Dear Community Member

The Governing Body of Holton le Clay Schools Federation is seeking to appoint one co-opted governor.

You are invited to read the information about school governance below and if you have the necessary skills, or the willingness to learn new skills, and have commitment and motivation, the Governing Body would be pleased to receive a letter setting out your skills which you can contribute to the Federation.

Anyone aged 18 or over and living in the UK can be a governor.  Governors do not manage a school day to day, but are required to oversee its long-term development and strategic direction, with children’s outcomes in education at the heart of everything.  Ultimately, all governor responsibilities come back to this task and can be split into three core roles:

• Setting strategic direction
  • Clarity of vision and ethos
  • Engaging stakeholders
  • Meeting statutory duties

• Creating robust accountability
  • Using data to provide challenge and hold leaders to account for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety
  • Strengthening school leadership, including skills of the governing body
  • Performance managing the head teacher
  • Contributing to school self-evaluation and evaluating the governing body’s impact

• Ensuring best of use financial resources
  • Solvency and effective financial management
  • Use of Pupil Premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning

The Governing Body operate a ‘Circle’ model of governance (no committee structure other than the required statutory committees) and hold a minimum of 6 Full Governing Body meetings per year.  There is an additional required to read and prepare for these meetings, approx. 2-3 hours per meeting.  Governors are also required to work to a Visit Schedule; where you will make contact with your lead teacher on your allocated area of special responsibility (subject) and complete a short report on the visit (including outcome and impact).  Your employer may offer reasonable time off work for this public duty, please check with your company HR Department.

A Governing Body does rely on a variety of experiences and perspectives.  No prior knowledge is required and there is training and support available for new and existing governors, free of charge.  All new governors will be taken through an Induction Programme.  Schools need volunteers with experience of life.  The one essential requirement is an interest in, and commitment to, the education of children.  Governors are ordinary people, drawn from many areas of society.  They need to be able to devote time to getting to know the school well and be available to support and constructively challenge it.

A governor must also be a good listener, and someone who is able to assimilate information easily.  A governor must be able to: 

• Raise questions and take part in discussion and decision making
• Be discreet, open minded and fair
• Be a source of ideas and a good communicator
• Be enthusiastic about the work of the school
• Be prepared to work as part of a team

 If you feel this is a role you might be suited to and require further information, please feel free to contact me through the Clerk to the Governors, Mrs Susan Ellerby, on 01472 822065.

 Once applications are received and considered, you may be invited for a more formal discussion with the Executive Head Teacher, Mrs Dawne Hunt and me.

 With anticipation

 Judith Hunter

 Judith Hunter

Chair

Holton le Clay Schools Governing Body

To view 'Make Schools Your Business' please click here

News from the Governors, alongside the minutes of the meetings are displayed in the central areas at both schools.  These are also available on this website.

4 Core Functions of Holton le Clay Schools Governing Body

We have high expectations of governing bodies. They are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. For maintained schools this is reflected in the law, which states that the purpose of maintained school governing bodies is to ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school’ . In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

a. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;

b. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and

c. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

d. Ensuring the voice of the school stakeholders are heard

To view the Terms of Reference for Holton le Clay Schools Full Governing Body please see: full-governing-body-terms-of-reference-2024-2025.doc

Holton le Clay Schools Governing Body have elected:

Register of Declaration of Interests for Governors

 The register for Declaration of Interests for academic year 2024-2025 is shown below: