The Role of the Governing Board

All schools in England have a Governing Board which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. The Governing Board works in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors three main roles include:

1. Strategic - The governing board sets the general direction of the school, looking at how it should best develop. This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives.
2. Critical Friend - A governing board should work with the Headteacher and create a clear understanding of the challenges face in managing a school.
3. Accountability - A school is a business and its stakeholders are the learners. The governing board must have a professional attitude and use its collective skills to benefit the learners. It must gather views, ask questions and decide what is best for the school. The governing board is answerable to parents, the wider community and the local authority.

School governors are drawn from different parts of the community. This helps to ensure that the governing board has sufficient diversity of views and experience but does not mean that governors of a particular category "represent" that group on the governing body. The different categories of governor are as follows:

Parent Governors

Elected by parents to serve on the Governing Board

Staff Governors

To include the Head Teacher if they wish to be a governor. Remaining staff (both teaching and non-teaching are represented) governors are elected by other members of staff at the school via elections.

Foundation Governors

Appointed by the relevant Diocese

Authority Governors

Local Education Authority ( LEA ) governors are appointed by the LA . LAs can appoint any eligible person as a LEA governor.

Co-opted Governors

Appointed by the Governing Board to represent community interests. They can be persons who live or work in the community served by the school, or persons who do not work or live close by, but are committed to the good governance and success of the school.

Further Information

Please click here for further information on the Rochdale council website about a governors role.

Stansfield Hall Church of England / Methodist Church Primary School's Governing Board

Ms Muriel Gott is our Chair of Governors and she can be contacted via the School Based Admin Clerk by emailing office@stansfieldhall.rochdale.sch.uk

Stansfield Hall Church of England / Methodist Church Primary School's Committee Structure

Stansfield Hall has a number of standing committees that meet on a termly basis.

Curriculum and Standards - Chair: Rev'd Ian Bullock

• Teaching and Learning
• Curriculum
• Inclusion
• SEND
• Equality
• Pupil Behaviour and Welfare (including Child Protection)

Resources - Chair: Rev'd Ruth Jackson

• Finance issues
• Staffing issues
• Buildings issues

Special Committees that meet when required include: Complaints, Headteacher Appraisal, Personnel and Pay Implementation, Personnel Appeals, Pupil Discipline.

Terms of Reference for each committee and the Governor Code of Conduct can be found in the file list at the left of this page.

Diversity

The Governors of Stansfield Hall Primary School believe it is important that the Governing Board reflects the diversity of the school communities they serve. A diverse Board promotes an inclusive school environment and provide diverse role models for staff and young people.  Vision MAT has a diverse Board and a wide range of perspectives around the table to support robust decision making. At the present time, we do not publish this diversity data online, as individual Governors could be identified, and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.