Responsibilities of the Governing Body

At Stockbridge Village Primary, the Governing Body is responsible for providing strategic leadership and accountability. Governors work in partnership with the Headteacher, senior leaders, staff, parents, and the wider community to ensure that every child receives the best possible education in a safe, supportive, and ambitious environment.

The Core Functions of the Governing Body

As set out by the Department for Education, the Full Governing Body (FGB) has three core statutory functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction

o Setting the aims and values of the school.

o Approving and monitoring policies that support the school’s long-term priorities.

Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and for the performance management of staff.

o Supporting and challenging the Headteacher and leadership team.

o Monitoring pupil progress and outcomes.

o Ensuring staffing structures and systems enable effective teaching and learning.

Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

o Approving the budget and monitoring expenditure.

o Ensuring financial accountability and value for money.

o Overseeing use of funding, including Pupil Premium, PE and Sport Premium, and any catch-up or additional funding.

How the Governing Body Works at Stockbridge Village Primary

We do not operate standing committees or sub-committees. Instead, all decisions are made collectively at Full Governing Body meetings. This ensures:

Collective responsibility – every governor is part of all strategic decisions.
Transparency – key issues are debated and agreed in full view of the FGB.
Efficiency – meetings are streamlined to focus on strategic priorities.
Flexibility – task-and-finish groups are created when needed for specific projects (e.g. policy reviews, building projects), with outcomes reported back to the FGB.

Statutory Roles and Responsibilities

While all governors share equal responsibility, some hold specific statutory roles, including:

Chair of Governors (Linda Lord) – provides leadership of the Governing Body, ensuring it fulfils its functions effectively.
Vice-Chair of Governors (TBC) – supports the Chair and deputises when required.
Safeguarding Governor (Jisette Murphy) – ensures statutory duties to keep children safe are fulfilled.
SEND Governor (Dave Randall) – monitors provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
Health and Safety Governor (Jisette Murphy)– checks compliance with health and safety legislation.
Finance Link Governor (Linda Lord) – oversees financial management alongside the Headteacher and School Business Manager.

These link governors visit the school, meet with staff, and report back to the FGB to help inform

Accountability and Transparency

The Governing Body is accountable to parents, carers, the local authority, and the Department for Education. To meet its statutory duties, the Governing Body ensures that:

Statutory policies are in place and reviewed on schedule.
The curriculum is broad, balanced, and compliant with national requirements.
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and robust.
Pupil Premium and other targeted funds are used to close gaps in attainment.
Financial reporting is accurate and transparent.
The Headteacher’s performance management is carried out annually.
The school complies with Equality legislation and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Structure of the Governing Body

The Governing Body of Stockbridge Village Primary is made up of different categories of governors, as required by law:

Parent Governors – elected by the parents and carers of pupils.
Staff Governors – elected by the school staff.
Local Authority Governor – appointed by the Local Authority.
Co-opted Governors – appointed by the Governing Body for their skills and experience.
Headteacher – a governor by virtue of their role.

Each governor serves a term of office of four years, unless specified otherwise at the point of appointment.

Register of Interests and Attendance

To ensure openness and integrity, the Governing Body maintains:

A Register of Interests – declaring any business, financial, or personal interests that could influence decision-making.
Records of governor attendance at meetings – showing each governor’s level of involvement in FGB business.

Both the Register of Interests and attendance records are published on the school’s website.

Commitment of Governors

Governors at Stockbridge Village Primary commit to:

Attending regular Full Governing Body meetings (at least once each half term).
Visiting the school to monitor and evaluate progress.
Undertaking training and development.
Acting in line with the Governors’ Code of Conduct, including confidentiality, collective responsibility, and acting in the best interests of pupils at all times.