Welcome Letter from Chair
Welcome to the governance section of the website. Here you can find out more about who we are and what we do. Each governor has a pen profile which provides some background information on their employment history, what they bring to the role and what areas they are involved in. There are many different reasons our governors volunteer, but we all share one common goal: to make Westwood Farm Schools a place where children are happy, safe and reaching their potential. We are ambitious for the school, and for the children who attend.
We work hard to attract and retain governors from varied backgrounds and are proud to have a diverse mixture of individuals. Whilst the role is voluntary, we do expect commitment to the role, which includes attending meetings, taking part in monitoring activities and undertaking relevant training. We regularly review our own structure and performance and are constantly seeking ways to improve what we do.
The main purpose of a governing board can be split into three main categories:
Firstly, ensuring the clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction. This means never losing sight of the overall aims of the school. We work very closely with the Headteacher to support and oversee their plans for the school, with a focus on development and improvement.
Secondly, holding the headteacher to account for educational performance; a panel of governors will carry out performance management on the headteacher, as well as monitoring this throughout the year.
Lastly, to oversee the financial performance of the school. We have a separate Finance committee. Regular meetings take place with the School Business Manager and Headteacher to ensure the school budget is spent in a way that will be of most benefit to the school and those attending.
At the end of each academic year, the board will produce our Annual Governance Statement, a full report of how often we have met, what we have all been involved in and what our aims for the following year are. This is published on the website as well as sent out to stakeholders.
We firmly believe that education is a partnership and would always welcome any feedback or comments from parents and carers, or from the wider school community.
Barry Tucker
Chair of Governors.
Btucker@westwoodfarmschools.w-berks.sch.uk