Garland Junior School

Governor perspective on 2019-2020

This last year has probably been the most trying year for everyone in this country, if not the world, since World War 2. Every organisation and individual has had to make significant changes to the way they work. Schools have had to adapt to a COVID secure world, much teaching has been missed and many parents have had the delights of home schooling their offspring! 

Against this background it has been reassuring to see how well the school has adapted to the situation. Lessons have been provided online and also for those without online access, robust plans have been developed for dealing with outbreaks and additional time has been spent on ensuring the emotional wellbeing of the children.

This has been made possible by the dedication of all staff and leadership within the school.

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, and governor visits during the school day (when circumstances allow). Full details of attendance at governing board meetings are given on the 'meet the governors' page.

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 use this feedback to change things where needed.

Over the last school year we have reviewed our skills and structure 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. We have welcomed two new governors who are quickly becoming valued team members. 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. For obvious reasons our summer term session did not take place but once COVID eases, we hope that governors can be in school more often.

As governors, we decided to cease our Curriculum and Achievement committee as it was felt that more governors needed to have a detailed understanding of this persepctive. C&A business now forms part of the full governing board meetings. The Finance, Personnel and Resources committee still meets separately to overview the financial picture in detail. 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 is currently developing a 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 2020/21

Governors have also been heavily involved in the project to convert the former caretaker's bungalow into a dedicated space suitable for small group working and other interventions, together with providing a better space for the breakfast and after school club, Fun Zone. Involvement here will continue during the final phases and we will closely monitor the impact the new facilitles have.

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 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, is 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