South Hams Federation Annual Governance Statement

September 2019

 

Kingsbridge Community Primary School

Loddiswell Primary School

Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary School

Modbury County Primary School

Stokenham Area Primary School

and

Loddiswell Pre-School

 

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the core strategic functions of the South Hams Federation Board of Governors are:

 

Establishing the strategic direction, by:

• Setting the vision, values, and objectives for the Federation
• Agreeing the Federation improvement plan with priorities and targets
• Agreeing the Governors’ improvement plan with priorities and targets
• Meeting statutory duties.

 

Ensuring accountability, by:

• Appointing the Executive Headteacher
• Monitoring progress towards targets
• Performance managing the Executive Headteacher
• Monitoring staff well being
• Engaging with stakeholders
• Contributing to Federation self-evaluation.

 

Ensuring financial probity, by:

• Setting the budget
• Monitoring spending against the budget
• Ensuring value for money is obtained

 

Instrument of Government  -

The South Hams Federation Board of Governors comprises:

1 Executive Headteacher

2 Parent Governors

1 Staff Governor

1 Local Authority Governor

5 Co-Opted Governors

2 Foundation Governors who are appointed by either the Diocesan Board of Education or the Parochial Church Council of Malborough.  One of the Foundation Governor’s is Ex-Officio.

 

Total 12

The Full Board of Governors meets five times a year. 

 

Governors hold School Improvement Plan Meetings at least once a term to challenge and hold senior leaders to account and report back to the Full Board of Governors . 

 

The two Standing Committees meet as required.

 

The Ethos Group meets once a term.

 

The Executive Committee (comprising Chair, Executive Headteacher, Deputy Executive Headteacher, Business Manager and Clerk) meets monthly or more frequently as required.

 

All Board meetings are held in school time, allowing Governors the opportunity to meet the children and staff, undertake Monitoring Visits, monitor pupils progress, through book scrutinies and see all five schools operating on a day- to-day basis. The Governors are also welcome to enjoy lunch with the children.

 

 

Board of Governors – September 2019

Executive Headteacher                                                                                Sue Jezard

Chair of Governors/Foundation                                                                 Jane Greaves

Parent Governors                                                                                         Ed Barker

Parent Governor                                                                                           Vacancy

Co - Opted Governor                                                                                    Vacancy

Co - Opted Governor                                                                                    Anne Rossiter

Co - Opted Governor                                                                                    Tina Graham

Co - Opted Governor                                                                                    Nick Saunders

Co - Opted Governor                                                                                    Vacancy

LA Governor                                                                                                   Kirsty Richards

Staff Governor                                                                                               Lucinda Kirkham

Ex-Officio Foundation Governor                                                                Vacancy

 

Clerk                                                                                                                Tracey Kidd

Business Manager                                                                                         Penny Amos

Deputy Executive Headteacher                                                                  Tess Coulthard

 

 

Attendance Record of Governors

Governors have excellent attendance at meetings and all meetings are quorate.

 

Attendance records for individual governors are published on the Federation and Schools’ websites.                       

Each year Governors are required to complete a Skills Audit to identify the skills, knowledge and experience to identify any additional skills or experience that the Board ideally requires. The outcome of the audit helps formulate opinion as to whether prospective Governors have the skills to contribute to effective governance and the success of the Federation.

 

The Board has an Improvement Plan and undertakes a Self-Evaluation review.

 

The Work achieved by the Board of Governors in the Academic Year 2018 - 2019

 

The Board of Governors has had another busy year:

 

• In September 2018, Kingsbridge Community Primary and Loddsiwell Pre-School became part of the South Hams Federation.

• The Federation continues to be a part of the South Devon Primary Partnership.

• The Governors give out Governors Awards every term to those children who work hard, have been kind, considerate and have helped and supported other children within their school setting.

• The Federation’s single budget was approved and we are pleased to report the Federation is in a healthy financial position. 

• New projects linked with Ofsted outcomes have been identified for the School Improvement Plan 2019-2020.

• All the schools Curriculum Maps have been completed.

• The monitoring of our in house school meals has been a priority throughout the year. With a governor leading on this and making sure all the food standards are in place and sourcing local fresh produce. The board has decided for the time being to keep the catering for Kingsbridge Community Primary School with Devon Norse

• The board continued to make attendance amongst ALL children a high priority. Attendance is monitored on a monthly basis.

• Governors received safeguarding training. HAYS Online. Safeguarding remains a high priority at every Board meeting.

• The Executive Head Teacher’s Performance Management has been conducted and new targets set for the year.

• The Board of Governors has looked at Subject Leaders’ performance, Pupil Premium outcomes, SEND, children at risk together with the progress and attainment of able children.  Continuing to develop Greater Depth in all Foundation subjects ensuring all pupils are receiving and enjoying a broad and balanced curriculum.

• The Board has also reviewed the Sports Premium and Pupil Premium funding and evaluated its impact on all groups of pupils. This continues to be a high priority. The Sports Premium and Pupil Premium Strategy and Impact Statements have been updated and are on the school’s websites.

• Forest School curriculum continues to be a high priority across all the schools within the Federation.

• The Board of Governors has closely monitored all pupil data. Reviewed in detail in the autumn term, key stage 2 SATs, early years and key stage 1 phonics screening results together with cohort outcomes for all children  throughout all of the schools.

• Target Tracker is used to track pupil progress based on the Learning Journey/Steps devised by the Federation to track children’s progress through the expectations for each year of the National Curriculum.

• Monitoring and observing the quality and consistency of teachers’ CPD and all INSET is based on impacting positively on pupil progress and improving the quality of teaching and learning through identified key priorities for the School Improvement Plan 2019-2020.

• The Governors have remained focused on the data within the Executive Headteacher’s Report of pupils’ performance, attainment and progress across the Federation in EYFS, Key Stage 1 and throughout Key Stage 2, analysing year-on-year data and trends over time.

• The School Improvement Plan (SIP) has been reviewed throughout the year and the new SIP 2019-2020 will be reviewed and adopted at the September Board meeting 2019.

• All Governors have their individual roles and responsibilities as part of their universal duties.

• 3 of the schools within the Federation are judged “Good” With Stokenham being “Outstanding” Kingsbridge is judged “Requires Improvement”.

• One of the roles of Governors is to review and agree policies. During the year Governors have continued to identify and consider a number of key policies on a rolling programme. All the statutory policies are on the School’s website.

• The Governors received GDPR Training and the Federation’s Data Protection Officer presented to the Board of Governors at the September Meeting and the Governors received termly updates from the DPO.

• The Data Protection Officer undertook GDPR audits in each school during the year.

• The Federation has signed up for Early Help for Mental Health, all teaching staff received training. Children within the five schools have also undergone training; a presentation was given to governors on the children’s roles as ambassadors. The scheme is to work with outside organisations and parents to help with mental health. Staff wellbeing continues to be a high priority.

• Governors were given a presentation on ‘What it means to be a Church School’

• The Federation school mini bus has its yearly service and MOT; it continues to be great asset to the Federation.

• For the Academic Year 2018-2019 there has been little staff movement.

 

A number of building works and improvements were carried out at all five schools:

 

Stokenham

New Forest School Canopy 

New fencing around the swimming pool, KS2 Play Area and Foundation Stage Canopy

A new swimming pool cover and roller

Tarmac resurfacing around the side of school to Merry Go Round Pre School

Replacement carpets for Years 5 and 6

New metal urinal in KS2 Boys Toilets

New Whiteboards in Foundation Stage, Years 1, 2 and 3

 

Malborough with South Huish

Improvements to the Wifi for the new classroom

New whiteboards in Class 1 and Class 2

Replacement windows for the upstairs offices

Replacement carpet in Class 4

Redecorated Class 4, the dining area and cloakroom

 

Loddiswell

Developed a Forest School off site with access from the school grounds

 

Modbury

DCC Flood defense works

Repairs to the boiler room

Repairs to all the windows across school with new windows for the pool pump room

New steps to the garden area

New fencing to the back of school and front playground

Painted all the entrance doors and outside railings

Replacement carpets for Class 1 and 2

New whiteboards in Foundation Stage, Years 1, 2 and 3

20 new ipads and cases

 

Kingsbridge

Demolished old classroom huts and extended the playground area

Started work on a repairs to the roof on the Annex Building

New fencing by Year 1 and the top car park and playgrounds

Repairs to tarmacking around school

Repairs to cracked walls around school

Re landscape Parents’ waiting area

Redecorate Year 2 Cloakroom Area

Repaired the hall windows

Replacement carpet for two Year 2 Classrooms

 

Loddiswell Preschool

Overhaul of all the health & safety checks including fire detection, TMVs, fire extinguishers and play equipment checks

 

 

Church Links: Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary

 

‘The roots to grow, the wings to fly.  All within the love of God’

 

The Foundation Governors have a particular responsibility towards Malborough with South Huish C of E Primary School to “preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the ethos of the Church of England and in partnership with the church at parish and diocesan level” as well as to “encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promote Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils”. The Ethos Group has worked with the Church and Diocese to implement Christian values throughout the curriculum of the school and the community of Malborough and its surrounding area. The school has weekly assemblies, daily collective worship and once a month the whole school visits the church for their monthly church service, with the children actively taking part and Holy Communion lessons for the Year 6 children in the summer term. Once a week the church organist comes to school to teach the children singing through hymns. The whole school celebrates important dates in the yearly calendar. The school prayer is said before lunch every day. The children are actively working with the church community. The school was awarded In January 2016 the Gold RE Mark. SIAMS Inspection (November 2016) the school was judged Good. The school has a new Vision and Ethos Statement, which is on the Website. The school also has it’s own Self-Evaluation Form – Vision Provision Impact and has updated the new RE syllabus inline with a C of E School. The school is also preparing for the new SIAMS Inspection Framework.

 

Future Plans for the Governors

The Board of Governors looks forward to the challenges the Autumn Term 2019 will bring. We continue to improve and maintain teaching standards across all five schools, so as to ensure that outcomes for all pupils remain high in all subjects. We are focusing on the wider curriculum and across all foundation subjects ensuring these are given the same priority as Mathematics and English. We will continue to ensure that all children within the South Hams Federation receive a broad, balanced and cohesive curriculum entitlement; that encourages all of our children to become independent, resilient, resourceful learners for life. We acknowledge that as Stokenham is currently rated  ‘Outstanding’ (October 2012) and that the school may well have an inspection this academic year. The Governors will continue to monitor and build on the Federation’s strengths and weaknesses as outlined in the School Improvement Plan (SIP 2019 – 2020).  The Ethos Group along with the Board of Governors will work on the areas to improve after the last SIAMS Inspection (November 2016) The Governors will continue to develop their skills and update their knowledge, attend governor training courses (internal and external) and through visits to each of the schools, conduct Monitoring Visits, book scrutinise, meeting with the children, sampling the school lunches, ensuring best value and maintaining a balanced budget, alongside being strategic, to challenge and support the Executive Head Teacher, the Senior Leadership Team and the Federation Business Manager. We shall continue to work with the South Devon Primary Partnership and to seek new opportunities to improve and secure the future for our schools.

 

How You Can Contact the Board of Governors

We always welcome feedback, suggestions and ideas from parents: Please contact the Chair of Governors, Mrs. Jane Greaves, via Loddiswell School.