Welcome to the Governors section of our school website. We thought you might like to know a little bit about us and what we do.
 
Chair of Governors - Mrs Gill Flynn
Clerk to Governors – Mrs Louisa Trafford
Co-Opted
Mrs Jill Underwood
Mrs Janet Tucker
Mrs Judith Wozniak
Mrs Susan Creal (Vice Chair of Governors)
Mrs Sam Yeldon
Mrs Gill Flynn
Mrs Hannah Parkinson
Mr Ryan Gibson
Local Authority Governors
Mr Gordon Duff
Parent Governors
Mrs Ailia Ashworth
Mr Andrew Hoare
Staff Governors
Mrs Nicola White

The Governing Body (GB) together with the Headteacher and senior staff, forms the school Leadership and Management team, and share responsibility for the school.  The GB must hold the school to account for the standards it achieves.  It must ensure that all resources (including the school budget and staff) are properly used to meet the needs of all children and provide value for money.  Governors help to form the School Improvement Plan and are responsible for monitoring all aspects of its effectiveness in terms of outcomes for pupils. The GB appoints the Headteacher, and delegates to them the responsibility for the day to day running of the school.
 
Who are the Governors?
Governors are the key strategic decision makers and vision setters in the school. They are also a key part of the overall system for school accountability. They are people from various aspects of the school and its wider community and they have a vital role to play in driving up school and pupil performance and ensuring that resources are used well to give every child the best possible education.
 
Decisions are made by the Board as a whole.  Individual governors have no ‘power’ as such and cannot act or speak on behalf of the Governing Body.  The term of office for a governor is 4 years.  At Titchfield Primary School we have the following numbers and categories of governors:
 
Staff: There is one staff governor position on the board.  This person is elected by the members of staff in school.  The head teacher automatically becomes a governor by virtue of their appointment as Headteacher.  They can decide not to be a governor if they prefer but their place on the board cannot be taken by anyone else.
Parents: There are two parent governors on the board.  The parent governors are elected by the parents of registered pupils in the school.
Co-opted: There are eight co-opted governors on the board. These governors are appointed by the governing body as people who have the necessary skills and expertise to ensure that the governing body is effective. 
Local Authority: There is one Local Authority governor on the board.  This governor is nominated by the Local Authority and is appointed by the governing body. 
 
What does the work involve?
The GB meets once a month apart from during the summer (currently 6pm to 8pm on a Tuesday). There are documents that need to be read in preparation for all meetings.  In total, that is 10 meetings (approx 20 hours of meetings) per year, plus reading/research  time. 
 
There are also working parties to deal with aspects of work that come up from time to time, such as Special Educational Needs, Equality and Health & Safety. 
 
Governors take individual responsibility for key areas of the curriculum and work with subject and key stage leaders to drive improvement.   Governors also go into school on a more official basis to formally monitor aspects of the School Improvement Plan.
 
There is no longer a legal requirement for Governing Bodies to hold an AGM, but the GB must ensure that it communicates its work to parents and other stakeholders.  Each year the GB and senior management team seek to access the views of all stakeholders, particularly parents, pupils and staff.  This is achieved in a variety of ways such as newsletters and questionnaires.  These views inform planning for improvement.  Information about the work of the school is available on the school website (including up-to-date school policies) and through the prospectus. 
 
What qualifications are needed?
No formal qualifications are required, just a desire to put experience and life skills to good use.
 
What about training?
New governors are given a full induction pack about being a governor at Titchfield Primary School and attend an induction course run by the Local Authority.  The Development & TrainingGovernor helps with training needs.   If it would be helpful, you will be offered a mentor who can help with any queries/ settling in etc.  

Advice is  available on-line through the Governors Intranet  and through Hampshire Governor Services.
 
It seems like an awful lot of work - why do it?
Most people find it very rewarding to be part of the school team, working in partnership with staff and community to secure the best possible education for the children of Titchfield.

All governors are welcomed and each plays a vital role in ensuring the governing body is aware of the views of parents and the local community.
 
The guidelines giving full details about how vacancies are filled, can be seen at the school office. You might also like to look at the information for prospective governors on the Hampshire County Council website www3.hants.gov.uk/education/governors    Please note that for the protection of children all governor appointments are subject to a vetting process and identity check.

(Updated February 2016)