School Governors

Welcome to the section of the website where you can find out more about the school’s governors, and the work that we do.

School governors make a valuable contribution to children’s education, opportunities and futures.  Being a school governor is a challenging but highly rewarding role. It provides an opportunity to make a real difference to children’s lives, contribute to the local community and use and develop skills in a strategic leadership role.

Our governing body works closely with the Headteacher, providing both support and constructive challenge to help ensure the best possible outcomes for all pupils. Together, we have helped to shape the school's vision and are committed to achieving excellence across all aspects of school life.

Two key documents that guide our work are the School Development Plan (SDP) and the School Self-Evaluation (SEF). The SDP sets out the school's strategic priorities and improvement objectives, while the SEF evaluates the school's strengths and identifies areas for further development. Governors monitor progress against these priorities throughout the year.

Our core responsibilities include:

• setting the strategic direction, vision and values of the school;
• holding school leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and for the performance management of staff;
• overseeing the school's financial performance and ensuring that public money is spent effectively;
• approving key policies and ensuring the school meets its statutory responsibilities; and
• appointing, supporting, challenging and, where necessary, appraising the Headteacher.

The Full Governing Body meets at least once every term. In addition, our governors meet at least once every term through the Resources Committee and the Standards & Effectiveness Committee. These committees oversee areas including finance, staffing, premises, health and safety, educational standards, curriculum, safeguarding and school improvement, before reporting back to the full governing body.

Our Governing Body meetings are usually held in the evening, after 5.00 pm. Governors also attend training sessions (both face-to-face and online) and conferences to keep up to date with developments in education and to ensure we carry out our role effectively.

Throughout the year, governors visit the school to meet with the Headteacher, staff and pupils. These visits help us to understand the school's work, monitor progress towards the priorities set out in the School Development Plan, and provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders.

The Standards and Effectiveness Committee meets during the school day, enabling governors to see the school in action. This provides valuable first-hand evidence of the school's work, allowing governors to evaluate the impact of teaching, learning and school improvement priorities, engage with staff and pupils, and triangulate what they see with the information and reports presented at meetings.

There are several categories of governor, appointed by different groups that have an interest in the school. These are foundation governors (appointed by the Diocese), Co-opted governors, Local Authority (LA) governors, parent governors and staff governors. All governors have equal status, however they are appointed.  We are all committed to providing an excellent environment for all pupils to enjoy during their time at our school.

Our Vision

Guided by our Christian values, we strive to inspire and raise aspirations.  We will nurture our children so they are equipped to overcome life’s challenges and make a positive contribution to society.  We endeavour to instill love and respect for one another, working together to create a happy school community.

‘With God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26)

If you wish to know more, or are interested in becoming a governor, please contact us care of the School Office or email us at office@smsj.blackburn.sch.uk 

A complete list of our governors and their roles can be found on the next page (Meet the Governors).