Governors

The governing board (known as the board) works collectively as a ‘whole team’, meeting six times per year, once in each term, without any separate committees. An annual planner and agenda for each meeting will include all the tasks which the board is required to consider, and the board may ‘commission’ assignments or activities arising from the business of the meeting, which will be recorded in the minutes. Any ‘commissioned’ working groups will have board drafted agreed terms of reference and will report any findings, actions, or recommended decisions to the board at its next meeting. These reports will in turn inform collective strategic decision making by the board.

In addition to ‘commissioning’ activities or actions on their behalf, the board, to ensure its core functions are fulfilled, will delegate monitoring responsibilities to ‘monitoring pairs’ or ‘individuals’. These include the Department for Education (DfE) identified as should have individual roles and those focused on the priorities of the School Plan. The board recognises the delegated monitoring individuals/pairs are replacing committees in terms of challenge, responsibility and accountability when undertaking their monitoring and reporting back to the board. The board recognises that all decisions are made by the full board and no financial delegated authority is given to monitoring pairs. Meetings of the board and delegated individuals/pairs will be considerate of the well-being of staff and executive lead/headteacher by referring to the DfE teacher workload reduction toolkit.

In each case where a function has been delegated there is a statutory duty for the delegated governor/s to report, by written monitoring reports, any findings, action or recommended decision to the board in time for its next meeting to enable informed collective strategic decision making.

The board meets at least six times a year, considers monitoring reports and recommendations, makes decisions, and conducts routine business.

Anna Colin is our Chair of Governors.

The Downs CEP School

Owen Square

Walmer

Kent

CT147TL

The full governing body meets termly to discuss ways in which to support the school with their vision for improvement.