Skip to content ↓

The Hermitage School

Inspire, Learn, Achieve

Governance Purpose and Structure

Background

The Local Governing Committee of the Hermitage and Oaktree Schools is a very active team of governors who play a major part in the success of our schools. Our governors are drawn from different parts of the community including parents and staff and we are always looking for new governors to supplement our skills and experience. With extensive and diverse employment backgrounds, our governors offer a valuable range of complementary skills that help support the strategic direction of the school.

Our Chair of Governors is Mrs Louise Lawford. If you would like to get in touch with her, please contact the school office. 

Governance structure and meetings

The Local Governing Committee, consisting of all the governors listed on the meet our governors page, meet regularly throughout the year.

Meetings are held half-termly and are between 9am and 11am.

The dates for Local Governing Committee meetings for this academic year are listed below:

  • 21st September 2023
  • 23rd November 2023
  • 18th January 2024
  • 14th March 2024
  • 9th May 2024
  • 27th June 2024

The Local Governing Committee delegates specific responsibilities to three separate committees and panels listed below:

  • Head Teacher review panel 
  • Pay committee 
  • Grievances and Appeals

Strategic Function of the Local Governing Committee

As The Hermitage School is part of the SWAN Multi Academy Trust, SWAN Trustees are the legal governors of the school, and are accountable for all statutory functions. At the local level, Trustees delegate governance functions to the Local Governing Committees (LGC) at each school within the Trust, in line with the SWAN Scheme of Delegation document. LGCs play a vital role in making sure that decisions are taken at a level closest to those affected, ensuring that every child receives the very best education.

At a strategic level, the LGC ensures that the school has a clear vision and there are strategies identified for achieving this vision.

  1. Hold the leadership of the school to account for setting the vision and priorities for education in line with the unique ethos and values of the school
  2. Support the school leadership in ensuring that the School Development Plan is fully aligned to the delivery of the strategies and plans required to deliver the vision
  3. Monitor pupil, staff and parental feedback to ensure strategies and action plans correctly reflect their outcomes
  4. Monitor and review effectiveness of the LGC

Educational Function of the Local Governing Committee

The LGC needs to ensure that it identifies the needs and maximises the potential of every child and promotes the highest standards of academic and personal development.

  1. Monitor standards & progress in all areas of the school’s work relating to children & their learning, including Attainment data & analysis, Pupil Progress data & analysis, and Personal Development and Well-being
  2. Evaluate the quality of teaching and learning across the school
  3. Monitor and evaluate progress in achieving SDP objectives relevant to the education focus
  4. Monitor all aspects of the curriculum and curriculum delivery within the school
  5. Monitor all aspects of SEND and the provision for vulnerable groups
  6. Monitor student issues including behaviour and exclusions
  7. Monitor all aspects of safeguarding including British Values and the implementation of the Prevent strategy
  8. Review, monitor and approve school specific policies and procedures delegated to the school by the SWAN Board
  9. Ensure that Pupil Premium funding, and Sport Premium where relevant, has impact in narrowing attainments gaps for pupils who generate the funding
  10. Encourage the provision of extra-curricular activities and understand their impact
  11. Monitor pupils’ attendance
  12. Monitor all aspects of readiness for inspection 

Business Function of the Local Governing Committee

To monitor and evaluate the use of financial resources in the school, ensure staff well-being and a safe and healthy environment throughout the school.

  1. Oversee the financial performance of the school & make sure its money is well spent
  2. Monitor the leadership and staffing structure of the school in line with budget constraints
  3. Monitor financial implications of SDP priorities
  4. Monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure the school receives value for money, both for services purchased centrally by SWAN and for locally sourced services
  5. Review financial benchmarking data & ensure the school is obtaining value for money
  6. Monitor the school’s appraisal process for school leaders, teachers and support staff
  7. Ensure there is an appropriate succession plan in place for all staff including leadership roles
  8. Review summary of staff surveys & statistics & agree any relevant actions
  9. Ensure the school has a process to manage continuous professional development of school leaders, teachers, support staff & governors
  10. Monitor the school staff exit interview process and report any actions
  11. Receive & review reports of the school buildings & grounds by internal and external parties, including risk assessments, environmental factors and suitability & condition surveys
  12. Ensure the school complies to health & safety requirements and the security of school premises & equipment specified by the SWAN Board
  13. Submit funding requests for the school improvement to the SWAN Board
  14. Deal with the  regulatory  requirements  of  admissions,  exclusions  and  staff  performance  where delegated by the SWAN Board
  15. Review, monitor and approve school specific policies and procedures delegated to the school by the SWAN Board