Westfield Infant School Governing Board

Every school in the state system has a Governing Board. The Governing Board plays a key role in helping oversee the strategic direction of the school and works in partnership with the Headteacher and the Leadership & Management Team. The main aim of a Governing Board is to ensure the delivery of a high standard of education for all pupils in its care.

The Governing Board has three main roles:

Strategic

The Governing Board sets the general direction of the school, looking at how it should best develop and improve. This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, setting targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives.

Critical Friend

The Governing Board works with the Headteacher and creates a clear understanding of the challenges faced in managing the school. The Governing Board is able to support and challenge. A good working relationship is essential as a real critical friendship is only achieved where there is trust and mutual respect.

Accountability

The school is a business and its stakeholders are the learners and their families. The Governing Board has a professional attitude and uses its collective skills to benefit the stakeholders. It gathers views, asks questions and is answerable to parent/carers and the wider community.

The Governing Board does not:

• inspect the school
• have involvement in the day to day running of the school
• authorise all expenditure
• decide which pupils will be admitted to the school
• decide how pupils are taught individual subjects.

The Full Governing Board meets once every half term and sub-committees look at more detailed aspects of work and advise the full Governing Board on decisions.