Garland Junior School

Governor perspective on 2018-2019

As governors we are regularly in school but hopefully remain detached enough so that we notice the things that perhaps get overlooked by the people in the school every day. This includes changes to the fabric of the building which continues to be repainted thanks to the dedication of volunteer parents and staff, and also to the curriculum and performance of children. You may have seen the new outdoor learning environment which the children are already thoroughly enjoying and which is being used to help make lessons more engaging for all.

The governors are delighted to see how well year six performed in their SATs.  It’s important to remember that the scores from one year are not really comparable to another year as the children change. What is important is progress made through each year and this is a credit to both the children and the staff who have taught them throughout their time here, not just to the year six team.

Whilst we, the governors, recognise there is still much to do to achieve our vision, we believe that if all children leave the school with the self confidence and educational skills to face the next stage of their lives, then Garland Junior School will have done an outstanding job.

It is easy to focus on test figures as the only measure of educational success but at Garland we believe they represent only a very small part of a good education. In the summer term, the school undertook another five day residential session at South Cerney. The children loved their time there and, as you can see from the photos on the website, I suspect that the staff did as well!!  It’s important to remember though that children gain a new perspective from such trips and the governors are supportive of this fresh initiative, reviewing and revising the schools policies to ensure the school manages such trips safely and in line with longer term objectives.

Change has also been seen in a number of staff moving on. This is disruptive for the whole school of course, but is an occurrence that gives the school the opportunity to change the way it functions. The governors have been involved in some of this and we are pleased to welcome all new members of staff to the school community and promise to support them wherever we can to deliver the best for the children of Garland.

As the governors form part of the leadership of the school, we work together with the leadership team to strategize, plan, monitor and support every aspect of the school's work. This happens through regular meetings of the governing board, liaison with the Headteacher and other leaders, links with subject leaders and governor visits during the school day. Full details of attendance at governing board meetings are given on the 'meet the governors' page on the website.

Effectiveness and Impact

An important part of being a governor is the continual assessment of how effective the board is and what impact it is having on the school's performance. We have undertaken detailed reviews of the board and individual members' performance, including the chair, and use this feedback to change things where needed.

Over the last school year we have reviewed our skills to ensure we have the correct capability to govern successfully in the future. This is vital as the governing board membership continues to evolve with new governors joining us as old hands move on. In July we welcomed a new governor who is a headteacher in Reading giving us a new perspective to help hold senior leaders to account. We will shortly be filling a parent governor vacancy and would encourage anyone with an interest and with relevant skills to contact us, now or in the future. All governors are expected to attend regular training relevant to their specific role and to attend at least two of our termly governor open days to see the school in action and understand how the school works in practice.

Governors also attend our regular Finance, Personnel and Resources committee meetings and in addition, we have three committees that meet as required, covering Pay, Complaints, Grievances and Appeals and Headteachers Performance. Minutes from our Full Governing Board meetings and Finance meetings are available on request from the school office.

Garland continues to develop its ongoing plan of action to work alongside the school vision which is shared with the governors on a regular basis. It is our responsibility to question the school on its priorities, targets and plans and to set objectives for the Headteacher to ensure that these are delivered. At each meeting of the governors, progress against the plan is discussed, including the impact of actions and how any shortfalls in progress will be addressed. Further work in improving our monitoring of this has been identified as a priority and will be tackled throughout 2019/20

Governors closely monitor safeguarding to ensure the school is a safe environment for all. We have a dedicated governor specialising in this important area who provides us with regular up-dates and completes an annual safeguarding audit to ensure that the school remains a safe environment for the children.

We also take a keen interest in provision for Service children and Pupil Premium children and keep a close eye on how the Pupil Premium and Sports Premium budgets are spent. Over the year, governors have challenged firmly on several of these areas and will continue to closely monitor the outcomes that such spend delivers.

Governor Recruitment

We are currently recruiting governors to ensure we can cover all areas as proficiently as possible. As mentioned above, an active training programme is in place which will further enhance our individual skills and the effectiveness of the governing board as a whole. 

In conclusion, the governors are delighted to report that the school is continuing to build on the excellent foundations already laid and we look forward to many future successes in the years to come.

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in becoming a school governor, or have any questions about us, then please contact us via the school office.

Jason Chamberlin, Chair of Governors