Hello, I’m Lou Brown, Clerk of the Governing Board at Upper Beeding Primary School. On behalf of the Governors let me welcome you to their section of the website and tell you about their role. 

Every school has a Governing Board to represent the wider community in the running of the school. They are a group of committed volunteers who bring perspectives from ‘ordinary’ life and work with the staff and local authority to help secure the best possible education for the children at Upper Beeding Primary School.

Their core functions are as follows:

- working with the school leadership team to establish the strategic direction of the school, set the vision, values and objectives of the school, and agree the School Development Plan.

- ensuring accountability by monitoring progress towards targets, engaging with stakeholders, and contributing to school self evaluation. The Governing Board holds the Head Teacher, Mr Andrews, to account for the educational performance of the school, its pupils and staff, and challenge and support him as a ‘critical friend’.

- ensuring the financial security of the school. The Governing Board and Head Teacher agree school development strategies that determine budget allocation, and they then monitor the budget and the impact spending plans are having on school improvement. They aim to ensure that value for money is obtained and risks are managed.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the School Development Plan while the role of the Governing Board is strategic.

Please read on to find out more about who the Governing Board are, how they work and the committee structure.