Governors

The governors of Grazeley come from a variety of backgrounds – some are appointed by the church, some by the council, and some are elected by the staff and parents – all are equal.  Our duty is to the school and to ensure that the school is doing its job properly. Sitting alongside the governors on the governing board are the clerk to governors, who gives the board legal and governance advice, and the associate members who are invited to give the board expert advice when needed.  Our current associate members are the deputy headteacher and the school business manager.

The full governing board meets five times a year.  This gives us the opportunity to have informed discussions and ask questions about how the school is running, and whether any changes are needed or resources allocated to ensure that we are meeting our duties.  Governors also perform link roles in areas which reflect the school’s priorities, and also with the curriculum areas.  Additionally, we sit on panels and working parties such as performance management, admissions, wellbeing etc when required.  This year we are also holding a governor day and several strategy sessions to clarify our vision for the school and perform self evaluation.  An impact statement of our work last year can be found below.   

It is important to note that we do not decide what is taught, or how it is to be taught: teaching is a professional responsibility which must be left to the headteacher and her staff, aided and advised by educational experts.  Our role is to decide on priorities within the school, and to allocate resources to ensure that the staff can do their jobs effectively.

Governors also try to visit the school whenever we can – it’s a much more interesting place in the daytime, when it is full of children working, playing and learning, than it is on the nights when it is empty and we have a heavy agenda to deal with. 

If you would like to know more about the role of the governors, please get in touch through the clerk to governors email: [email protected]