Role of the Governor

Amadeus Primary Academies Trust has a Board of Trustees who are responsible and accountable for all the schools within the trust.

Each school in the MAT has its own LGB which considers issues relevant to the individual school. As well as acting as “champions” for the school, the LGB shares in the oversight of the functions with the Trust, but will focus on their respective school:

Implementing the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the Trust at the school level.
Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils; and
Attending meetings of the full governing body and committee meetings once a term
Reading reports and background papers prior to meetings
Join in with training, briefing sessions and learning walks
Ensure safeguarding is embedded across the school
Be involved in Ofsted Inspections
Be prepared to be involved in meetings regarding exclusions, parents or staff appeals

The LGB must familiarise themselves with Trust policies, Terms of Reference, Scheme of Delegation and other procedures which provide detailed clarity on their role in supporting the Trust to achieve its responsibilities.

The importance of the Local Governing Body cannot be overstated, as they provide valuable oversight, guidance, and challenge to the leadership team. By actively engaging with stakeholders, monitoring performance data, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement, the Local Governing Body strengthens the governance structure of the Trust and enhances its overall effectiveness.

It is important to understand that governance at all levels is a ‘thinking’, not a ‘doing’ role. This means that the skills and knowledge being sought are those which enable governors to ask the right questions, analyse data and have focused discussions that create robust accountability for school leaders.

Type of Governors

There are a number of types of governors that are elected:

Governors: Appointed by the Trust to represent the community and support the LGB to secure high standards of education for the pupils in our Schools. The Governor may not have previous experience or knowledge of education but will bring skills, experience and knowledge that will support the Local Governing Body.
Staff Governor: Elected onto the governing body by staff at the school. Everyone appointed to the Governing body is only appointed on the basis that they have in the opinion of the person making the appointment ‘the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
Parent Governors: Identified by other parents from the school and appointed by the Trust, he or she must be a parent or a carer of a pupil at the school at the time when he or she is elected.

To encourage and maintain strong links with the Church and Christian ethos, the Parochial Church Council may recommend governors.

Governance Handbook - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook

If you would like to apply to become a member of the Local Governing Body for St Paul's Cray CE Primary, then please contact the Trust Company Secretary to enquire and complete the Trust application form: clerk@apat.org.uk