Hertford Primary School Governing Board
This page covers:
- The general work of the board
- The constitution of the board, categories of governors and how members are appointed
- Contact for vacancy enquiries
- Some background to the current board.
Please go to The Governing Team or Governing Board Meetings for further information on the team or meeting minutes and attendance
The Work of the Board
Governors work on a voluntary basis with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team in the strategic development of the school and in raising standards of achievement. They are essential for the running of the schools and are legally responsible for it but are not involved in the day to day running of the schools, which is managed by the senior leadership team. This leaves governors free to focus on their core functions of ensuring:
- that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined;
- that the headteacher performs their responsibilities for the educational performance of the school;
- the sound, proper and effective use of the school's financial resources.
A governing body and its governors must, as required by The School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013, regulation 6(2):
- act with integrity, objectivity and honesty and in the best interests of the school
- be open about the decisions they make and the actions they take and shall be prepared to explain their decisions and actions to interested parties
The governing body also has legislative responsibility and strategic oversight for the school’s safeguarding arrangements.
They must be able to support and challenge the headteacher, so need to gain a good understanding of the school. They do this by attending regular meetings, carrying out school visits and meeting with senior leaders. They also attend training in order to keep up to date with the requirements of their role. The Department of Education has provided statutory guidance about the important work of school governors.
Types of governor and how they are appointed
There are different categories of governor but they are all equal, work as a team and make collective decisions. Associate members do not have a vote at full board meetings but can be conferred for committee meetings. All abide by the governing board code of conduct. The categories of governor set out in the constitution of the Hertford Primary School Governing Board are:
- Co-opted governors (nine) - these are appointed by the board.
- Parent governors (two) - elected by the parent/carers.
- Local authority governor (one) - appointed by the board and also approved by the local authority.
- Staff governor (one) - elected by the staffing body
- Headteacher staff governor (one) - who may choose to take up the position as part of their role as headteacher.
- Associate members are appointed by the board. If voting rights are conferred for associate members at committee meetings these are shown on the The Governing Team page.
Vacancies
There are currently vacancies for governors and if you are interested in applying for vacancies in the co-opted or local authority governor categories, please contact the clerk to governors: janetjohnson@hertford.brighton-hove.sch.uk. An application form and skills form will be needed in due course.
Hertford Primary Governing Board
A little history...
The opening of Hertford Primary School has been the culmination of many years' work bringing together the two schools of Hertford Junior School and Hertford Infant School. Each used to have their own governing body but in 2017 they decided to join up (federate) under the name of Hertford Federation Governing Board. Since then work has continued to align the schools and following extensive consultation with stakeholders it was agreed to merge the schools onto one site and as one school. The federation was disbanded and Hertford Primary School, with governance in the form of the Hertford Primary Governing Board commenced on 1st September 2024.
Please go to The Governing Team or Governing Board Meetings for further information on the team or meeting minutes and attendance