'Governors ensure that leaders use extra funding to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils effectively.'

'Governors are knowledgeable about the impact of this extra funding because they visit school frequently to check the effectiveness of leaders’ actions.' Ofsted 2018

"Governors work closely with other leaders. They provide good levels of support and challenge for the school." -

Ofsted December 2014

Central Government, quite rightly, has high expectations of all governing bodies and expects them to work to a competency framework. Governors are the strategic leaders of schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education and funds are wisely spent. This is underpinned by law.

There are three core functions: Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and performance management of staff; and overseeing the financial performance of the school, making sure its money is well spent.

To ensure Governors carry out these functions successfully, there is a framework of 16 competencies under six headings: strategic leadership, accountability, people, structures, compliance and evaluation.

From time to time all members of the Governing Body (GB) are expected to take part in a skills audit and there may external reviews of governance commissioned. This allows us to constitute the GB in line with the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 and in line with the needs of this school. Governors have access at any time to professional training to ensure their skills are kept up to date and they are expected to take advantage of training courses open to them. Throughout the pandemic work continued, but Governors met remotely.

Should you wish to contact the Governors, you may write to them c/o the school or use the email address: governors@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk

The full Governing Body comprises 12 Governors: two elected Parent Governors, an elected Staff Governor, a Local Authority Governor, the Headteacher and seven Co-Opted Governors appointed by the Governing Body. Where vacancies arise from time to time, new Governors are identified and appointed (in the case of Co-opted and Local Authority Governors) or elected (in the case of Parent and Staff Governors). Currently, there are three Co-opted Governor vacancies and a vacancy for an elected Staff Governor. Nominations are actively being be sought to find candidates and an election will br held in school among staff.

The Governing Body has two committees, Children & Learning and Resources, which may continue to meet remotely. All our Governors are members of the Children and Learning Committee as all take a close interest in the curriculum, pupil learning and well-being, progress and attainment. Governors regularly liaise with staff, and come into school in the day to spend time in classrooms and meet with and hear from staff and children. Meetings are followed through with written or verbal reports to a Governor meeting. Each term there is an Achievement Day, where Governors spend the day in school on various tasks and projects, liaising with staff and feeding back to the other Governors. To help advise the committee and to scrutinise detail in the data we have a small Data Sub-Group that reports up to Children and Learning Committee.

Resources Committee deals with finance, spending, budget and property, and health and safety matters. It meets three times a year with the School Business Manager.

Governors with the appropriate training sit on Appeals and Discipline Panels as and when necessary. There is a Pay and Staffing Committee and a Headteacher Appraisal Panel, with trained Governors. Governors also like to visit in school more informally whenever they can to attend events and get to know parents, staff and pupils.

In addition to attending Committees and Full Governing Body meetings, Governors have additional roles, meeting with subject leaders and taking a lead on aspects of teaching, learning and statutory responsibilities.

Details for our Governors are as follows (in alphabetical order), with attendance figures for the academic year September 2020 - July 2021, and any declared interests. There are normally six FGB meetings in an academic year, but during 2020-21 there were seven, in response to the pandemic emergency. Where Governors are not able to attend, they must send apologies, which are minuted, and give reasons for their absence for approval at the meeting.

Dan Beedell, Elected Parent Governor, Term of office November 2019 to November 2023. Deputy Governor leading on Maths, RE and PE; no declared conflict of interests. Attended all FGB meetings.

Margaret Bird, Co-opted Governor, term of office November 2021 - November 2025. Governor leading on Inclusion, including special education needs, and on Music and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL). No declared conflict of interests. Attended six FGB meetings.

Lisa Devine, elected Parent Governor, 20 May 2021 to 19 May 2025, attended her first meeting on 27 May 2021 and all meetings since that date for the academic year; Governor leading on Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC); Lisa also works with the School Council. No declared conflict of interests.

Liz Down, Co-opted Governor and Chair of the Governing Body; term of office July 2018 to July 2022; declared an interest as Chair of Sing Spelthorne Community Choir; Governor responsible for safeguarding and liaison with the LA in the event of a child protection allegation against the Headteacher; attended six FGB meetings.

Paul Goulden, Co-opted Governor, Vice-Chair of the Governing Body; term of office July 2018 to July 2022; Chair of Resources Committee; Governor responsible for Looked After Children; Governor leading on Science; Deputy Governor leading on Inclusion; declared an interest as a Governor at the Marjory Kinnon School, Bedfont, Middx; attended all FGB meetings.

Johnny Kyriacou, Co-opted Governor, term of office July 2021 - July 2025; Chair of the Children and Learning Committee; Governor responsible for Disadvantaged Children; Governor leading on Geography and History, and deputy lead on Creative and Social curriculum; declared an interest relating to his professional role in school effectiveness for Slough Borough Council which may involve support for Governing Bodies; attended all FGB meetings.

Lynsey Makepeace, Assistant Headteacher and Special Education Needs Co-ordinator, Co-opted Governor, term of office July 2018 to July 2022; no declared conflict of interests; attended six FGB meetings.

Sarah Tarrant. Headteacher, term of office from September 2009; declared an interest with a relative training in the school; attended all FGB meetings.

In attendance at Full Governing Body and Children and Learning Committee meetings whenever required: Lucy Allen, Deputy Headteacher; Mel Wootton Assistant Headteacher. Other members of staff are invited from time to time to present information to Governors for discussion.

In attendance at Resources Committee: Mrs Amanda Woods, School Business Manager, to present the budget and keep Governors informed about all financial matters throughout the school year.

In attendance at all formal meetings: Clerk to the Governing Body, Ms Jill Sanders, who draws up agendas and takes minutes.

Governors who were on the Governing Body until recently: Sayed Qadri, Co-opted Governor, term of office October 2019, stepped down at the end of January 2022 due to pressures of work. He had attended six FGB meetings during the year. Nicola A'Bear, Staff Governor, elected on 11 November 2020, stood down in February 2022 on leaving the school. She had attended all FGB meetings.

Professional negligence statement: Advice given by governors at this school is incidental to their professional expertise and is not being given in their professional capacity.

Confidentiality Statement: Governors respect the confidential nature of discussions and do not disclose governor business or decisions. When minutes of governing body meetings, Part 1, are approved they are made available to any member of the public who requests sight of them.

Governing Body Code of Conduct - please see attachment.

Open Meeting Protocol - Governors agreed on the principle of open meetings for the Full Governing Body. Copies of FGB minutes may be requested.

Email for the Governing Body: governors@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk