The Bridge Federation Governing Board Photo Gallery

The Bridge Federation Governing Board

Introduction

Welcome to the Bridge Federation governing board.  In September 2018 the governing boards of Salehurst Church of England Primary School and Staplecross Methodist Church Primary School amalgamated.  The federation governing board is made up of 16 governors selected from different areas of Salehurst and Staplecross school stakeholders.  It consists of the following:
• Two elected parent governors
• One Local Authority governor
•  Two staff governors (including the Executive Headteacher)
• Seven co-opted governors
• Four foundation governors, including two ex-officio governors (two governors from the Methodist Church, two from the Church of England)

The purpose of having a governing board is to:
• help the federation to set high standards by planning for each school's future and setting targets for school improvement
• monitor and review progress made in school improvement
• be a critical friend to the schools, offering support and advice
• help the schools respond to the needs of parents and the community
• make each school accountable to the public for what it does
• work with the schools on planning, developing policies and keeping the schools under review
• exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the Executive Headteacher and staff
• not intervene in the day-to-day management of the schools unless there are weaknesses in the schools, when it then has a duty to take action.

The Bridge Federation governors fulfil these duties in a range of ways:
We are committed to the schools working together wherever opportunities arise which enhance the children’s education.   Governor monitoring visits take place throughout the year in both schools. The purpose of these visits is for governors to gain an overview of how the schools are doing, to monitor progress ensuring the schools are on track to meet their individual targets and to follow up on any issues raised at previous visits.
Our governors are assigned a link class. This means each class has a ‘special relationship’ with a governor who can represent their views at full governing body meetings.
Governors also play a critical role in the ongoing process of school development. Every year, for each school, staff and governors look at the school data, parent and pupil questionnaire responses and the school budget and plan for the year ahead. The document created through this process is the ‘School Improvement Plan’ known as the SIP. It is the role of the governors to have an in depth understanding of the areas highlighted for improvement and to monitor their development throughout the year.
Governors also develop, ratify and implement a range of statutory and non-statutory policies across the federation. These range from policies on ‘Management of Contractors’ to ones more relevant to parents including policies for handwriting, school uniform and independent learning.

Contact information:

Chair of Governors of The Bridge Federation.    Mrs Gill Atkinson    

Email:  gatkinson@thebridgefederation.org