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Governance

The governing board is the College’s legally accountable body and must operate in the best interests of the College. Effective governance is a vital aspect of school leadership. 

The College welcomes applications from prospective new governors at any time of year. You do not need to be experienced in the field of education; enthusiasm and interest are far more important. Governors also often bring experience and knowledge from other fields to their work in governance. 

If, having read the information below, you are interested in becoming a governor of The Spires College, please complete this form at the bottom of this page and email it to clerk@thespirescollege.com.

The role of a school governor

To contribute to the work of the governing board in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children and young people in the school by:

  • ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
  • holding senior leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
  • overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

As part of the governing board, a governor is expected to:

1. Contribute to the strategic discussions at governing board meetings which determine:

  • the vision and ethos of the school
  • clear and ambitious strategic priorities and targets for the school
  • that all children, including those with special educational needs, have access to a broad and balanced curriculum
  • the school’s budget, including the expenditure of the pupil premium allocation
  • the school’s staffing structure and key staffing policies
  • the principles to be used by school leaders to set other school policies

2. Hold senior leaders to account by monitoring the school’s performance; this includes:

  • agreeing the outcomes from the school’s self-evaluation and ensuring they are used to inform the priorities in the school development plan
  • considering all relevant data and feedback provided on request by school leaders and external sources on all aspects of school performance
  • asking challenging questions of school leaders
  • ensuring senior leaders have arranged for the required audits to be carried out and receiving the results of those audits
  • ensuring senior leaders have developed the required policies and procedures and the school is operating effectively according to those policies
  • acting as a link governor on a specific issue, making relevant enquiries of the relevant staff, and reporting to the governing board on the progress on the relevant school priority
  • listening to and reporting to the school’s stakeholders: pupils, parents, staff, and the wider community, including local employers

3. Ensure the school staff have the resources and support they require to do their jobs well, including the necessary expertise on business management, external advice where necessary, effective appraisal and CPD (Continuing Professional Development), and suitable premises, and that the way in which those resources are used has impact.

4. When required, serve on panels of governors to:

  • appoint the Principal and other senior leaders
  • appraise the Principal
  • set the Principal’s pay and agree the pay recommendations for other staff
  • hear the second stage of staff grievances and disciplinary matters
  • hear appeals about pupil exclusions
Committees at The Spires College 

The board has one sub-committee: Finance and HR. 


Please click
here for further information about the governors of The Spires College.

 

If you wish to apply to become a governor, please read the attached document with information about the role then complete the attached form.  Please submit the completed form to: clerk@thespirescollege.com