Governors
On behalf of the governing body, we'd like to welcome you and your child/children to Gravel Hill Primary School. Here’s a little bit about the school governors:
School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education.
What do Governors Do?
School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy head teacher. It is governors who set and monitor the finance in the school and it is governors who work with the head teacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.
Several Governors at Gravel Hill have been governors for many years. We do also have several newer members of the team to ensure we have a balance of experience and new blood. We come from varied professional backgrounds so have a good mixture of expertise and skills. The governing body is established in law as a corporate body. Each Individual governor may not act independently of the rest of the governing body. All decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body as a whole.
Questions, compliments, concerns and complaints should go to the school before coming to the governing board.
Say ‘hello’ to the Gravel Hill School Governors:
- Ms E Neale - Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)
- Mr M Jackson - Co-Vice Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)
- Mr Daniel Pothecary-Smith - Co-Vice Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)
- Miss M Doku - Co-opted Governor
- Mr O Olusoga - Co-opted Governor
- Miss J Byrne - Parent Governor
- Miss A Hopkins - Staff Governor
- Miss M Neale - Headteacher
What is our vision?
The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:
- set the aims and objectives for the school and set the policies and targets for achieving those aims and goals
- monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
- setting the annual budget to monitor all finances, premises and staffing
- be a source of challenge and support to the head teacher (a critical friend)
The head teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.
Types of governors explained:
- Trust appointed Governors: appointed by the governing body to represent the community. A co-opted governor does not need to have any previous experience or knowledge of education, nor do they need to have children.
- Parent Governors: selected onto the governing body for their skills and experience.
- Staff Governors: elected onto the governing body by staff at the school.
Everyone appointed to the Governing body is only appointed on the basis that they have in the opinion of the person making the appointment ‘the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school'.
Click below to see our Governance structure and schedules:
GH Annual Statement of Governance 2022-23
GH Annual Statement of Governance 2021-22
Cygnus Academies Trust Annual Statement of Governance 2022-23
Cygnus Academies Trust Annual Statement of Governance 2021-22
Cygnus Academies Trust Governance Structure
Annual Report of Governors September 2021
Cygnus Annual Report & Financial Statements
Memorandum of Association; Articles of Association; Funding Agreement
Unity Academy Trust Documents (UAT merged with Cygnus Academies Trust on 1st July 2022)
UAT Annual Statement of Governance 2020-2021
UAT Annual Report & Financial Statements
UAT Trustees/Members Register of Interests 2020-21
We currently have some Governor vacancies at Gravel Hill, including for parent governors. Please contact either Miss M Neale or Ms E Neale via the school office and they will happily tell you about life as a school governor. Please also visit http://www.inspiringgovernors.org/ or Governors for Schools to learn more about why schools need volunteers like you and the benefits and rewards of becoming a Governor.
We also welcome your feedback about the school.
