Our Governors

Welcome to the Governors' section

Please see the sections below for a variety of information about the Governors work

Message from the Co-Chairs of Governors

Welcome to the section of the website where you can find out more about the school’s governors and what we do.

Our role includes:

• Setting the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction;

• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent;
• Ensuring decisions take into account the views and experiences of stakeholders – pupils, parents, staff and our community

Contacting Governors:

Kate Smithson/Jennifer Rampling

Co-Chairs of Governors

Below are the meeting dates for the academic year 2020/21
 

Minutes of these meetings are available upon request from the school office.

Here is a list of current governors with details of their governor category, which committees they sit on and their term of office:

Dear Parent/Carer,

CAN YOU HELP OUR SCHOOL?

Behind this school sits a network of volunteers who make sure that it is well-managed, and delivering the best possible education to all our children. As governors and trustees, these volunteers set the school’s strategic priorities, monitor performance, and support the school’s development. The majority are not education professionals, but are drawn from among parents and members of the local community. Every person brings different skills and life experiences, and we welcome volunteers from all backgrounds.

We are now looking for committed and enthusiastic people to join us as governors and trustees. If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you.

THE BENEFITS

Being a governor or a trustee is a great opportunity to contribute to the school’s success. You will develop new skills, meet new people and connect with an extensive network of governors across the city. If you are a parent, it can provide new insight behind the scenes of your children’s education. For teachers and members of staff, it helps professional development and gives the opportunity to gain a broader perspective on the issues confronting schools. And for everyone in our community, there is the strong moral purpose of improving education for children and young people in our area.

THE OPPORTUNITIES

As you may know, Carr Junior School is part of the South Bank Multi Academy Trust. The other schools in the Trust are Knavesmire, Scarcroft and Woodthorpe primary schools; and Millthorpe and York High secondary schools. Each school is overseen individually by a Local Governing Body, made up of governors. Collectively, the schools form the Trust which is managed by the Board of Trustees.

We currently have vacancies on most of the schools’ Local Governing Bodies, as well as on the Board of Trustees. Experience of working in education or governance can be useful but is not necessary: full training and induction is provided to all new governors and trustees.

TRUSTEES

Working with the Trust management team and Headteachers, the trustees identify the strategic challenges across our schools and ensure that the right resources are in place to address them. They are ultimately responsible for all the schools in the Trust, including educational outcomes and financial performance.

We are currently recruiting to fill three positions on the Trust Board. They are for:

• One person with experience of finance or accountancy in any commercial, charitable or educational context at a senior level.
• One person with experience of law in any commercial, charitable or educational context at a senior level.
• One person with substantial experience of school governance. Service within any of the South Bank MAT schools would be preferable, but we are happy to consider any relevant school governance experience.

GOVERNORS

Governors do not get involved with the day-to-day operations of the school, but instead hold the Headteacher and senior leaders to account for what the school does. Governors set the school’s strategy; challenge and support the Headteacher on key decisions; monitor teaching and children’s learning; and ensure that the school’s budget is spent appropriately.

We currently have vacancies on most of our governing bodies. Governing bodies should include a range of skills and backgrounds, and different governing bodies may have different needs at different times. Many parents are naturally keen to support the school(s) their children attend, but we would encourage you also to consider volunteering at another Trust school, where your particular expertise and independent perspective might make more impact. As part of the Trust, all schools look to support and learn from each other, and our governors regularly collaborate.

GET INVOLVED

If you’d like to find out more about these important roles, please contact the Trust’s Governance Adviser Sophie Triffitt on clerk@southbanktrust.co.uk or 01904 554210. You may also find it helpful to speak to the school’s Headteacher or Chair of Governors, who can be contacted through the school. Full details can be found on the Trust website at www.southbanktrust.co.uk or on the school website.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Edwin Thomas                                Jill Hodges

Chair of Trustees                            Vice Chair of Trustees

Register of Business Interest 2020/21 – Carr Junior