School Governors

The Role of the St. John’s Governing Body

Governing Bodies are responsible for the strategic management of their school, working to ensure that it delivers a good quality education.  Together with the head teacher, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, they set the school’s aims and policies.

Governing Bodies also carry out a number of other important duties, including:

• overseeing the school’s budget
• helping with the appointment of staff
• making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
• setting and monitoring the school’s aims and policies
• monitoring the performance of the school e.g. in key stage tests
• advising on school policies and procedures
• providing a vital means for parents and the community to get their views heard by the governing body as a whole.

Governors take on the following commitments to help make sure their school is well-managed:

• sharing the responsibilities of the Governing Body as summarised above
• attending and participating in Governor’s meetings on a regular basis
• undergoing appropriate training

St. John’s Governors receive regular formal training from the National Governance Association (NGA) and Bristol City Council’s Governors Development Service.

Structure of Governance at St. John’s

St. John’s Governing Body is composed of 15 governors, as defined in its Instrument of Governance approved by the Local Authority:

• 7 governors co-opted by the Governing body based on their skills and experience;
• 3 governors from the Diocese (2 appointed and the Vicar of All Saints Church (ex officio);
• 2 governors elected by the St. John’s community of parents and carers;
• 1 governor elected by the staff of St. John’s;
• The head teacher (ex officio);
• 1 governor appointed from the Local Authority.

Current members of the St. John’s Governing Body can be found here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/109146#school-governance

In addition, the full Governing Body appoints associate members based on their skills, knowledge or experience. Associate members do not have voting rights either in the full Governing Body or its committees.

In line with guidance from the Department of Education and the NGA, the full Governing Body meets six times a year, with one meeting being an annual strategic review. The Governing Body delegates some responsibilities to the following committees as defined in their Terms of Reference, summarized below:

• Teaching, Learning & (Children’s) Wellbeing: meets five times a year with a focus on curriculum, pedagogy, pupil groups, and topics related to children’s wellbeing.
• Finance & Resources: meets five times a year with a focus on the school’s finances, staff wellbeing, premises, equipment, and health & safety.
• Pay & Benefits: meets two times a year to review and update our Pay and Appraisal policies and perform the governors’ responsibilities in the annual process.

The current chairs of the full Governing Body and its committees are:

• Full Governing Body: Alice Ballard
• Teaching, Learning & Wellbeing: Alice Ballard
• Finance & Resources: Merche Clark
• Pay & Benefits: Paul Manson

Contacting the Governors

To contact the Governors, feel free to either talk to a Governor listed here or email:
governors@stjohnsprimary.org.uk.

Governors welcome constructive feedback and ideas about the strategic direction of the school. Please note that Governors do not get involved in the day-to-day functioning of the school, and it is not appropriate to contact Governors about individual children. For these requests, please either contact your class teacher or a member of the senior leadership team. Alternatively, information about the complaints procedures for the school can be found here.