Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names and categories for each Governor.
Full Governing Body
Former Governors 2019-2020
Governor Committees
Behaviour, Attitudes, Health & Safety
Quality of Education
Finance and Staffing Committee
Pay Review Committee
Governor Attendance 2020-2021
2020-2021 Full Governing Body Attendance | |||||
Name | 5.11.20 | 4.3.21 | 17.6.21 | Attendance | % |
| Rosalind Hopkins | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Sue Herlihy | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Kerry Clarkson | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Debi Palmer | No | No | 0/3 | 0 | |
| Lisa Bramall | Yes | No | 1/3 | 33 | |
| Caroline Pearson | No | No | 0/3 | 0 | |
| Amy Dunstan | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Gail Seaton | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Andrew Patterson | n/a | n/a | |||
2020-2021 Behaviour, Attitudes, Health & Safety | |||||
Name | 15.10.20 | 4.2.21 | 27.5.21 | Attendance | % |
| Sue Herlihy | Yes | No | 1/3 | 33 | |
| Rosalind Hopkins | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Paul Saxby | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Debi Palmer | No | No | 0/3 | 0 | |
| Amy Dunstan | No | Yes | 1/3 | 33 | |
| Lisa Bramall | No | Yes | 1/3 | 33 | |
2019-2020 Quality of Education | |||||
Name | 15.10.20 | 4.2.21 | 27.5.21 | Attendance | % |
| Sue Herlihy | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Rosalind Hopkins | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Debi Palmer | No | No | 0/3 | 0 | |
| Amy Dunstan | No | Yes | 1/3 | 33 | |
| Kerry Clarkson | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
2019-2020 Finance & Staffing | |||||
Name | 29.9.20 | 28.1.21 | 27.5.21 | Attendance | % |
Caroline Pearson | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Rosalind Hopkins | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Sue Herlihy | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Gail Seaton | Yes | Yes | 2/3 | 66 | |
| Lisa Bramall | No | Yes | 1/3 | 33 | |
| Andrew Patterson | n/a | n/a | |||
| Percuniary Interest Declaration | Governor | Details of the Interest |
| Businesses (of which I am a partner or sole proprietor) | None Declared | |
| Company Directorships - details of all companies of which I am a director | None Declared |
|
| Membership of professional bodies, membership organisations, public bodies or special interest groups of which I am a member and have a position of general control or management | None Declared | |
| Gifts or hospitality offered to you by external bodies while acting in your position as a governor/trustee and whether this was declined or accepted in the last 12 months | None Declared | |
| Contracts offered by you for the supply of goods and/or services to the trust/school | None Declared | |
| Other conflicts | None Declared |
The Governing Body
The School’s Governing Body is proud to be part of the progress that the school is making and is highly committed to ensuring Birch Wood’s vision and ethos continue to underpin its success.
The Governing Body is a group of volunteers organised within the Education Act 2012 and the Regulations associated with that Act that came into force in 2012 and 2013.
The Governing Body has three core functions:
These functions are exercised via the Governing Body and its respective committees. These committees are:
Behaviour, Attitudes, Health & Safety
Quality of Education
Finance and Staffing
The Governing Body and its Committees oversee and approve the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and within that Plan have identified particular areas of focus for evaluation and review. There are regular meetings of the committees (where members of the School’s leadership team are also present), and the full Governing Body, together with frequent meetings between members of the Governing Body and members of the School. These meetings, and these contacts, create a governors monitoring schedule of the Governing Body’s work; a full record of those meetings is maintained.
Key documents include:
The Governing Body also has a number of statutory duties, for example the safeguarding of pupils, employment within the School and complaints procedures. These duties are also contained within the work of the committees and the Governing Body as a whole. The Governing Body is subject to inspection by OFSTED and the Governing Body’s performance is part of the Leadership and Management comments in subsequent reports.
The Governing Body’s work
The Governing Body and those working in and supporting Birch Wood – including students, parents as well as staff seek to build and maintain relationships based on trust and openness and a shared view of the School’s aims. Birch Wood is fortunate to have knowledgeable governors who fully understand the needs of the students and how staff seek to meet those needs. Governors have frank discussions about the School’s strategic direction, policy decisions and the development of educational practice. Governors are actively involved in reviewing and evaluating policies, progress, positive behaviour for learning, health and safety, CPD and staff performance.
The Governing Body are important a part of the School’s success through their contribution to the strategic direction of the school.
The Governing Body's membership
The Governing Body’s composition conforms to regulations that must be in place by September 2015.
In addition the Governing Body is fully supported by a two Clerks, Denise Reed & Lou Bedder, who can be contacted at office@birchwoodschool.co.uk. Neither Denise or Lou are a voting member of the Governing Body.