Our governing board consists of:

• Head teacher – Mrs. Black
• Parent Governors- elected by the parents
• Staff Governors – elected by the staff
• Authority Governors – nominated by the local County Council
• Foundation Governors – appointed by the diocese or the local church.
• Co-opted Governors - invited by the Governors to join the Governing Board.
• Associate members – invited to attend by the Governing Board.

The Governing Board has three main roles:

To be strategic:

 We ensure that the school has clear aims and values that are supported by the whole school community.

• We decide with the Headteacher, the staff, the parents and the pupils, the direction of the school through the School Development Plan.
• We help to set and keep under review the policies that provide a broad framework within which the Headteacher and the staff run the school.
• We focus on raising standards in all areas and we review progress.

To be Critical Friend:

• We recognise and celebrate the achievements of the school.
• We provide support and encouragement when strategies to bring about improvement are being explored.
• We aim to strike an appropriate balance between support and challenge.

To be Accountable:

• We have the right to discuss, question and refine proposals, respecting that the professionals in the school have day to day management responsibility for the school.
• We must be prepared to account for the school's overall performance and explain our decisions and actions to parents and the local authority.
• When Ofsted assesses the overall management of the school the performance and involvement of the Governors is taken into account and does have an impact on the overall grading for 'management'.

Our governing board carries out its work through the following meetings:

• Full Governing Body meetings take place three times in the autumn term and twice in each of the spring and summer terms.  All governors attend these meetings.  The Full Governing body meetings are chaired by Mrs Amanda Bright with Mr. Paul Strong sitting as vice chair.
• The Governing Body deal with finance, personnel and premises issues.  They are responsible for the overall financial position of the school, including the strategic plan. A meeting is held once per term that focuses on financial matters.
• The Governing Body are also responsible for Curriculum and Pupil Matters and keep a watching brief, monitoring and reviewing schemes of work, policies and changing curriculum requirements; it analyses test results which indicate how well the school is ‘performing’.  A meeting is held once per term to focus on these matters..

We also have a number of committees which deal with specific issues.  Membership of and terms of reference for these committees are reviewed annually at our full governing board meeting in September.  Many of the committees (marked *) are only staffed if needed.

The committees are:

• Admissions Committee
• Committee for Appeals against Capability Warnings*
• Staff Pay Committee
• Staff Pay Appeals Committee*
• Pupil Discipline (Exclusions) Committee*
• Staff Disciplinary/Dismissal Appeals Committee*
• Staff Disciplinary/Dismissal Committee*
• Staff Grievance Committee*

We also set up working parties occasionally to deal with specific projects.  These working parties report back to the committee that initiated them.

We all work very much as a team for the benefit of the school, respecting each others' points of view but always acting as a corporate body.  We accept the decisions reached by the majority on the rare occasion we are unable to reach a unanimous conclusion.  Our relationship with Mrs. Black and the school staff is excellent and all governors are committed to maintaining this – it is an essential part of our success.

If you would like to know when our committee meetings are taking place click on the link on this site headed “Governor meetings“.  You will also be able to view copies of  minutes or key notes of all meetings.

We are always keen to hear the views of the children, parents, prospective parents, and members of our local community and take these views into consideration in our work.  We listen to children’s views through school council and also through our frequent visits to the school; we talk to parents and prospective parents at open and parents evenings as well as on an as-needed basis; and we all act as ambassadors for the school within the local community – listening to the views of others, explaining the school’s position, and bringing back feedback where necessary.

Generally, questions relating to:

1. Your child’s progress or welfare should be directed towards your child’s class teacher
2. The day-to-day organisation and management of the school should be directed to Mrs Black, (on wider policy issues to the governors)
3. Admissions, Health and Safety, school buildings, communication, or the school community should be directed towards the governors.
4. Fundraising and events should be directed towards the Junior School Association (JSA).

Questions relating to your own child should first be directed to your child’s teacher and not governors. If you need to discuss the matter further or need more advice, contact Mrs Black by making an appointment through the school office.

If you have a general question related more to the policy of the schools regarding a particular issue, then you may wish to talk to one of the governors sitting on a relevant sub-committee or a teacher.

There is no such thing as a 'typical governor'. You do not need any formal qualifications, just an interest in the school, some energy, enthusiasm and some time to commit to the role.

Who can be a governor?

• Almost everyone over 18 can become a governor
• Governors are volunteers from all walks of life - everyone has experience and    skills to offer.
• An effective governing body has people from different backgrounds with a mix of skills.
• Governors are not education experts - they are there to bring a fresh perspective.
• No formal qualifications are needed.

What makes a good governor?

• Common sense.
• The ability to work in a team.
• An interest in education and a commitment to the school.
• Patience, energy, enthusiasm and some spare time.
• A willingness to listen, learn and to spend time in school.
• A willingness to undertake training.

If you are a parent of a child in the school;  live or work in the local community and would like to chat about becoming a governor, please call or e-mail Mrs Amanda Bright, Chair of Governors on:

 Tel: 01245 380131  E-mail: Governors@hatfieldpeverel-jun.essex.sch.uk

Please contact us if you would like to chat about the school.   You can make contact with the Governors through the Chair or by telephoning the school office on 01245 380131.