Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

We have also provided a Register of Governor Interests and an Annual Statement of Issues for your information.

THE SCHOOL’S GOVERNING BODY

Governors’ Report for 2016-17

Introduction

During the 2016-17 school year, the Governors of Longford Church of England Primary School (“the Governing Body”) have met on six occasions to discuss and consider ordinary or special items of business. In addition, the Governors have held regular meetings of sub-committees focussed on key areas such as teaching & learning, achievement & standards, finance, performance management and ‘governance’ matters. Governors have also assisted in the organisation and running of the School by supporting the Headteacher and staff on specific matters which have arisen during the course of the year, such as in relation to safeguarding and the further development of the School’s website, and new staffing appointments.

OFSTED & Church Inspections

In December 2016, the School was subject to a formal inspection by OFSTED and members of the Governing Body participate in the preparation for this inspection and during the course of the inspection itself, including interview by the OFSTED Inspector. In January 2017, the School was also subject to a statutory inspection by the Church of England Education Office and again members of the Governing Body were involved in this process.

The Governing Body was delighted therefore that the outcome of these two inspections was that the School was rated ‘Good’ by OFSTED and ‘Outstanding’ by the Church of England Inspector. Copies of the inspection reports are available on the School’s website. Both processes were helpful to the School in identifying areas for further improvement and these are being addressed through the School Improvement Plan.

Participation in School processes

The Governing Body has continued to participate in the continuous improvement processes for the School, notably the formal School Improvement Plan (SIP), periodic reviews of the SIP and the School’s Self-Evaluation. Through these processes, emphasis has been placed this year on (amongst other things) raising attainment and progress in reading, writing & mathematics, pupil well-being and safeguarding. Further, as reported last year, following the ending of government-mandated monitoring processes, the School has continued to implement and embed new pupil progress tracking systems. The Governors have been kept fully informed of progress against plan and in these developments by the School’s headteacher and through their own monitoring activities. Members of the Governing Body have also taken part in relevant training programmes and events themselves.

Headteacher’s appointment as a National Leader in Education

Mr Searson, the School’s Headteacher, has for a number of years been working as an Associate Schools Inspection Advisor (ASIA) and Local Leader in Education (LLE). The Governing Body is delighted to report that he has now also been appointed as a National Leader in Education (NLE), a leading professional role – of which there are only about 600 in the country  and to have the School under the direction of such a highly skilled and experienced head. The Governing Body has given its full support to his work under these appointments, not only because of the financial benefit they bring (as commented on further below) but also because of the teaching & learning improvement and professional standards and development opportunities which they bring back to the School itself.

Update on School finances, admissions and Numbers-On-Roll

The School is, obviously, a primary school with its 75 or so pupils spread over seven years (Reception to Year 6) but physical constraints limit it to three classrooms. Employee costs for teaching, ancillary and support staff represent four-fifths or more of the School’s expenditure.

1. it is important to note that there is not a straight-line relationship between employee costs and NOR. In other words, if pupil numbers drop in one year by, say, 10%, it is not possible to reduce employee costs by corresponding a 10%: the smaller number of children in the relevant classes still require 100% staffing coverage, the School still requires non-teaching support just the same, and so on. Similarly, most of the other expenditure items for the School are also ‘fixed’ or virtually ‘fixed’ and do not reduce (or increase) directly in line with pupil numbers.

How has the School balanced its books?

The problem of expenditure exceeding income has been resolved so far in a number of ways.

Firstly, the School has over several years implemented a number cost-saving initiatives which have contributed to balancing the books and providing annual accounting ‘surpluses’. These include new arrangements for school meal provision, the organisation of staff training events and prudent purchasing. However the scope for implementing additional income/reduced expenditure initiatives is, if not exhausted, not thought to be very great.

Secondly, as mentioned above, in his capacity as an ASIA, LLE and (now) NLE, our Headteacher has undertaken advisory work in other schools in the district and this has provided an additional income stream to the School. As all schools’ budgets progressively tighten however, the extent to which it will be possible to sustain this additional income in the future is uncertain.

Thirdly, and not least, the School benefits greatly from the committed and generous support provided by the School’s active FPTA, especially in relation to purchasing equipment and resources for the School.

Through the above, the School has built up a cumulative budget surplus with DCC and this has been carried forward each year to offset the excess of expenditure over income, putting the School in a relatively healthy financial position for the time being. However, with core expenditure exceeding core income by about 10-12%, and with uncertainty over the future of other income sources, this surplus could soon significantly erode - and in less much time than it takes for a pupil to progress through the School - unless the School’s overall income continues to be maximised.

Despite the above, and subject to the comments below about NOR, the Governing Body (and DCC) is at present reasonably confident of the School’s financial viability for at least the next few years. However, keeping these matters under close review is one of the Governing Body’s core functions.

Maximising Numbers on Roll

For the reasons outlined above, it is clearly essential that School maximises its ‘per pupil’ income, since this provides the highest, firmest income line for the School going forward and so is vital to the medium and longer term financial viability of the School. For example, a reduction in NOR by 6 pupils would reduce the School’s income by about £15,000 year-on-year but not reduce its corresponding expenditure. Given the excess of expenditure over income each year, a reduction in income of such a small amount would therefore accelerate the erosion of the accumulated budget surplus significantly, even if - as hoped - the other income sources/cost savings referred to above were sustained.

NOR and admissions

1. School has increased its NOR from 65 in 2011 to the current level of around 75 (which is about as many as the School can accommodate). Because of the School’s success and popularity, applications to join the School in recent years have been oversubscribed (and opportunities for in-year transfers have also been very limited). School’s current forecast NOR is for it to remain at about this level for a number of years, with an annual new intake of 10 per year.

This healthy position on NOR, vital to the viability of the School organised with three classes and the corresponding staffing required as explained above, of course brings its concerns when it comes to applications for admissions and class sizes. An infant class size is not permitted to exceed 30 pupils.

Admissions are not in fact determined by the School but by DCC which follows a ‘pecking order’ policy. In broad terms and special cases aside, the priorities run as follows: (1) children within catchment with siblings already at the school; (2) children out of catchment with siblings already at the school; (3) children within catchment; and (4) children out of catchment. Within a category, if there is competition for places, the children in closest proximity to the School take priority. Against this background, the School itself would generally seek to accommodate children within catchment if it was able to do so within the constraints it has.

The problem of admissions was particularly acute for the School for 2015-16, as previously reported on by the Governing Body. That year the number of applications to the School was 15, of which 9 were from siblings (in and out of catchment), 4 from new catchment pupils and 2 out of catchment. A number of these applicants in turn had younger siblings which in itself is important for the longer-term viability of the School. As the School was organised at that time, given the fixed restriction on infant class sizes, only 10 of these applicants would have been successful and thereby a number of in-catchment children would have to have been rejected, which neither the Headteacher nor Governing Body as a matter of principle wished to do if it could be avoided.

The difficult decision was taken therefore by the Headteacher and supported by the Governing Body to re-organise the class structure such that all 16 applicants could be taken (and so accepting all in-catchment children). This has resulted in a year size of 16 (but not class sizes exceeding 30). Results show that this has had no adverse impact on the assessed achievement and progress performance of this group, which has in fact been at or better than ‘Expected’.

Summary

The Governors believe that they have had a significant positive impact on the School during the year. They continue wholeheartedly to support the vision for the School. This is a vision where not only high standards and successful personal achievements are striven for and celebrated but also the religious, social & moral ethos of the School, empathy, respect & tolerance, generosity of spirit, personal confidence and responsibility, all in a safe environment where there is ‘fun in learning’, are very important.

The Governors would again like to express their thanks to the School’s Staff and pupils for all they have done during the year to contribute to its success and happy atmosphere, and also to the FTPA and parents for their generous support, both financially and otherwise.

Structure and remit of the Governing Body and its Committees

Under the legislation relating to the governance of maintained schools and guidance issued by the DfE, the main role of the School’s Governing Body is to conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement, with a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

• 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; and

• overseeing the financial performance of the School and making sure its money is well spent.

More information about the School’s vision and ethos can be found on the School’s website and in the School’s Prospectus.

The Governing Body is made up of:

• two foundation governors (one being the Rector of St Chads, Longford ex officio and currently vacant, and the other being appointed by the Diocese of Derby);

• three elected parent governors;

• the headteacher of the school;

• one staff governor (other than the headteacher);

• one local authority governor; and

• two other persons appointed as co-opted governors.

The Governing Body does not have any associate members.

The Governing Body has established the following main committees in order to carry out its functions:

Current members of the Governing Body

Structure and remit of the Governing Body and its Committees

Under the legislation relating to the governance of maintained schools and guidance issued by the DfE, the main role of the School’s Governing Body is to conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement, with a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

• 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; and
• overseeing the financial performance of the School and making sure its money is well spent.

More information about the School’s vision and ethos can be found on the School’s website and in the School’s Prospectus. 

The Governing Body is made up of:

• two foundation governors (one being the Rector of St Chads, Longford ex officio and the other being appointed by the Diocese of Derby);
• three elected parent governors;
• the headteacher of the school;
• one staff governor (other than the headteacher);
• one local authority governor; and
• two other persons appointed as co-opted governors.

The Governing Body does not have any associate members.

The Governing Body has established the following main committees in order to carry out its functions:

Current members of the Governing Body

Details of the current members of the Governing Body (and any other governors who have served in the last 12 months) are set out in the following tables: