Governors
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 hugely rewarding role. It will give you the chance to make a real difference to children, give something back to your local community and use and develop your skills in a board-level environment.
Our main role is to act as a source of challenge and support to the Headteacher and school – the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. We help them to set and reach targets and to strive for excellence across the whole spectrum of school life. We have helped to shape the school's vision and are fully committed to this. Two key documents we use are the School Development Plan (SDP) and the Self Evaluation Form (SEF). The SDP sets out the annual strategic plan for the school, with targets that everyone works towards and the SEF sets out how well the school is doing and where we aim to make improvements.
Our legal duties include:
- Setting strategic direction, policies and objectives
- Approving the school budget
- Reviewing progress against the school's budget and objectives
- Appointing, challenging and supporting the Headteacher
The Governing Body meets at least once every term. We also meet in committees at least once every term to look at particular aspects such as pay and staff appraisal, other staffing matters, finance and budget, curriculum matters, premises matters including health and safety.
Our Governing Body meetings are usually held in the evening after 5.00 pm. We attend training sessions and conferences to help us keep up to date with changes in schools and education and to help us do our job effectively. We also go into school to meet with the Headteacher, other members of staff and pupils to help us find out how the school is progressing towards its targets.
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).