Would you like to become a School Governor? 

St Swithun’s, and other schools locally, have been experiencing a lack of school governors recently. With some of our governors moving on we would really appreciate people with a passion and a will to support the school now and in its future endeavours. You don’t need to know about education or be a parent of a child in the school. What we need is working and professional people who have skills in any aspect of business or beyond that would help our current governors in their stewardship of the school.

Portsmouth Catholic Diocese has information about becoming a Catholic governor of a school,  Foundation Governor Recruitment Drive, but we do need a few more governors to support us. More information about becoming a governor in Portsmouth is available here, https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/schools-learning-and-childcare/school-professionals/school-governors/

If you or someone you know thinks they may be suitable please do get in touch with the school. I would really like to have a chat with you and listen to what you can offer – you may be surprised to find you don’t need to be highly skilled to support the school, life and work experience are often valuable in our work of running schools. I look forward to hearing from you.

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and/or Assistant Head Teacher. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the Head Teacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Each individual governor is a member of the governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing board. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.

The role of the governing board is a strategic one; its key functions are to:

• Set the aims and objectives for the school
• Set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
• Set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
• Monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards the achievement of its aims and objectives
• Be a source of challenge and support to the Head Teacher, a critical friend

The governing body of any school has 3 core functions:

• Planning the strategic direction of the school
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and ensuring money is well spent
• holding the headteacher or school leadership to account

In addition to our Full Governing Body we have two additional committees in order to carry out its functions effectively, these are:

• Curriculum and Standards Committee
• Resources Committee

Governors have membership of one of these committees in order to monitor, challenge and support the school on its journey in creating the best possible opportunities for children to thrive in their education while attending St Swithun’s school.

Committee Terms of Reference

• Full Governing body
• Curriculum and Standards Committee
• Resources Committee

Governor Attendance at Meetings 2021-22

Governor’s Attendance at Meetings 2022 – 2023

If anyone would like a paper copy of the approved minutes of, agendas for or papers considered at any of the committee meetings over the last three years, please email: [email protected].