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HUNTER'S BAR INFANT SCHOOL

GOVERNING BODY

WHY DO WE HAVE A GOVERNING BODY?

The governing body has an important role to play in seeing that Hunters Bar Infants School is run effectively and provides the best possible education for all our pupils. Governors themselves have a variety of views, skills and experience to contribute to the effectiveness of the school and are committed to constantly learning more and developing this contribution.

The Full Board meets termly, supported by two committees ‘Resources’ and ‘Community, Learning and Achievement – CLA’. Terms of reference for the committees and lists of their members can be downloaded at the bottom of this page, along with details of members’ attendance.

Governors help to determine the vision and strategic direction of the school, ensuring pupils and staff are safe while both challenging and supporting the school in tackling weaknesses and bringing about necessary improvements. This is done within the framework set by national legislation and the policies of Sheffield City Council. Governors don’t take detailed operational decisions about the day-to-day management of the school – that is the job of the Head and Senior Leadership Team, who discus all the main aspects of school life with the governing body.

The Governing Body focuses on:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2. Holding the Headteacher or Principal to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school, making sure money is well spent.

For further information about the work of school governors:
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/schoolgovernors
https://www.gov.uk/topic/schools-colleges-childrens-services/running-school-college

WHO SITS ON THE GOVERNING BODY?

School governors are drawn from different parts of the community and can be parents and staff or from the local authority, the community and other groups. This helps ensure the governing body has sufficient diversity of views and experience but does not mean governors of a particular category represent that group on the governing body. For example, parent governors do not represent the interests or views of parents at the school and do not report back to them.

Parent Governors 
Parents, including carers, of pupils are eligible to stand for election as parent governors and are elected by other parents and carers of children at the school.

Staff Governors
The head teacher is a staff governor by virtue of his or her job. Other paid staff, both teaching and support, may become governors. Staff governors are elected through a ballot by the school’s teaching and support staff.

Local Authority Governors 
Local authorities are encouraged to appoint governors nominated by the main political parties, Trade unions, voluntary organisations and community groups. They may include council representatives. Local authorities will also consider other people who put their name forward.

Co-opted Governors 
Are appointed by the governing body and have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school. They could be drawn from staff, parents or individuals who live or work in the community served by the school.

Associate Members
Are appointed by the governing body to attend committee meetings and/or full governing body meetings due to their particular skills or experience. Associates are not governors and do not have a vote in governing body decisions.

HOW TO BECOME A SCHOOL GOVERNOR

You can become a school governor by:

  • Parent Governor: being elected by parents as a parent governor, if your child attends the school
  • Staff Governer: being elected by the teaching or non-teaching staff, if you are a member of the teaching or non-teaching staff
  • being appointed by the Local Authority
  • Co-opted Governor: being appointed by the other governors

To become a governor, you will need to ensure those who have a vote, or who appoint people, know about your interests and skills. Our school organises elections when positions become vacant and tells parents and staff about them, but you can always ask whether there are vacancies now that need to be filled. You can approach a current governor to see whether they might co-opt you if you feel that you can offer a particular skill.

WHAT DO THE GOVERNORS AT OUR SCHOOL DO?

As part of the governing body team, a governor is expected to:

1. Contribute to the strategic discussions at governing body meetings which determine:

  • the vision and ethos of the school;
  • clear and ambitious strategic priorities and targets for the school;
  • that all children, including those with special educational needs, have access to a broad and balanced curriculum;
  • the school’s budget, including the expenditure of the pupil premium allocation;
  • the school’s staffing structure and key staffing policies;
  • the principles to be used by school leaders to set other school policies.

2. Hold the senior leaders to account by monitoring the school’s performance; this includes:

  • agreeing the outcomes from the school’s self-evaluation and ensuring they are used to inform the priorities in the school development plan;
  • considering all relevant data and feedback provided on request by school leaders and external sources on all aspects of school performance;
  • asking challenging questions of school leaders;
  • ensuring senior leaders have arranged for the required audits to be carried out and receiving the results of those audits;
  • ensuring senior leaders have developed the required policies and procedures and the school is operating effectively according to those policies;
  • acting as a link governor on a specific issue, and reporting to the governing body on the progress on the relevant school priority;
  • listening to and reporting to the school’s stakeholders : pupils, parents, staff, and the wider community, including local employers.

3. Ensure the school staff have the resources and support they require to do their jobs well, including the necessary expertise on business management, external advice where required.

HOW DO I GET IN CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNORS?

If you would like to contact our governors, you can do this by:

  • leaving a message and your contact details at the school office who will then pass these on to a governor
  • making direct contact with governors when they are in school. Governors’ photos are outside the school office to make them easier to spot!

WHO ARE THE GOVERNORS AT OUR SCHOOL?

Steering Committee: Agenda setting
Community, Learning and Achievement Committee (CLA): Safeguarding
Resources Committee: Finance; Staffing; Premises; Health and Safety; Safeguarding

Head teacher

Michael Barnes

Head teacher
Committees: Steering, CLA, Resources

Term of office
1 Sep 2022 to present
1 Sep 2020 to 31 August 2022

Associate

Kate Wileman

Deputy Head Teacher
Committees: CLA, Resources

Term of office
1 Sep 2022 to present

Co-opted Governor

Debbie Squire

Chair of Governors; Chair of Resources Committee
Committees: Steering , Resources, CLA

Governor Development
Leadership
Training Coordinator
Finance

Subject Link: Art & Design, Music

Term of office
17 May 22 to 16 May 2026
17 May 2018 to 16 May 2022

Co-opted Governor

Jake Phillips

Vice Chair of Governors
Committees: Steering, Resources, Pay Matters & Finance

Subject Link: Maths

Term of office
17 May 2022 to 16 May 2026
17 May 2018 to 16 May 2022

Local Authority Governor

Gill Pollard

Chair of Community, Learning and Achievement
Committees: CLA

Curriculum and Assessment

Subject Link: History, Geography

Term of office
15 Nov 2017 to 14 Nov 2021

Co-opted Governor

Sarah Braine

Committees: Resources

Pupil Premium

Subject Link: Early Years

Term of office
2 Feb 2021

Co-opted Governor

Louise Cunliffe

Committees: Resources, Finance

Subject Link: PE

Term of office
1 Jul 2015 to 30 Jun 2023

Associate Governor

Annie Rose Allen

Committees: CLA, Resources

Term of office
12 Oct 2017 to 11 Oct 2023

Staff Governor

Leona Wilson-Okrasa

Committees: CLA

Child Protection

Subject Link: RE

Term of office
30 Jun 2015 to 30 Jun 2023

Co-opted Governor

Rowan Hall

Committees: Resources

Communications Lead
Sustainability
Website Monitoring

Subject Link: Computing

Term of office
15 Dec 2016 to 13 Dec 2024

Parent Governor

Natalie Day

Committees: Resources

Mental Health
Wellbeing
Safeguarding

Subject Link: RSHE

Term of office
2 Feb 2021 to 1 Feb 2025

Parent Governor

Sarah Compai

Committees: CLA

SEND

Subject Link: Reading and Phonics

Term of office

Parent Governor

James Clark

Committees: CLA

Performance Management

Subject Link: Writing

Term of office

Parent Governor

Jo Hill

Committees: Resources

EAL
Finance

Subject Link: Science

Term of office

Clerk

Brian Wood

Committees: CLA, Resources

Term of office

 

Governor Meetings: 2022- 2023

Full Governing Body

Governor Meetings: 2021 - 2022

Full Governing Body

9 Nov 2021

DS     MB     CC     ND     AA     SB     LC     RH    LWO    JP

1 Mar 2022

DS     LC     JP     AA     ND     GP     MB     RH     CC     LWO

28 Jun 2022

DS     JP     MB     CC     LC     RH     ND     SC     JH     AA

Community, Learning and Achievement 

Resources 

1 Feb 2022

GP     ND     CC     MB     DS     JP     AA     LWO

24 May 2021

DS     CC     MB     JC     SC     JH     LWO

12 Oct 2021

DS     CC     LC     ND     MB

18 Jan 2022

DS     CC     MB     BZ     LC     RH

10 May 2021

DS     MB     SB     CC     LC     ND     RH

Governor Meetings: 2020 - 2021

Due to the pandemic, Governors met each half term as a Full Governing Body, incorporating Resources and CLA. 

6 Oct 2020

LF JA CC LC RH JP GP AR LW DS BZ

8 Dec 2020

LF AA JA CC LC GP AR LW DS BZ MB

2 Feb 2021

DS AA SB CC LC ND JP GP LW BZ MB

23 Mar 2021

DA AA SB CC LC ND RH JP GP

10 May 2021

DS AA SB CC LC ND RH LW GP BZ

29 Jun 2021

GP LW CC MB JP ND DS BZ

6 Jul 2021

BZ CC LC ND SB DS RH MB GP

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