The Governing Board is a vital part of the leadership of any school. Serving God and the school community is a privilege and responsibility. It is vital that this is carried out in an increasingly professional and effective way.
During an Ofsted inspection there is a focus on inspecting the quality of leadership and management including governance, in the school. This not only means governors need to be prepared for ‘the interview’ but also attend to their roles responsibly.
Their specific role in developing the school as a Church school is also scrutinised during the SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) process. One of the key questions SIAMS inspectors always ask is “How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a church school?”.
Governors should have a detailed and strategic knowledge of their school and it follows that governors, Head teacher and staff should work as a united team, dedicated to realising a shared Christian vision for the school.
The Church School of the Future Review 2012 highlighted the need for church schools to:
It is the role of the governing board and Foundation Governors in particular to ensure this agenda is effectively pursued.
Governors are strongly advised to enrol on the e-learning course that is an introduction to governance in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
The Grove Education Book: eD31 'Church School Governance' provides both an understanding of the role in a church school context but also questions for relection or group discussion.
