STATUTORY INFORMATION FOR WEBSITE
Rothwell Primary School Governing Body
(Jan 2022)
Chair Pauline Walker
Vice Chair Jo Bentley
The constitution of the governing body is:
Headteacher – Leila Rothenberg
1 x Local Authority (LA) governor, recommended by the LA and approved by the governing body – Pauline Walker
2 parent governors, formally elected through a ballot of parents unless the election is uncontested – David Miller and Ben Gray
8 co-opted governors, nominated and appointed by the governing body – Robert Seymour, Patricia Rose, Jo Bentley, Laura Beane, Rhonda Mitchell, Paul Rothwell, Lucy Driver and Angela Walker.
1 staff governor, formally elected by staff employed at school – Jenna Callaly
The governing body operates with the following committees:
Resources committee (including Pay Review) – responsible for staffing including the appointment and role of the SENCO, equality and diversity, finance, property management.
Committee chair: Patricia Rose
Committee members: Pauline Walker, Paul Rothwell, Jo Bentley and the Headteacher
Teaching and Learning committee – responsible for teaching and learning matters including target setting, standards and achievement, SEN (including reporting annually on the success of the SEN policy), Pupil Premium, monitoring teaching and learning and curriculum provision and ensuring that the governing body is represented at school improvement discussions.
Committee chair: Jo Bentley
Committee members: Pauline Walker, Robert Seymour, Laura Beane, Patricia Rose, Paul Rothwell and the Headteacher
Pupil Support committee – responsible for behaviour, attendance, children’s spiritual moral social and cultural development, links to healthy schools. Also includes children (school council), parent and staff voice, extra-curricular activities, cluster and other partnerships.
Committee chair: Angela Walker
Committee members: Pauline Walker, Rhonda Mitchell, Lucy Driver and the Headteacher.
Pay committee – responsible for hearing pay appeals. Matters are dealt with by the Resources committee.
Headteacher Performance Review committee – Pauline Walker, Robert Seymour and Laura Beane.
Appeals committee – responsible for hearing appeals and ensuring a fair and proper process has been followed.
Committee members: Angela Walker, Robert Seymour and Laura Beane
Governor Responsibilities
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – Jo Bentley
Safeguarding, Children Looked After and Child Protection – Rhonda Mitchell
Attendance – Angela Walker
Pupil Premium & COVID-19 catch up funding – Paul Rothwell
PE Sports Premium – Lucy Driver
Health and Safety – Patricia Rose
Equalities and Inclusion – Pauline Walker
Training – Pauline Walker and Jenna Callaly
EYFS – Jo Bentley
Literacy – Pauline Walker and Jo Bentley
Maths – Robert Seymour and Laura Beane
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) – Pupil Support committee
The following is an attendance record for individual governors at meetings of the full governing body.
Y – in attendance | |||||||||||
N – not in attendance and no apologies received/accepted | |||||||||||
A – apologies received and accepted | |||||||||||
X – not in post/not a member | |||||||||||
Full Governing Body Meetings
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Full Gov Body 14/10/20 | Full Gov Body
27/01/21 |
Full Gov Body
05/05/21 |
Gov Body Strategy Day
16/07/21 |
Full Gov Body
24/11/21 |
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Mrs Pauline Walker | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Dr Jo Bentley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mr Robert Seymour | Y | Y | Y | A | Y | ||||||
Ms Patricia Rose | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mr Andrew Ellis ( term finishes July 21) | Y | Y | Y | A | X | ||||||
Ms Angela Walker | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Ms Jenna Callaly | Y | Y | Y | A | A | ||||||
Ms Laura Beane | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Ms Rhonda Mitchell | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Ms Katie Green( term finishes Nov 21) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mr Paul Rothwell | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mrs Lucy Driver | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mrs Leila Rothenberg | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
Mr David Miller and Mr Ben Gray start in Jan 2022
Any other educational establishment governed | Relationship with the school staff including spouses, partners and relatives | ||||
Mrs Pauline Walker | Chair of governors LA governor Resources, Pupil Support and Teaching and Learning committees |
From Nov 2014 | None | None | None |
Dr Jo Bentley | Vice-chair of governors Co-opted governor Pupil Support and Teaching and Learning committee EYFS governor |
From Nov 2014 | None | None | None |
Mr Robert Seymour | Co-opted governor Teaching and Learning Committee |
From Nov 2014 | None | Also a governor at Royds School | None |
Ms Patricia Rose | Co-opted governor Resources CommitteeHealth and Safety |
From Nov 2014 | None | None | None |
Ms Angela Walker | Parent governor Pupil support committeeAttendance |
From June 2014 | None | None | None |
Ms Jenna Callaly |
Staff Governor | From May 2018 | None | None | None |
Ms Laura Beane | Co-opted governor
Teaching and Learning Committee |
From May 2016 | None | None | None |
Ms Rhonda Mitchell | Co-opted governor
Pupil Support committee Child Protection, Children Looked After and Safeguarding |
From Oct 2016 | None | None | None |
Mr Paul Rothwell | Co-opted governor – resources committee – Pupil Premium governor | From July 2018 | None | None | None |
Mrs Lucy Driver | Co-opted governor
SRE Sports Premium |
From Sept 2018 | None | None | None |
Mr David Miller | Parent Governor | From Jan 2022 | |||
Mr Ben Gray
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Parent Governor
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From Jan 2022
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Annual Governance Statement for Rothwell Primary School Governing Body (Jan 2022)
- Overview
The governing body conducts its business to take account of the three roles of the governing bodies as outlined in the Governors’ Handbook:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
The day to day management of the school is the responsibility of the Head teacher and senior leadership team.
- The composition of the governing body
There are currently no governor vacancies on the governing body.
- Meetings of the governing body and attendance
The full governing body meets 4 times a year; all meetings are clerked by a trained professional clerk. The first meeting of the governing body confirms the structure of the governing body sub-committees, individual governor’s responsibilities and any new declarations of interest.
There are three governing body committees (Pupil Support, Resources, Teaching & Learning) which meet at least each term (three times a year) and which have delegated authority to make decisions on behalf of the governing body.
During the Autumn term of 2020 the committee meetings were combined with the Full Governing Board meeting. For the Summer and Spring terms the Pupil Support and Teaching & Learning committees were combined.
Governors have good attendance at full governing board meetings. Apologies for non-attendance are considered on an individual basis; governors are aware through the code of conduct that non-attendance, which includes apologies not being accepted, will result in the removal of a governor six months from the date of first non-attendance.
- The remit of the governing body and its committees
Self-evaluation of the school in July 2020, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, informed our school development plan for 2020/21 which has prioritised the following three areas:
- Health and Safety
- Wellbeing
- Metacognition
- The effectiveness and impact of the governing body 2020/2021
The governing body completed a review of governance in July 2021. The areas where the governing body has had impact are:
- Ensuring effective use of the school’s resources including financial, personnel and premises.
- Supporting the school’s focus on wellbeing and health and safety.
- Supporting the school’s leadership and management team
- Improving our understanding of the needs of children in our school and how they are supported.
How have we achieved this impact?
- Governors have worked as a partnership with school and have adapted committee structures, communications in response to the pressures of COVID-19 to support school leaders. The governing body has ensured that appropriate financial standards have been adhered to and was actively involved in planning and supporting the school staffing structure during COVID-19. Governors on the Resources committee were instrumental in the determining where key financial pressures were impacting on the school budget and have identified where funds could be used more efficiently; for example by identifying where an insurance policy coverage was not applicable so saving £10,000 on annual policy premiums.
- We have recognised it has been a difficult year for staff and pupils. Governors on the Pupil Support committee have proactively monitored health and safety and pupil and staff wellbeing and with a particular focus on understanding social, emotional and mental health needs. Governors have recommended circulating a health and wellbeing questionnaire which has surveyed pupils’ wellbeing at two points in the school year and enabled identification of key areas of support for pupils.
- The governing board has worked closely with the school to enable the best provision for pupils across the whole period of time the school has been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions while also meeting governing board requirements. The board was adaptable to the school’s and senior leadership team’s needs, working in partnership to meet flexibly and constructively question where needed. For example a key governor linked with the school business manager to monitor finance and give regular updates to the board.
- Staff have undertaken significant work over this year to determine gaps in learning and to implement strategies to mitigate this, with a focus on key areas for each year group. Measures of pupil’s progress and attainment are circulated to all governors and discussed at the governor Teaching and Learning committee meeting, with particular focus on Pupil Premium and SEND. Regular reports from the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) allow governors to triangulate information and challenge where attainment gaps are identified. For example governor knowledge and understanding of data on multiple levels and effective questioning lead to an increase in positive reflective practice by the SLT.
The governing body undertook a strategic review of governance on 16th July 2021 and identified key areas for development for 2021/22 which link with the School Development Plan over the same period:
Governor Priorities for 2021/22:
- Using published research and established methods which have been shown to have demonstrable impact to inform the standards and quality of education.
- Improving phonics and early reading with a focus on the new EYFS framework and curriculum.
- Ensuring the effective use of assessment used diagnostically to inform effective monitoring and ensure the consistent use of quality first teaching.
- Further development of the role of subject leaders to increase breadth and depth of knowledge.
.Meet the Governors
Governing body 2019/20