Catsfield Church of England (VC) Primary School

Governors work as part of the Senior Leadership Team of the school. They are involved in the strategic development of the school and are responsible for holding the senior leaders in the school to account. They ensure that the school provides a good quality education, as raising educational standards in all schools is a key priority. This will happen when there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They do this together with the Head, to whom they delegate the day to day management of the school. Heads are appointed by Governors - and most heads choose to be Governors themselves.

The number and variety of Governors varies in each school depending on it’s size and community. Appointments are for four years and Governors are responsible to parents, the Local Authority and the community.

One of the governing body's key roles is to help raise standards of achievement. It:

•     Is accountable for the performance of the school to parents and the wider community
•     Plans the school's future direction
•     Selects the headteacher
•     Makes decisions on the school's budget and staffing
•     Ensures the national curriculum is taught
•     Decides how the school can encourage pupil's spiritual, moral and social development
•     Ensures the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs
•     Ensures that key policies (e.g. safeguarding policy) are upheld by all members of staff

Governors are at the heart of how a school operates and it is important we get things right. How we do our job affects the interests of pupils, staff morale and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community.

Governors support and challenge heads by gathering views, asking questions and deciding what's best for the school. We are not here to rubber stamp decisions. We have to be prepared to give and take and be loyal to decisions taken by the governing body as a whole.

As long as Governors act within the law we are protected from any financial liability for the decisions we take.

Governors have a very important and essential role to play as we are ultimately responsible for how the school is performing. Analysing school data, visiting the school and following up OFSTED inspection reports are some of the extremely important tasks that governors undertake. It is, therefore, essential that Governors have their finger on the pulse of the school, aiming to identify problems and tackle them in advance.

Governor Vacancies

We have vacancies for Foundation Governors

If you are interested in either of these interesting and incredibly valuable roles please contact cfeltwell@catsfieldcep.e-sussex.sch.uk or the School Office.