Legal Responsibilities And Powers Of The Governing Body
Governing bodies have a wide range of responsibilities and powers. They:
- Help to raise standards of pupil achievement
- Promote the Catholic ethos in all aspects of school life
- Plan the school's future direction
- Appoint the headteacher and deputy
- Make decisions on the school's budget and staffing
- Establish and implement a performance management policy for appraising all staff and agree procedures for staff conduct and discipline
- Make sure the national curriculum is taught
- Report national curriculum assessments and examination results to parents
- Decide how the school can encourage pupils' spiritual, moral and cultural development
- Make sure the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs
- Are accountable for the performance of the school to parents and the wider community
- Draw up an action plan after an Ofsted inspection
- Decide how, in broad strategic terms, the school should be run
The Headteacher
The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school; and for advising on and implementing the governing body’s strategic framework. The headteacher formulates aims and objectives, policies and targets for the governing body to consider adopting and reports progress to the governing body.
The Governing Body
The Governing Body is to carry out its functions with the aim of taking a largely strategic role in the running of the school. This includes setting up a strategic framework for the school, setting its aims and objectives, setting policies and targets for achieving the objectives, reviewing progress and reviewing the strategic framework in the light of progress. The governing body should act as a “critical friend” to the head teacher by providing advice and support.