Being a Governor

All the Governors are committed to offer time and support to the school. We do so by working together and with the Head Teacher to ensure the children get the very best from their time at Firfield.

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the three core strategic functions of Firfield Primary School Governing Board are:

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

As Governors, we are expected to attend full Governing Body Meetings and various sub –committee meetings.

These meetings happen during the school terms, and are also attended by the Head Teacher and other nominated members of staff. The meetings are arranged around times (normally out of school hours) to suit Governors. The sub-committees consist of two groups, Resource Management (RMC) and Curriculum, Teaching & Learning (CTL).  Governors can decide which group(s) they wish to participate in.

Within these two committees named governors are tasked with specific school and curriculum associated responsibilities. In this way information can be fed back for the benefit of the governing body as a whole, providing an invaluable insight into the working of the school.

Governors are provided with an Agenda in advance of each meeting so that we are fully aware of the issues to be discussed. In order to prepare for a meeting, we are also required to read through any relevant supporting documents. During the meeting(s) Governors are encouraged to put forward their views on the issues under discussion. The topics can relate to any number of different areas for example; school policies, Ofsted inspection, development and curriculum plans, staffing and financial matters, to name but a few. It all depends on the nature and content of the meeting.

Every April the Governing Body is responsible for agreeing the school's annual budget.

The Governing Body are a friendly and structured group, passionate about the school and supporting all those connected with it. With over 400 pupils, Firfield is one of the largest Primary Schools in Derbyshire.

The current Governing Body as at September 2024 is detailed below along with the committees and roles they participate in:

The governing body has re-constituted and its new Instrument of Government has been approved by the Local Authority. This is listed below:-

1. The name of the school is Firfield Primary School.

2. The school is a Local Authority Maintained school.

3. The name of the governing body is "The governing body of Firfield Primary

School”.

4. The governing body shall consist of:

a. Three parent governors

b. One LA governor

c. One Staff governor

d. One Headteacher

e. Seven co-opted governors

5. Total number of governors is thirteen.

6. The term of office for each governor is four years.

7. This instrument of government comes into effect on 1 January 2024.

8. This instrument was made by order of Derbyshire County Council Local

Authority on 14 December 2022.

9. A copy of the instrument must be supplied to every member of the governor

body (and the Headteacher if not a governor), any trustees and to the

appropriate religious body.

 

Details of the Code of Practice and Performance Standards can be found in the 'Code of Practice & Standards' section.

Declarations of Interest for the year 2023-24:

Barbara James                  Exam Invigilator, Friesland School

Corinne Poland                 Clinical Psychologist, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Dee Hill                               Vice Chair of Governors at Cotmanhay Junior School and Chair of Governors at Ashbourne Hilltop Primary & Nursery School

Haydn Wheeler                 Co-opted governor at Aston-on-Trent Primary School

James Tolson                     Richard Tolson and Tina Tolson (Parents), Airwise Compressor Services

Married to Jess Tolson, Teacher at Firfield

Rachel Tittershill               Brother - Artificial Grass Company

Victoria Beardmore         Head of Retail Procurement for N Brown Group

Governors who have resigned or terms of office have finished during the last academic year: