What are "Governors" and what do they do?

The Governing body is made of representatives of parents, staff, the trust and the community. We are part of the management of the school but not involved in its day-to-day running. We are there to act as a critical friend to the staff. The governors support the staff, by listening, by giving advice and by bringing in expertise from outside the school, but we also hold the staff to account. It is the governors’ duty to try to ensure that the children who come to Banister have the best possible education. It is also our pleasure to come in and celebrate the school’s successes.

The governors meet as a full board once every half term, and are mainly concerned with the strategic overview of the school. Much of the detailed work is done through sub-committees and working parties. There are currently two subcommittees: General Purposes, which deals with finance, staffing and the premises; and Teaching and Learning, which monitors educational progress. Working parties are set up when there is a specific short-term issue that needs governor input.