Whipton Barton Federation Annual Governance Statement
The Department for Education Governance Handbook (March 2019) states that:
All boards, whether in the maintained or academy sector and no matter how many schools they are responsible for, have three core functions:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Governors are responsible for setting the school’s strategic framework, identifying priorities for school improvement and monitoring progress towards these goals. Governors are also responsible for setting a school ethos of high expectations of behaviour, progress and attainment of all pupils and of conduct of staff and governors.
2. Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
Governors must provide challenge to the school and hold the Headteacher and senior leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching and learning and school performance. Governors do this through questioning and through regular monitoring and analysis of data on children’s performance and progress. Governors hold the Headteacher to account for the performance management of teachers. The performance management of the Headteacher is conducted by governors together with an external advisor.
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure it’s money is well spent.
Governors look at financial statements and ask questions to ensure that the school makes efficient use of its budget and provides best value for money.
Governance Arrangements
The table below outlines the Governor names and their roles.
Type |
Name |
Appointed by | Office | Term |
Committee(s) |
Registered Interests |
Executive Head teacher |
Gary Read |
Ex Officio | N/A | N/A |
|
Whipton Barton Federation |
Staff Governor |
Jo Stranks |
Governing Board | N/A | 01.03.2019-28.02.2023 |
|
Whipton Barton Federation |
Co opted
|
Mike Beresford |
Ted Wragg Trust | Chair of Governing Body | 01.03.2019-28.02.2023 |
|
None |
Co-opted |
Vacancy | |||||
Co opted
|
Bethan Jones |
Ted Wragg Trust | N/A | 01.03.2019-28.02.2023 |
SEND Lead Governor |
Michelmore solicitors employee |
Staff Governor |
Beck Ramsdale |
Ted Wragg Trust | N/A | 01.03.2019-28.03.2023 |
|
Teacher at Federation |
Parent Governor | Rajen Chowtee | Ted Wragg Trust | N/A | 22.04.2019-21.04.2023 | None | |
Parent Governor | Vacancy | |||||
Co opted | Oliver Birley | Ted Wragg Trust | N/A | 01.03.2019-28.02.2023 | Vice Chair of the Governing Board, Safeguarding Lead Governor | None |
Co opted | Vacacny |
Ted Wragg Trust |
||||
Co opted
|
Ruth Williams |
Ted Wragg Trust | N/A | 01.03.2019-28.02.2023 |
|
Exeter City Council Councillor for Mincinglake and Whipton Barton Federation |
Clerk to Governors |
Jessica Benger |
|
|
|||
LEAVERS from the last 12 months | ||||||
Parent Governor | Stacey Andrew | Elected by Parents | Co-Chair of Governing Body | 01.03.2019-31.12.2019 | Inclusion, SEND &PPG, Safeguarding Lead Governor | |
Co opted | Sarah Norcliffe | Governing Body | 01.03.2019-31.12.2019 | Teaching and Learning Committee, Pay & Performance Committee | St Luke's school | |
Foundation |
Bob Hooper | TWMAT | 23.11.2015 - 01.03.2019 |
Over the last year, we have had governors attend various training including:
-
Introduction to Governance
-
Safeguarding
-
Prevent training
-
Keeping Children Safe in Education
-
Achieving Good in OFSTED
Attendance record of Governors
All Governors are aware of the importance of attending meetings. We have never had to cancel a meeting due to not being quorate. All details of Governor attendance can be found in the Full Governing Body meeting minutes on the Federation website at: www.whiptonbartonfederation.co.uk/minutes
The Full Governing Body meets twice a term. The Teaching and Learning committee and Resources committee also meet twice a term. We have yearly Pay and performance and Headteacher Appraisal meetings. We have other committees to handle complaints, staff matters and pupil discipline as these arise.
Governor Name | AGM 02.04.2019 | 07.05.2019 | 21.05.2019 | 17.09.2019 | 15.10.2019 | 12.11.2019 | 03.12.2019 |
Gary Read | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Beck Ramsdale | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Stacey Andrew | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancelled | Yes | Family Commitments |
Rajan Chowtee | N/A | Yes | Yes | Other commitments | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Oliver Birley | Yes | Yes | Work Commitments | Yes | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Bethan Jones | Yes | Yes | Family Commitments | Work Commitments | Cancelled | Family commitments | Work Commitments |
Sarah Northcliff | Yes | Ill Health | Work Commitments | Yes | cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Mike Beresford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancelled | Ill Health | Yes |
Ruth Williams | Yes | Holiday | Work Commitments | Holiday | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Jo Stranks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancelled | Yes | Yes |
Governor Name |
AGM 13.09.2016 |
18.10.2016 | 06.12.2016 | 07.02.2017 | 28.03.2017 | 23.05.2017 | 11.07.2017 |
Gary Read | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stacey Andrew | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mike Beresford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Oliver Birley | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bethan Jones | Holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | Work Commitments | Yes | Work Commitments |
Sarah Norcliffe | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Beck Ramsdale | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bob Hooper | Holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | Work Commitments | Yes | Yes |
Jo Stranks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Work Commitments |
Vicky Smith | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Family Commitments |
Yes | Yes |
Jamie Wordsworth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
The work that we have done
Future of Governors
School Improvement Planning
Governors have high aspirations for the school and believe it will achieve great things in the future. The key aims and priorities as set out in our improvement plan for 2019-2020 are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Contacting the Governing Body
We welcome any questions or comments and can be contacted at: chairs@whiptonbarton.org
If you would like to write to the governors you can use the following address
Chair of Governors
c/o Whipton Barton Federation
Hill Lane
Exeter
EX1 3JP
For information about the Ted Wragg Multi Academy trust governance please visit their website: https://www.tedwraggtrust.co.uk/governance/
Governing Board Minutes
Below are the meeting minutes of the Full Governing Board. If you would like to review the minutes of the Teaching & Learning Committee or the Resources Committee please contact the school or the Clerk to Governors.