Our Governors
We are incredibly fortunate to have a fantastic and supportive team of governors who have a real energy, enthusiasm and desire to help provide our children with the best possible education.
We are deeply grateful for all those who offer a vocation to governance in service of our school family. This work supports that of the headteacher and staff, colleague governors, and makes a difference to the lives of children and young people.
Find out about our governors
Governor roles and terms of office
Aspire Multi-Academy Trust Governance Information
Find our more about the positive work our Governors do at Archbishop Cranmer
Governor Newsletters
Governors' main roles
Governors are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance and providing strategic direction for the school. To do this they visit school regularly, attend meetings and review policies and other school documents. They also support the HeadTeacher by acting as a critical friend and have a role in recruiting new staff, complaint handling and the HeadTeacher’s Performance Management, ensuring accountability. At Archbishop Cranmer all Governors regularly undertake specific training to improve their knowledge and skills.
Alongside the Head teacher, they also carry out a number of other important duties along side which include:
- Determining how the school budget is spent
- Forming policy on school curriculum and collective worship
- Hearing appeals and grievances
- Setting standards for pupil behaviour
- Making sure the school buildings are welcoming and safe
- Setting and monitoring the school aims and policies
- Safer recruitment and retention
The Governing Body – Roles and Activities
The Governing Body of Archbishop Cranmer CE Primary Acaemy consists of governors who are mostly residents in the local vicinity of the village in which the School is situated.Our Governors come from a wide range of backgrounds with a diverse range of skills and expertise and are nominated to represent various stakeholder bodies including parents, staff, church, local authority and the community. The Governors at the School are very active, undertaking most of their work through a structure of formal and informal committees. All the Governors at Archbishop Cranmer are highly motivated and committed to the ethos, standards and success of the School, all having specific, individual responsibilities. Governors recognise their legal, ethical and community responsibilities to the whole school, including the children, staff and parents.
Standards of Governance
Governors are fully aware of the obligations and responsibilities that their roles bring, and are constantly looking to improve the quality, standards, efficiency and effectiveness with which they fulfil these responsibilities. The constantly changing nature, law and requirements of school governance are recognised to place an obligation on school governors to be adequately trained and kept up to date. Governors at Archbishop Cranmer are committed to training, both in areas of a general nature and related to their specific areas of expertise and interest.
Communication with Parents and the Community
The Governing Body is always seeking ways to maintain communication with the school community. There is a constant interaction with parents through the Parent Governor and the Chair of Governors. Governors have adopted a proactive approach to their roles, and are present and visible at all school events, including welcome meetings to parents of children in the Foundation Class, joining us for our parent forum meetings, taking on judging roles in poetry recitals, supporting us at school performances, attending parent interview evenings, sports days etc. There are important links from the Governing Body and the Before and After School Club. The Governing Body also has strong links with the Parish Council.
Church Links
Archbishop Cranmer, and its Governing Body, prides itself in being a Church of England School and has close links with St Thomas' Church. The Governing Body actively encourages the Christian nature of the school, and the understanding of other religions, within its day-to-day activities. The school is very supported by the Reverend Tim Chambers, the Priest-in-Charge of the Parish, and is encouraged to use the Church as part of its worship and learning whenever possible.
Curriculum Links
Governors at Archbishop Cranmer are involved not only in issues of school governance, but are actively involved in the whole school curriculum. All governors have at least one curriculum subject for which they provide a link between the Governing Body and the curriculum lead teacher with whom they will liaise on a regular basis thereby facilitating both the delivery of the curriculum across the school and providing a knowledge resource for the whole Governing Body. Governors undertake regular visits to the school. These are focussed on curriculum link responsibilities of individual governors. The outcomes of these visits are reported to the termly meetings of the Governing Body. Governors are assisted in their visits by guidance produced by the Governing Body aimed at maximising the benefits to both Governors and teaching staff.
Governing Body Committees
Governors meet once a term before full Governing Body Meetings, but also termly in three committees.Many strands of the committees' remit interlink and depend upon each other, whether this is policy development, school self-review or strategic development.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee meets at least every term. It considers all aspects of finance and budget control, with specific members involved in the annual budget setting and LEA service buy-back processes. The Finance Committee monitors monthly budget statements and internal audit outcomes. It also monitors and advises on catering finance. It liaises closely with other Committees when matters decisions involving finance are required.The Finance Committee ensures that all personnel matters follow best practice and are in line with UK / European law.
Standards, Values and Pupils' Committee
The Standards, Values and Pupils' Committee meets at least every term but at busy times it meets more frequently. SVP is responsible for all issues relating to staff and pupils, including staffing, appointments, and policies for admissions, discipline and behaviour, complaints and other staff and pupil personnel issues.
The Standards, Values and Pupils monitors specific curriculum policies for Full Governing Body approval, including Religious Education and Relationships and Sex Education. and scrutinises school attainment data. The committee monitors and evaluates pupil welfare, including Child Protection and SEND and Pupil performance/progression. The committee also contributes to school improvement planning and reviews the progress of annually-set priorities
Operations Committee
The Operations Committee meets at least every term and has a broad remit linking with the finance committee, covering all health and safety and risk management issues as well as school infrastructure including building works, admissions and number on role.