St Mark'sOur Governors
Welcome from Chair of Governors
At St Mark’s Primary School we are proud to offer a caring family atmosphere putting an emphasis on the whole child. We want all our children to develop to their full potential academically and socially, so that they become responsible and caring adults in their later lives.
The role of the Governors is to work closely with the Headteacher and staff to provide the very best education that we can for the children of our school. We are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the school, for ensuring that the budget is managed prudently and for supporting our excellent staff.
We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and strive for enjoyment in learning. The staff are experienced and dedicated and work in partnership with parents and children so that we can provide the children with the best individualised education possible.
Our Friends of St Mark’s are very active and organise a variety of fun activities and events throughout the school year. The funds raised help to provide the children with as many experiences as possible. We operate an ‘open door’ policy where parents, friends and governors are always welcome to come into school.
If you have not already experienced our school then please call to arrange a visit and a member of our staff will be delighted to show you around.
Peter Smyth
Chair of Governors
psmyth@st-marks.e-sussex.sch.uk
Governor Information (Instrument of governance)
The Full Governing Board (FGB) consist of Peter Smyth, our Chair, Anna Shaw, our Vice Chair, our Executive Headteacher, our Head of School. A staff governor, a Local Authority governor, two parent governors and five Foundation governors. The Foundation governors usually come from the church parish community.
Our aim is to ensure all stakeholders, including our church, our school, our parents, our local community and the Local Authority, are represented and that as wide a range of relevant skills are available to bring the right knowledge and expertise to the FGB and support the work of our school.
All of our governors belong to our community and give their time as volunteers. All share a strong belief and passion, in the importance of providing a nurturing and safe environment for children to develop a love of learning and the best they can achieve.
The FGB meets six times per annum with extra-ordinary meetings called, if appropriate, to discuss critical items that cannot wait for a FGB meeting. Governors have specific interests within the school and you may see them on a school visit, usually meeting with senior leaders of the staff or the school’s Admin support team.
We are an accessible team and welcome any comments or enquiries, either direct to Peter Smyth, psmyth@st-marks.e-sussex.sch.uk or to our Clerk, clerk@st-marks.e-sussex.sch.uk
Governors who have stepped down or their term of office has expired in the academic year 2023/24 and academic year 2024/25 are :- Richard Brown 31/01/24, Andrew Cook 20/06/24, Claire Roberts 31/08/24, Mihaela Ariseanu 01/09/24 and Kate Reed 03/10/24
Copies of the FGB meeting minutes are available on request from the Clerk.
What is the role of the Governing Board?
The primary aim of all school governing bodies is to help raise standards of achievement and attainment and ensure that the school provides a good quality education.
School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. The three core functions of a Governing Board are:
1) Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2) Monitoring the educational performance of the school and acting as a “critical friend” to the Headteacher
3) Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
As a Voluntary Aided school we also have a duty to help the school maintain its Christian ethos.
To achieve these goals, the Governing Board works closely with the school. While having a responsibility to hold the school to account and challenging when necessary, we are also there to provide support.
Regular activities undertaken by governors include: working alongside the Headteacher, staff and other stakeholders to produce the School Development Plan (this outlines the key activities and overall strategy for the school for the following year) reviewing pupil performance data, conducting school visits, auditing school policies and ongoing governor training.
Further information
The Governing body are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people and expect all staff, volunteers and other members of the school community to share this commitment. We ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment and review our policies, procedures and training to ensure they are effective and comply with the law.