Governors

Horspath Church of England Primary School is an academy managed by The River Learning Trust.  Each school within The River Learning Trust is managed by its own local governing body (LGB) and leadership team.

Working in partnership with the headteacher and staff, governors ensure high standards of achievement for the school’s pupils.  Governors focus on strategy and school improvement: deciding what they want the school to achieve, setting priorities and monitoring progress to realise these aims.  The River Learning Trust Board delegates three core strategic functions:

• setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school, within the context of The River Learning Trust
• holding the headteacher and senior staff to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
• ensuring the school remains within the budget delegated by The River Learning Trust and making sure the money is well spent

There are eight governors at Horspath who, with the exception of the headteacher, are usually appointed for four years, although they may be re-appointed.  Foundation governors are responsible for preserving and developing the school’s religious character and are appointed by the school’s founding body, the Church of England represented by Oxford Diocese.  Parents, including carers, of pupils are eligible to stand for election as parent governors and are elected by other parents at the school.  Community governors are appointed by the governing body. They are people who in the opinion of the governing body have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Typically the LGB meets six times a year.  Governors also sit on one or more of two committees.

Impact Committee is primarily responsible for:

• overseeing the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum
• promoting high quality teaching and learning for all pupils
• scrutinising school and relevant benchmarking information to ensure continued and improving pupil standards of attainment and progress
• ensuring that pupils, families and the wider community remain a high profile when considering school improvement
• assisting the governing body with its understanding of the curriculum and
• ensuring pupil well-being

Resources committee is primarily responsible for:

• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
• ensuring the school is adequately resourced
• ensuring that the buildings and grounds are well maintained, fit for purpose and to a high standard of health and safety
• ensuring that there is a short, medium and long-term plan for the maintenance and development of the school site and its buildings
• ensuring that the school is staffed appropriately and in line with school improvement priorities and
• ensuring that there is adequate staff support in place and opportunities exist for the CPD of all staff

Most governors are available to speak with on the playground at the start and finish of the school day.  Individual governors can be contacted via the School Office: emails sent to the School Office will be forwarded and any letters will be passed on.  

Governors