This Committee is responsible for following pupils’ progress and achievement, ensuring the school provides a high-quality teaching and learning experience and delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in keeping with the school's aims and national curriculum requirements. It also reviews the standards of the school in terms of attendance, behaviour and attitudes and the wider school environment, ensuring it is safe and fir for purpose. This includes site visits and monitoring checks to ensure the site is safe and fit for purpose.

Governors on this committee are tasked with detailed monitoring of the school’s finances; they hold the Headteacher to account for the financial performance of the school. It also supports the staffing structure of the school and appointment of staff.

The Resources committee is also responsible for the finances to support the health and safety.

As a full board we meet termly and review attainment data, stakeholder feedback and safeguarding in addition to Budget monitoring. This enables us to get a clear picture of what is happening in the school and areas we need to focus on for further development. Within the structure there is also linked Governor roles, where we have identified an area of development. These are agreed in conjunction with the senior leadership team. We use various sources of information from the school, the Local authority, and benchmarking data from around the country to assess the performance of the school. Governors are responsible for policies and procedures.

Linked Governors have responsibility for their area, and they may undertake learning walks and monitoring sessions to understand the area in more detail and help to develop the area. Any reports produced are shared at governing body meetings and improvements made are shared with the board.

This year the school has identified the following School Development priorities 2024-2027.

· Maximizing Learning opportunities for all pupils

· Sequencing of the Curriculum

· Robust assessment

· Leadership at all levels

· Sixth Form: Preparation for Adulthood

Safeguarding is an area of priority for governors, and all have safeguarding training which is updated at least yearly We have a safeguarding audit, and any recommendations are shared with governors to facilitate discussion and challenge around the provision in place. Safeguarding is woven into all aspects of school life and is monitored and questioned in meetings. The wellbeing and health of staff and children are part of our discussions. The board has completed an extensive range of safeguarding training including Safer recruitment, Cyber security, Data Protection Bullying and FGM, Child Protection, Online safety, Filtering, and monitoring and protecting children from radicalisation. We have a Safeguarding link governor.

The Governing Body also holds responsibility for conducting the Head Teacher’s appraisal annually. The headteacher must provide evidence to the governing board that objectives have been met. In addition, the head teacher reports to the board on staff l to ensure that their development objectives have also been met. Governors scrutinise this report and use evidence to approve pay recommendations suggested by the head teacher. We take advice from an external professional and there is trained governor on the panel.

Working on a schedule Governors ensure policies are in place updated and pertinent to the needs of the school to operate effectively and comply with legal and statutory requirements.

These ensure everyone know the processes to follow and where to go to find more information or advice. This reflects our vision, expectations, and legal requirements to ensure staff and students are safe and risks are accurately assessed.

There are informal opportunities for Governors to attend events and celebrations. This is a chance to talk to parents and students, gather information and see the school in action. Governors have attended events this year and completed feedback reports. Parent questionnaires are also provided at events and fed back to the board. Leading Parent Partnership Award LPPA is in process.

New and re-elected governors undertake an induction process to ensure the role is explained, expectations are clear, how to access information and training. A mentor is offered.

Governors undertake an individual skills audit to identify strengths and development areas. They have access to a range of providers and can now access The National College. Updating and learning new skills allows governors to challenge and question Senior Leadership and ensure provision is always improving. Each Governor is responsible for their own development, but help is always available. A deeper external board review was completed 2024 and the board had a successful outcome. An action plan is under development for 2024/2025.

In our determinations we have due regard that our decisions are fair, in the best interests of the students and staff, eliminate discrimination, advance equal opportunities, and foster good relations between all.

• Vision: a statement that says what your school aspires to.

• Values: the overarching principles that steer your school in everything it does. They define your core beliefs, guide your decision-making, and demonstrate what you are at your best.

• Strategy: the specific actions you will take to achieve your vision/ your plan.

• Ethos: the culture and character of the school/trust.

It is:

• How people feel when they are there

• The shared beliefs you all hold

• The environment you create to make sure people can achieve the vision, live the values, and implement the strategy.

• Mission: while the vision is the overarching statement of where you want pupils to be when they leave, the mission is about what you are doing right now to achieve that vision.

• Stakeholder: Parents, staff, students, nurses, volunteers. Their feedback helps identify what we do well, what we need to be better at, what else we could offer.

• Strategic: Planning and reviewing where we on completing an agreed plan, the overview.

• Operational: How the school runs, and the steps taken to complete the plan, the process.

• Performance management: Ensuring the job is being done and what the next development is.