Our Governing Body

Governors work closely with headteachers, school staff and representatives from the local authority (LA).

Governor Committee Structure

Find out more about our governors by clicking on their name below:

Name	Representing	Term of Office Ends	Committee	Responsibilities	Register of Interests	Relationship to Staff
Mrs J Hodgson - Head Teacher	Co-opted	ongoing	Finance & Premises School and Committee		None	NA
Mr Dennis Ramsey - Chair	Community	10/04/2020	Finance & Premises First/Pay Review Headteachers Performance Personnel School and Curriculum	Science Mathematics History	None	NA
Mrs Jane Brown	Staff	06/03/2020	Finance & Premises	English	None	Sister of Mrs Cunliffe (DHT)
Mrs Julie Smith	Co-opted	21/09/2019	School and Curriculum	Health and Safety Child Protection Behaviour	None	NA
Mrs Margaret Berry	Co-opted	13/03/2020	Personnel First/Pay Review School and Curriculum	Early Years Music Art Behaviour	None	NA
Mr Ian Machin	Co-opted	26/03/2021	Finance and Premises First/Pay Review	Mathematics Geography	None	NA
Miss Tracy Hutchinson	Co-opted	26/03/2021	Appeals School and Curriculum Headteacher's Performance	Art and Design	None	NA
Mrs Carol Waterhouse	Co-opted	26/03/2021	Appeals Headteacher's Performance Personnel	English	None	NA
Rev Canon Paul Tyler	Community	05/072021	Curricuum	Religious Education	None	NA
Mr Alistair Kerr	Parent	06/10/2020	Curriculum Appeals	P.E	None	NA
Mrs Joan Low	Local Authority	06/10/2021	Curriculum	Assessment Standards and Prgress	None	NA
Miss Maxine Stokes	Parent				None	NA

How To Become A School Governor

If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.

Induction Guidance for New Governors 2017

Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies

West Cornforth Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. For further information please view or download the full document below.

The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools (2017)
19-20 Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body

Governor Attendance

Schools are required to display a record of governor attendance at meetings for each academic year. The information can be found in the table below. Please also read the timetable of meetings document below which lists all of the committee and staff meetings for the academic year 2019-2020.

KEY
✓ – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee

Record of Attendance 2019 – 2020

Name	FGB Meeting 17/10/2019	FGB Meeting 23/01/2020	Achievement & Learning Meeting	Finance & Premises Meeting	First Pay Review Meeting	Headteachers Performance Meeting
Mr A Kerr	✔	✔
Mr D Ramsey	✔	✔	17/09/2019 01/10/2019 15/10/2019 22/10/2019 26/11/2019 10/12/2019 14/01/2020 03/03/2020	02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020	23/10/2019 04/02/2020	18/11/2019 04/02/2020
Mr I Machin	✔	✔		02/10/2019 25/11/2019	02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Mrs C Waterhouse	✔	✔				02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Mrs J Brown	✔	✔		02/10/2019 25/11/2019
Mrs J Hodgson	✔	✔	17/09/2019 01/10/2019 15/10/2019 22/10/2019 26/11/2019 10/12/2019 14/01/2020 03/03/2020	02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Mrs J Lowe	✔	✔	17/09/2019 01/10/2019 15/10/2019 22/10/2019 26/11/2019 10/12/2019 14/01/2020		02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Mrs J Smith	✔	✔	17/09/2019 01/10/2019 15/10/2019 22/10/2019 26/11/2019 10/12/2019 14/01/2020 03/03/2020
Mrs M Berry	✔	✔	17/09/2019 01/10/2019 15/10/2019 22/10/2019 26/11/2019 10/12/2019 14/01/2020 03/03/2020			02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Mrs T Hutchinson	✔	✔				02/10/2019 25/11/2019 10/02/2020
Rev. P Tyler	✔	✔
Mrs M Braithwaite	✔	✔

Archived Attendance
You can also view previous years attendance on our website.

Committee Terms of Reference

The Finance and Premises Committee

CHAIR: Mr D Ramsey
Terms of Reference:

In conjunction with the Headteacher to draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year, for approval by the full Governing Body.
To establish and maintain an up-to-date 3 year financial plan.
To monitor income and expenditure, including virement decisions, significant anomalies from the anticipated position and report termly to the Governing Body.
To ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the County Council and the requirements of the DfE Schools Financial Value Standard.
To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds kept on behalf of the Governing Body.
To annually review charges and remissions policies and expenses policies.
To make decisions in respect of service level agreements.
To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees.
To prepare financial statements for inclusion in any reports to parents.
To ensure as far as is practical that any Health and Safety (H&S) issues are appropriately funded in accordance with priorities.
To ensure that Pay Review Committee and Pay Appeal Committee decisions are appropriately funded.
To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure.

Meetings: termly, or each half term, planned to coincide with Smartstream.
Disqualifications: when there may be a conflict of interest; a fair hearing is required; or a pecuniary interest. Associate members may not vote.
Pay Review Meetings: Autumn Term and as necessary
Disqualifications: school staff, pecuniary interest

First / Pay Review Committee

CHAIR: Mr I Machin
Terms of Reference:

To act in accordance with the Teachers’ Pay Policy adopted by the Governing Body.
To report to the Finance Committee on Pay Review-related expenditure.
To make any decisions under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body, eg disciplinary, grievance, ill health, capability etc where the Headteacher is the subject of the action.
To make any decisions relating to a member of staff (other than the Headteacher) under the Personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (unless delegated to the Headteacher).
Staffing Reductions.

Appeals

CHAIR: Miss T Hutchinson
Terms of Reference:

To consider any appeal against a decision to dismiss a member of staff made by the First/Pay Review Committee (or Headteacher if delegated).
To consider any appeal against a decision under the personnel procedures adopted by the Governing Body (eg disciplinary, pay review, capability for teachers etc).
To consider any appeal against selection for redundancy.

Virement & Expenditure Limits

Virement Limits		Expenditure Limits
Limit set for Headteacher without prior written approval of Chair or Governing Body	£ 7,500	Any items of expenditure up to	£ 10,000
Limit set for Headteacher with approval from Chair of Governors	£ 10,000	Above this limit if item was previously notified to the Governing Body. Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity.
Prior Finance Committee or Chair of Governors approval (whichever is the soonest) to be sought outside of this limit and reported at the earliest opportunity.

NB: Any goods/services purchased and works to be carried out are subject to Durham County Council Contract Procedure Rules (January 2014) for quotations.

Personnel Committee

CHAIR: Mrs M Berry
Terms of Reference:

To carry out an annual review of the staffing structure in consultation with the Headteacher and the Finance Committee.
To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
To establish and review an appraisal policy for all staff.
To keep under review work/life balance, working conditions and well being, including the monitoring of absence.
To make recommendations to the Finance Committee on Personnel-related expenditure.
To act as the Pupil Discipline Committee

Meetings: Half Termly/when required

Disqualifications: Pecuniary interest, prior knowledge on involvement, spouse/partner

Delegation to the Headteacher

Appointments:

Temporary staff

Dismissals:

Up to and including final written warning

Achievement & Leaning Committee

CHAIR: Mrs J Low

Terms of Reference:

Overall Responsibility: To take a strategic role in ensuring that the school provides high quality teaching and learning which leads to the highest possible levels of attainment and progress for all pupils

A minimum of 3 full governors must attend each meeting in order to be quorate

Meetings will be held 3 times a year. Dates for the following academic year will be determined at the summer term meeting of the Full Governing Body. A reminder will be sent to Governors at least one week in advance of the meeting, by the circulation of an agenda and related papers.

Areas of Responsibility of the Learning and Achievement Committee

Standard

1) To ensure that strategies are in place to raise achievement for all pupils

a) To understand the performance data for the school

b) Agree targets (statutory and non-statutory) for attainment & progress in consultation with the head teacher

c) Consider the school’s analysis of all pupils’ achievement during the year by monitoring the progress towards these targets especially for any under performing groups:

SEN pupils
Ethnic Minority pupils
EAL pupils
FSM pupils
LAC
Boy/girls
Any other vulnerable or previously under performing group

d) Explore differences in outcomes between different subjects

e) Agree further strategies for improvement in consultation with the Headteacher to incorporate in the SDP

f) To undertake monitoring visits to the school and record appropriately

g) Monitoring and assessment of the following policies:

Calculation Policy
English Policy
Maths Policy
PE Policy
Anti-bullying Policy
Behaviour Policy
Equality Opportunities Policy
Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct
Marking and Feedback Policy
Attendance Policy
Pupil Premium Policy
Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy and Information sheet

Teaching & Learning

To ensure there is high quality teaching & learning across all year group

a) Monitor that there is reliable assessment and high quality tracking information for all learners to support learning.

b) Monitoring tracking and progress reports on teaching, learning and progress on all year groups through termly summary reports

Curriculum

To monitor and review academic and pastoral arrangements to ensure the school delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in keeping with the ethos of the school and the requirements of the National Curriculum

a) Monitor progress against the curriculum and targets of the School Improvement Plan and action plans

b) To deal with complaints about GB actions in the National Curriculum and in accordance with the school’s complaints procedure

c) Ask Headteacher to demonstrate that the school is meeting statutory requirements on curriculum

d) Review the curriculum and intervention programme for SEN; EAL; G&T and any other under performing groups

e) To plan and evaluate Governor Activity Day to take place in annually in March

Reporting

The committee shall report to the Full Governing Body each term. All minutes, with the exception of confidential minutes, will be distributed to all governors within the term.

Governor Development

The committee will regularly review their competence and experience and instigate any training and development which is considered beneficial.

Review

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually.

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