How is the governing body set up and how are governors selected?

The Instrument Of Government states that the Bounds Green Governing Body consists of 15 Governors:

• 1 Headteacher (Governor ex-officio)
• 2 Parent Governors (elected by the parent body)
• 1 staff Governor (nominated by staff)
• 1 Local Authority Governor
• 10 Co-opted Governors

The term of office is four years.

Parent governors are elected by the parent/carer community and each family has up to two votes (usually one per parent/carer).  When a vacancy arises, the school invites parents/carers to stand for election.  If there are more candidates than vacancies, each candidate will be asked to write a short summary of why they would like to be a governor, and these are circulated to parents to help them decide who to vote for. Staff governors are elected by the staff, and co-opted governors are either parents/staff/other community members who submit an interest and are appointed by Governors in relation to the skills/knowledge they might bring to the Governing Body.

What do governors do?

Governors oversee the strategic direction of the School and oversee the management of the school’s budget, staffing, buildings and curriculum. Together with the headteacher, they set targets and standards for the school, monitor results, agree policies, budgets and staffing structures, and monitor performance management and the effectiveness of the curriculum.

How is the governing body organised?

The governing body has two committees; Governors sit on either one of these committees, with the Headteacher on both.  These are:

• Teaching & Learning Committee (which oversees and monitors the quality of teaching & learning in the School, standards of achievement, approves targets, monitors the curriculum; for full detail of its remit & functions please refer to the committee’s Terms of Reference)
• Resources Committee (which oversees and monitors finance, personnel and staffing issues, the premises , health & safety; for full detail of its remit & functions please refer to the committee’s Terms of Reference)

Committee meetings are held at least once a term.  Full governing body meetings are also held at least once a term. Part I of these meetings is open to the public and all are welcome to attend as long as they contact the Chair of Governors at least a calendar week prior to the meeting. Part II of the meeting concerns confidential items and is not open to the public.

As well as sitting on committees, some non-staff governors also take on “link” areas within the school. These are for statutory areas such as Safeguarding and Looked After Children, Special Educational Needs, and Health and Safety. The link governors get to know these aspects of school life in more depth.

When and how should I contact the governors?

Please remember that specific issues or complaints relating to your child should be addressed to your child’s class teacher or the headteacher in the first instance. If you have broader questions or concerns about school policy please feel free to contact the governors. Please also get in touch if would like to find out more about what we do. You can contact us via the Green Post Box outside the school gate, by talking to one of us in the playground, or by emailing the Chair, Eleanor Kaye, on chair@boundsgreen.haringey.sch.uk

Approved Instrument of Government.Bounds Green Federation

Governors Register of Interests 2024-25