Kinoulton Primary School

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Governors Impact Statement

Overall Impact of Actions

Governors have a solid understanding of the school’s current priorities and direction of travel.  School development priorities have been drawn from self-evaluation, including consulting the staff and parents to gather their views of the school.  The governing body at Kinoulton is committed, proactive and supportive, while challenging and holding school leaders to account.

See below for a list of some of the actions/impact of the governors in 2020/21:

What have governors done in school year 20-21?

 

Effective governance is defined in the governance handbook (DfE October 2020) as:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
  • Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

 

To do this, governors have held the school leadership to account and supported them in the following virtual meetings given COVID restrictions:

  • 3 full governing body meetings. Available minutes are here [LINK]. These meetings are used to respond to the head teacher’s report by supporting and challenging; scrutinise finances to ensure value for money and spend in line with priorities; and ensure the school complies with its statutory duties. Priorities are discussed as necessary. The school website gives you access to policies and reports on how money eg the Pupil Premium and Sports Premium have been used;
  • 3 development meetings where we take the opportunity to consider priorities in more depth, for example strategic direction and preparation for a future Ofsted inspection; and
  • 6 special meetings. One meeting was held to appoint the local authority headteacher appointment service and agree a selection panel with a second meeting to ratify the panel’s selection. One meeting was held to consider Kinoulton Primary School’s remote education offer during the COVID lockdown and test whether it was fit for purpose in light of emerging experience. That offer is published on the website. One meeting was held to appoint a Chair of Governors for September 2021. Two other meetings were held to agree immediate priorities and discuss a three year vision and plan with the new headteacher.

Kinoulton Primary School governors have:

  • monitored the implementation of the School Development Plan for 20-21, supporting and challenging as appropriate;
  • accepted the resignation of the current headteacher, John Savage, and deputy head, Alison Woodcock;
  • appointed a new headteacher, Simon Paramore, who joined the school on 19 April 2021;
  • set and appraised the performance of the outgoing and incoming headteachers.

 

There were two selection panel meetings and two days of interviewing for the appointment of a headteacher. Two governors also supported the shortlisting and interviewing for one temporary class teacher appointment and one appointment to provide cover for maternity leave. 

In addition governors have link roles related to each class, the curriculum and overarching priorities and have met with teachers virtually or face to face if COVID restrictions permitted to discuss curriculum developments, the quality of education and progress in these areas and reported back to the full governing body. Governor roles are outlined in the pen pictures available on the school website.

Governor visits included:

  • Wellbeing of children and staff
  • SEND
  • Literacy
  • Art and DT
  • History and Geography
  • Modern languages
  • Physical Education
  • Class 3

In addition we have completed the annual safeguarding audit and reviewed health and safety, including the school’s COVID risk assessment.

The Chair met with the headteacher around every two weeks to discuss progress and any issues arising, including one complaint.

The following policies were reviewed by governors:

  • Appraisal
  • Behaviour management
  • Child Protection
  • Finance
  • Pay
  • Recruitment and selection
  • RE policy
  • School visits and activities policy
  • SEND
  • Whistleblowing

Governors have carried out a skills audit to understand where we need to boost our skill set. We have appointed 2 new parent governors and one new co-opted governor.

The following training has been undertaken:

  • Essential Skills for Chairs
  • Headteacher appraisal
  • Governance Visits to Schools
  • Home Office Prevent
  • Induction
  • Making an Impact through effective governance
  • Ofsted for governors
  • Pay, Appraisal and Capability
  • Safeguarding for the Governing Body
  • Safer recruitment
  • Unconscious bias
  • Monitoring Role of the Link Governor
  • Governance: Your role, your responsibilities, your organisation

We conveyed our thanks to John Savage and Alison Woodcock for their leadership of the school and the excellent standards they have achieved leading all the staff and children. SATs results are some of the top results in the country. The latest details are available on the website.

We welcome Simon Paramore as the new head of Kinoulton Primary School and thank him and the staff for all the work they have put in over the summer term to evaluate the school, survey parent views, agree on immediate priorities including communications in response to the survey and safeguarding, new values, a new logo, a curriculum review. Thanks also for the Pyjamarama day and renewing our commitment to fund raising for the school and the wider community we live in.

This has been an exceptional year with very tough challenges for children, parents and staff. In school there continues to be an ordered and supportive learning environment with a focus on wellbeing and anyone visiting the school can see and hear the enjoyment children have as they learn.  Thank you specially to all the staff and parents for everything they did to help children learn remotely. We wish those children leaving us this year all the best in the future.

Thank you too to the governors for the time and thought they have put into their support of the school. Work is focussing on the strategic direction of the school, particularly communications, our place in the community, curriculum, safeguarding and sustainability including staffing structure and use of space. We are working alongside the headteacher to develop and agree a three vision and plan.

Finally we have vacancies for 3 co-opted governors and would be very pleased to hear from you if you are interested in knowing more about the role. Please contact the school office in the first instance.