The Governing Body works as a team supporting the school and Headteacher to set the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction. It ensures accountability, through acting as a ‘critical friend’ in monitoring and evaluating how the school is progressing.
The role includes:
- Ensuring the school has clear aims and values that are supported by the whole school community
- Ensuring evidence of this in the day-to-day running of the school
- Focus on raising standards of achievement, establishing high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning so that every pupil achieves his/her full potential
- Deciding with the Headteacher, staff, pupils and parents the direction of the school development planning progress
- Ensure that the resources that the school receives are directed to the school’s priorities as determined in the School Development Plan (SDP)
- Help to set and review the policies that provide a broad framework within which the Headteacher and staff should run the school
- Ensure that there are systems in place to monitor progress toward targets and gather evidence accordingly
- Use the evidence to review progress against targets to see whether policies and practices are effective. Check on the school’s achievements and progress over time and in comparison with similar schools
- Take advice on this from the Headteacher before making their decisions
- The governing body is a key player in the school improvement planning process. Governors are involved in the review of the SDP and in drawing up of all future school plans
Rhodes Avenue Governing Body is made up of 18 governors: 5 parent governors, 7 co-opted governors, 1 Local Authority governor, 4 associated governors, and the Headteacher. The governors are enthusiastic, pro-active and committed to maintaining and improving excellence in all aspects of school life.
The Governors meet twice a term at Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings, and other times if opting to be on one or more of the Committees and/or Link topical focuses. Selected governors are appointed for a period of between one and four years and can be re-appointed at the end of their term.
Rhodes Avenue has 5 committees:
Resources Committee
- Setting and monitoring the school’s annual budget
- Ensuring best use of available resources
- Overseeing staffing affairs
Premises and Health and Safety Committee
Curriculum Committee
- Writing and reviewing all curriculum-related policies
- Monitoring key focus areas in the School Development Plan
- Monitoring teaching and assessment strategies
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Pay and Personnel Committee
The governing body also has the following link foci roles:
Early Years Foundation Stage – Stephen Wan
Inclusion/SEND – Shanuk Mediwaka
Racial Equity – Alex Morgan
Safeguarding -Lucy Freestone
Mental Health and Wellbeing – Nick Read
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) /Data Protection Officer – Simon Green
Working Parties
Working Parties are formed on the occasion of dealing with specific issues. A working party may include governors, staff, parents and/or other experts. For the academic year 2023-2024 we have the following working party/ies:
Headteacher Recruitment Working Party
Contact
We actively encourage communication with and from parents. Governors are present during Parents’ Evenings and welcome your suggestions and feedback. You can also contact Fiona Doyle, Chair of Governors directly by emailing chair@rhodesavenue.org.uk