Governors

The Governing Body works as a team supporting the school and Head Teacher to set the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction. It ensures accountability, through acting as a ‘critical friend’ in monitoring and evaluating how the school is progressing.

The role includes:

Ensuring the school has clear aims and values that are supported by the whole school community
Ensuring evidence of this in the day-to-day running of the school
Focus on raising standards of achievement, establishing high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning so that every pupil achieves his/her full potential
Deciding with the Head Teacher, staff, pupils and parents the direction of the school development planning progress
Ensure that the resources that the school receives are directed to the school’s priorities as determined in the Learning Improvement Plan (LIP)
Help to set and review the policies that provide a broad framework within which the Head Teacher and staff should run the school
Ensure that there are systems in place to monitor progress toward targets and gather evidence accordingly
Use the evidence to review progress against targets to see whether policies and practices are effective. Check on the school’s achievements and progress over time and in comparison with similar schools
Take advice on this from the Head Teacher before making their decisions
The governing body is a key player in the school improvement planning process. Governors are involved in the review of the LIP and in drawing up of all future school plans

Queensbridge Primary Governing Body is made up of 10 governors: 2 parent governors, 3 co-opted governors/ community, 1 Local Authority governor, 2 associated governors, and the Head Teacher.

The governors are enthusiastic, pro-active and committed to maintaining and improving excellence in all aspects of school life.

The Governors meet once a term at Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings, and other times if opting to be on one or more of the Committees and/or Link topic focuses. Selected governors are appointed for a period of between one and four years and can be re-appointed at the end of their term.

Queensbridge Primary has 2 main committees and 3 sub committees. We also have other link focuses that fulfil specific agendas:

Resources Committee

Setting and monitoring the school’s annual budget
Ensuring best use of available resources
Overseeing staffing affairs

Curriculum Committee

Writing and reviewing all curriculum-related policies
Monitoring key focus areas in the School Development Plan
Monitoring teaching and assessment strategies

Communications Working Group (Helen/ Fran/ SB with Dana)

Overseeing improvements to home/school support (remote offer during covid)
Maintaining an overview of publicity materials
Conducting annual surveys for pupils and parents
Steering and overseeing Governor skills audit and CPD
Website, APP, comms

Safeguarding, SEND Committee

A Working Party Group on 11 October 2022 for SEND and Safeguarding (and Behaviour/ Pastoral) decided to propose a NEW sub committee to the Full Governing Body meeting. This was agreed at the Full Governing Body on 20 October 2022. This comprises of:

Head Teacher
Deputy Head
Inclusion Manager
Business Manager
SEND Link Governor: Naomi Ter-Berg
SAFEGUARDING Link Governor: Colin Samuels
Data/ exclusions/ attendance Link Governor: Noelia Rufete-Gil
CHAIR/ VICE CHAIR Link Governor Rep: Helen Jerrold

Health & Safety Working Group (alongside resources committee) (Colin/ TC/SB)

Overseeing care and maintenance of school premises
Monitoring all aspects of safety within the school
Overseeing how to maintain and improve healthy lifestyles

Link Focuses

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) /Data Protection Officer : Colin
Inclusion and Diversity: Naomi Ter-Berg
Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME): Colin/ Zahid
Mental Health and Wellbeing: Colin
Safeguarding and Child Protection: Colin
Early Years Foundation Stage : Helen
Arts: Alban/ Lizzie

Working Parties

Working Parties are formed on the occasion of dealing with specific issues, contextual changes and school community population needs. A working party may include governors, staff, parents and/or other experts. For the academic year 2022-2023 we have the following working parties:

BAME/Black Curriculum (initiated 2020 and an ongoing plan) to include hard to reach parents/ carers- a new strategy in 2023
Climate Emergency ongoing- Greening our playground continues from 2022 to date
Research Retrieval Practice ongoing (support and set up Hackney Education Assessment Forum for 2022-2023)
DFE/ National Support School work (working parties). We were the school who trialled the DFE Mark Less, Mark Better pilot 2020- bill boards 2021, reducing teacher workload and disseminating our practice to other local authorities

Contact

We actively encourage communication with and from parents. Governors are present during Parents’ Evenings and welcome your suggestions and feedback. You can also contact the Governor Co-chairs directly by emailing chair@queensbridge.hackney.sch.uk

Our Governors

MEMBERSHIP November 2022

Governors Register Overview 20/21

Governor Attendance Register- Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Final Audit Report Queensbridge 2021