What have Governors done this year (2024)?

 The Chair of the Governing Body, David Borland, writes:

The Governors have continued to support the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and all the staff in giving priority to behaviour, safeguarding, attendance, quality teaching, pupil progress and achievement across the entire spectrum of a bespoke and creative curriculum.

Work the Governing Body (GB) has undertaken includes:

·         Continuing to support a clear faith and community school vision based on Proverbs Chap 22 v 6. The Whalley Way recognises that we are all on a journey starting with the culture and ethos to ensure that this is an inclusive school providing equality of opportunity for all its pupils and staff. Three strands have been given particular attention, they are Love, Appreciation and Achievement

·         Continuing to identity and promote training needs to ensure that governors are upskilled and aware of new initiatives both at local and national level. The use of Governor Hub, a new computer system facilitates this.

·         Ensuring accountability by engaging with parents/guardians, holding the SLT to account for educational performance and for staff performance management and contributing to school self-evaluation.

·         Maintaining a school fit for purpose and providing staff with professional development opportunities, in particular, mindfulness and wellbeing support.     

·         Maintaining a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy fit for purpose, and keeping abreast of online filtering and monitoring with follow up procedures in place.

·         Receiving a HT report regarding the small number of suspensions and discussing appropriate action as to what works to achieve the zero target.  

·         Awareness of the increase of SEN pupils (46) and the requirement to address individual need.    

·         Embarking upon a community consultation of the School Admission Policy in compliance with the 7-year rule to ensure that it is fit for purpose to serve the village and catchment area.

·         Monitoring the school website: www.whalleyprimary.co.uk to ensure that it is informative and Ofsted compliant.

·         Considering with the Headteacher (HT) the recent Pupil Questionnaire to ensure that we celebrate what we do well and what we can do better.

·         Working closely with our professional clerk to ensure that meetings are timely and effective.

·         Managing the financial situation to avoid setting a deficit budget in a challenging scenario where it has been necessary to use part of our reserves despite a full intake of 45 pupils joining the school in the reception year.

·         Continuing to receive in depth termly reports (including attendance data currently at 96.1% compared with nationally at 94.6%) from the Headteacher as we monitor the School Development Plan prioritising Teaching and Learning and the Progress/Achievement of all pupils. 

·         Reviewing the nominated governor role covering various specialist areas e.g Special Needs and subjects linked with termly school visits.      

·         Monitoring the various improvement and repair projects, for example, the school library 

·         Attending virtual Chairs’ Forum, run by Lancashire, to keep up to date with current affairs.

·         Setting and measuring performance objectives for Mr Blackburn during the HT appraisal.  

In February the GB welcomed a new Foundation (Church) Governor, Mrs Julie Tennant in place of Mrs Sarah West and later in the year received resignations from Mrs Nicola Sant and Mr Matthew Hitchcock. The Church is in the process of appointing replacements. Recently 2 new Parent Governors were elected, Mr Ben Clarke and Mrs Emily Sewell.

As part of their commitment to the school the Governors do not claim out of pocket expenses and register with the Lancashire Education Authority to benefit from the various training courses, via the Service Level Agreement, at a competitive cost. This is overseen by our Training Governor