About the Governors

Governors

The Governing Board – what do our governors do?

Governors work with senior leaders in the strategic development of the school and in raising standards of achievement. Duties include setting the school’s vision, aims & objectives, approving the school budget and appointing the headteacher. Governors must both support and challenge the headteacher; consequently, they need to gain an understanding of the school’s overall performance in order to explain its decisions and actions. They do this by attending regular meetings, carrying out school visits and meeting with senior leaders. They also attend training in order to keep up to date with the requirements of their role. Governors work as a team and make collective decisions.

Structure of the governing board

Amanda Healey (Foundation Governor) and Allistare Smedley (Foundation Governor) are Co-Chairs of Governors. The full governing board (FGB) meets 10 times a year. At these meetings, it carries out its three core functions as identified by the Department for Education in the Governance Handbook:

• ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent.

Minutes of FGB meetings are published on the school's website (minutes of meetings page) after approval by the governing board. The FGB has adopted the Brighton and Hove Code of Conduct for Governing Boards. Associate members do not have voting rights at Full Governing Board meetings but are welcome to attend.

The Governing Body also has a Resources Committee (Terms of Reference), an Admissions Committee (Terms of Reference) and a Pay Committee (Terms of Reference). Minutes of these meetings are published on the website (minutes of meetings page) after approval at the following Committee meeting.

The Governing Board

Instrument of Government 24.03.2015 - 2 Parent Governors, 1 Local Authority Governor, 1 Staff Governor, 1 Headteacher, 7 Foundation Governor (6 of whom appointed by the Diocese, and 1 ex officio)

Governors who have stepped down/terms of office expired during the past 12 months

Governor attendance at meetings: attendance record for September 2022 - July 2023

There is no obligation for associate members to attend meetings of the Full Governing Board.

Register of Interests of Governors and Associate Members 2022-23

Governor Responsibilities

• Behaviour: Allistare Smedley
• Child Protection: Amanda Healey
• Children in Care: Amanda Healey
• English: Christine Bartley
• Health and Safety:  Allistare Smedley
• Maths: Sophie Brinkworth
• Pupil Premium:  Rosie Doyle/Amanda Healey
• RE/Ethos: Christine Bartley
• Roedean Partnership: Amanda Healey
• SEND: Rosie Doyle/Allistare Smedley
• Sports Premium: Sophie Brinkworth
• Training and Development: vacancy
• Wellbeing: Sophie Brinkworth

Committee Membership

Resources Committee:  Phil Davis (Associate Member), Sebastian Dawson-Bowling, Jane Fendley, Amanda Healey (committee chair), vacancy, Allistare Smedley

Admissions Committee: Christine Bartley (committee chair), Jane Fendley, Amanda Healey, Jess Murch Allistare Smedley 

Pay Committee: Christine Bartley (committee chair), Sebastian Dawson-Bowling, Sophie Brinkworth  

Headteacher Appraisal Panel:  Sophie Brinkworth, Sebastian Dawson-Bowling, Allistare Smedley

Board Diversity

The governing body has agreed that their diversity data should remain confidential, due to the small size of the board.  However, diversity data is regularly analysed by the board and used in recruitment and training to ensure governors reflect the community they serve.