Circle Model – Whole Governing Board Approach

(based upon and permission granted to use the template provided by English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Rugby)

Outline

The Governing Board works as a ‘whole team’, meeting 6 times per year, twice in each term. 

The first half term we hold an Executive Committee, the second half term we hold a FGB meeting. In the Spring term we also meet as a Finance Sub Committee.  An annual planner and agenda for each meeting will include all the tasks which the Governing Board is required to consider, and the Governing Board will ‘commission’ assignments or activities arising from the business of the meeting, which will be recorded in the minutes.

Any ‘commissioned’ working groups or monitoring individuals/pairs will have Governing Board drafted agreed terms of reference.

In addition to ‘commissioning’ activities or actions on their behalf, the Governing Board in order to ensure its core functions are fulfilled we delegate monitoring responsibilities to ‘monitoring pairs’ or ‘individuals’. These include the statutory required individual roles and those focused on the priorities of the School Development Plan.

The purpose of governance is to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance The Governing Board has resolved to conduct all its business as a full Governing board, and to work collectively without committees.

As a full GB we meet each half term to ensure that we discharge our 3 fundamental responsibilities which are: 

• To set and modify , as appropriate, the vision of the school 

• To hold the school to account for its adherence to delivering that vision and to ensuring that academic standards are upheld

• To ensure that the financial affairs of the school are properly conducted and the principles of best value are always employed when undertaking any financial activity.

The second way we operate is as an Executive committee that seek to develop the following areas of our work in line with our mission statement:

• The learning environment - the big picture of what our children experience in the school

• Pedagogy and curriculum - what our children learn and the way it is taught

• Assessment for learning - working out what your children know and hence the best way for them to take their next steps

• Student and family support - the school realises that two of the major influences on a child's progress are his or her own personal wellbeing and the support and encouragement from home.