Our Governing Body

Our School's Board of Governors has a vital role in running our School.

We have a combination of parent, staff, community and Local Authority appointed Governors. 

Each uses their skill set to support the Governing Body's work.

·         Chris French is our Chair of Governors

·         Mrs Christine Wright, our Head Teacher, is also a Governor.

The Board of Governors have three main core elements of their work.  They are:

1.      Setting the vision and strategic direction of our School

2.      Holding the Head Teacher to account for our School's educational performance

3.      Ensuring financial resources are well spent

In this section we introduce you to our Governors and explain who they are and what they do. If you wish to contact the Board of Governors you can:

·         e-mail the school office: schooloffice@hoylakeholytrinity.wirral.sch.uk.

·         write to the Chair of Governors (via the school office).

Governors' Statement

Effective governance is based on six key features:  

• Strategic leadership that sets and champions vision, ethos and strategy.  

• Accountability that drives up educational standards and financial performance.  

• People with the right skills, experience, qualities and capacity.  

• Structures that reinforce clearly defined roles and responsibilities.  

• Compliance with statutory and contractual requirements.  

• Evaluation to monitor and improve the quality and impact of governance. 

The key functions of the governing body, are to:  

• Ensure that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined. 

• Ensure that the head teacher performs his or her responsibilities for the educational performance of the school. 

• Ensure the sound, proper and effective use of the school’s financial resources.  

• They also set out that the headteacher is responsible for the internal management, control and educational performance of the school and make clear that s/he is accountable to the governing body in relation to all her/his responsibilities and must comply with any reasonable request of the governing body. 

Ofsted state that the three core functions of a governing body are: 

• · setting a strategic direction for the school 

• · creating robust accountability 

• · ensuring financial probity.   

This also includes:

· Financial Probity 

Ensuring systems are in place for: 

• Accountability in line with LA procedures 

• Monitoring Pupil Premium and Sport Pupil Premium expenditure 

• Implementing a Charging Policy

· Health & Safety 

Governors should regularly monitor and review their health and safety policies to ensure risks are captured and eliminated or mitigated if elimination is not reasonably practicable. The risk assessment must cover the risks to the health and safety of employees and of persons (including pupils, volunteers, visitors, contractors etc.) who are not employees of the school. As part of this monitoring, boards should question executive leaders about whether appropriate corrective action is being taken, whether learning is being shared and improvements are being put in place. 

• · Safety of all staff, pupils, visitors, volunteers and contractors. 

• · Fire safety 

• · School security 

· Equality 

• · The Equality Act 2010 applies to all schools, as providers of education to the pupils in their care, and those who have applied for admission as pupils. As providers of a service or public function and (where applicable) in their role as employers, the board is responsible for compliance with the public sector equality duties of the Act and the specific education sections (part 4) for school pupils. 

· Providing a broad and balanced curriculum which should:  

• · promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society; and  

• · prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. 

• · This includes the:  

• · Early Years and Foundation Stage,  

• · SEND,  

• · PE & Sport,  

• · Relationships, Sex and Health Education. 

• · Assessment and Attainment 

· Staffing and Performance Management 

Including the:  

• · Appointment of a Headteacher 

• · Safer recruitment 

• · Statutory induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) 

• · Awareness of teacher qualifications, Pay and conditions of service,  

• · Ensuring arrangements are in place for discipline, grievance and capability procedures. 

· Safeguarding and Pupil Welfare 

• · Ensure that effective safeguarding policies and procedures in place. 

• · Keep up to date with KCSIEs and ensure they are followed in practice 

• · Boards should ensure a senior member of the school’s leadership team is designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. 

• · Ensuring arrangements for Looked After children are in place. 

• · The Prevent duty 

• · Promote the general well-being of pupils. 

• · Ensure that the Pupil voice is heard. 

• · Ensure arrangements are in place to cover: 

• · Behaviour and discipline. 

• · Exclusion of pupils. 

• · School attendance. 

• · School meals. 

• · School uniform. 

• · Pupils who are unable to attend school through ill health. 

• · Supporting pupils in school with medical conditions. 

• · First Aid considering the needs of non-employees such as pupils, students and visitors when making provision for first aid as well as employees.