Local Governance at Unity Schools Partnership

The UnitySP Trust Board, through the Articles of Association, has committed to Local Governing Bodies to work in partnership with the Executive and Leadership Teams to fulfil the three core responsibilities of Governance.

These are:

• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

We have married these to our Governance Charter and our Scheme of Delegation. These documents, together with the USP Handbook for Local Governance, clearly set out the role and responsibilities of our Local Governing Bodies (LGBs). You can access these documents from the links below or directly from the Unity Schools Partnership website.

Our Governing Body

As members of the Governing Board at Steeple Bumpstead Primary School, we are directly responsible to the children in helping to make sure that they receive the best possible education in the most effective and well-managed environment. We work closely with Mrs Doherty and her staff on matters that affect the school and its curriculum, and on long-term strategic plans.

How many governors are there and do they all have children at the school?

Not every governor has a child that attends Steeple Bumpstead Primary School. There are a number of different types of governor. A governor can be directly appointed by the local authority because of an expertise in an education-related field, or governors can be members of the local community, members of staff, and of course there are governors who are parents of children attending school at the present time. Each governor is appointed for four years.

How often do governors come into the school and what do they do?

Governors attend regular meetings each term with Mrs Doherty to discuss items under three main topics: Resources (such as finance and grounds) and curriculum (reviewing data, workbooks, identifying gaps or trends and discussing/agreeing how to address those gaps and trends).

Each governor has a responsibility in one or more of these areas. Some governors also have a responsibility to get to know and monitor different areas of teaching, numeracy or literacy for example, and to attend lessons and get to know the pupils and their needs. Other very important areas that the governors help to monitor include Health & Safety and Special Educational Needs and we attend training courses so that we know how to make a worthwhile input in these areas.

Do governors get involved in day-to-day issues?

It is school policy that any day-to-day issue or problem should be taken first to a class teacher, or to Mr Howden (head of school) in the first instance, then Mrs Doherty. In terms of policy, when problems arise, we act as support to the teaching staff and then become involved in helping to find solutions as necessary.  

Our Governors

In the interests of transparency, we must publish here up-to-date details of our governance arrangements. Please see the attachments section for details about:

• the structure and remit of the governing body, and the full name of the chair,
• for each governor who has served at any point over the past 12 months, their full names, date of appointment, date they stepped down (where applicable), and relevant business and pecuniary interests including governance roles in other educational institutions, and
• attendance records at governing body meetings over the last academic year.

If you would like more information about becoming a school governor, or have matters that you may wish to raise with the governing body, you can contact us through the school office or by writing to the Chair of Governors, care of the school

Please follow the ‘Get Information About Schools’ link below for additional governance information.

Further information