Hollyfield School Governing Board
The Governing Board is committed to fulfilling its role of providing strategic leadership and accountability. The Board oversees the financial performance of the school, making sure money is well spent, holding the headteacher to account for educational performance and ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
In addition, some of the more specific achievements over the past years have been:
2020/2021
- The Governing Board provided support to the Headteacher and the school throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
- The Board quickly adapted to undertaking all business by online meetings
- Adding Staff Welfare to the Board agendas and ensuring discussion at each meeting so that it continued to be monitored
- Appointing dedicated subject link governors to support development of the curriculum in all areas
- Signing up for the Local authority online governor training package enabling governors to access more training courses to develop governor’s knowledge and competencies and thereby improving performance
- In order to improve efficiency making changes to the Governing Board Committee structure.
- Providing support to the school's cultural arts leaders with their development of the cultural arts at Hollyfield leading to their successful application to start the Artsmark award.
2021/2022
- The Governing Board has gradually returned to face-to-face Board and committee meetings.
- The list of subject link governors has been updated and the recovery from the pandemic has allowed more visits to be made to school.
- A review of governor training, including its cost and effectiveness, has led to the Board agreeing on-line governor training through the NGA Learning link and the Key for School Governors.
- The Board has signed up to Governorhub which allows documents to be shared easily and efficiently.
- Due to the resignation of Mrs Catherine Lewis as Headteacher from December 2021, Mr Andy Holmes was appointed by the Governing Board in April 2022 and took up the substantive post in September 2022.
- The Board agreed the positions of Acting Deputy and Assistant Heads with the posts to be recruited on a permanent basis in the following academic year.
- With the school facing an imminent Ofsted inspection Governors undertook training from Mrs Debbie Allen who is the School Improvement Partner and an Ofsted Inspector.
The Governing Board is dedicated to providing support to school and its leaders in order that the best outcomes can be achieved for pupils, staff and the wider school community.
Governors
Governors are all volunteers and most have jobs elsewhere. One of the major benefits is that governors are able to bring experience and expertise from different walks of life into the school. This can help the school take a more creative and strategic approach to management, problem solving and long-term planning. The current Governing Board includes governors with experience in management, financial services, building, information technology, health and safety and primary education.
The Governing Body
All Governors, except the Head teacher serve a four-year term, at the end of which they can stand for re-election or appointment. Hollyfield Primary School Governing Board is currently made up of:
- 3 Parent Governors – elected by parents of pupils at the school
- 1 LA Governor – appointed by Birmingham City Council for the Local Authority
- 1 Staff Governor - elected by the staff at the school
- 1 Head teacher
- 2 Foundation Governors – volunteers from the wider community appointed by the Governing Board
- 7 Co-opted Governors – appointed by the Governing Board (including parents, staff and volunteers from the local community)
The Chair of Governors is elected by the full Governing Board at its first meeting of each school year. The current Chair of Governors is Mrs. Gill Shilton.
The Governing Board does not run the school. That is the job of the Head teacher and senior management team. We take a more strategic overview of how the school is run, and as a ‘critical friend’ act as an invaluable sounding board. Ofsted view our effectiveness in how we challenge and support the school so that weaknesses can be tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met.
Some aspects of our role are laid down in law. We approve the school budget as well as targets for attainment and various policies. Any decisions made by the school to permanently exclude a pupil, has to be reviewed by an independent panel. The full Governing Board meets twice a term, but much of the ‘ground work’ of the governors is carried out by its two principal committees:
- Finance and Resources
- Standards & Achievement
Finance & Resources
Finance and Resources committee focuses on managing the school budget ensuring that it is takes into account the priorities of the School Improvement Plan. It examines the implications this will have on resources, especially staffing of the school and maintenance and development of school buildings, including Health and Safety. The committee reviews the school’s financial performance making sure money is well spent. We also plan for the future by establishing and maintaining a three year financial plan.
Standards & Achievement
Standards and Achievement committee reviews the progress and achievement of pupils on a regular basis. We ensure development and delivery of the curriculum at Hollyfield meets all statutory obligations and that policies reflect current practice. ‘Walk-abouts’ and talking to pupils allow us as Governors to view at first-hand the impact on learning within the classrooms. Governors are particularly excited at the prospect of implementing a more creative curriculum.
Governor Attendance
We must publish a summary of attendance for the governing body meetings. You can view the summary here
2022 - 2023
2021 - 2022
2020 - 2021
Governor Register of Interests
You can view a list of interests that our governors have by clicking this link. We publish information about each of our governors in the interests of transparency.
Contact the Governors...
Should you wish to contact the Governing Body you can do so via the school office or by clicking here:
