets once every half term on a Thursday evening starting at 6pm. Meetings are scheduled for 2 hours. We operate a flat governing body structure but still retain committees for; Finance, Head Teacher Performance and Pay.

 

Other Information

The Department for Education requires governing bodies to publish details of governor attendance at meetings at the end of the academic year. The documents below reflect Denmead Junior School Full Governing Body attendance records.

 

 

Governors must also declare any pecuniary interests they hold which could affect their role as a Governor of Denmead Junior School. They each take on responsibilities in different areas of governance for the school.