All Hallows Catholic College
Governors
What is a Governor?
The governing body of the college is made up of governors from various parts of the college community; staff, parents, church and local authority. This helps to ensure a balance of views and experience on the governing body.
A governor is appointed or elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected or re-appointed for further terms. Staff and parent governors are elected by their fellow staff or parents but they do not ‘represent’ them and do not report back to them. Local Authority governors are appointed by the Local Authority.
Foundation governors are appointed by the Diocese, usually on the recommendation of the Parish Priest, to preserve and develop the Catholic character of the college and to ensure that the college is conducted in accordance with its trust deed.
No qualifications or experience is needed and training is available to all governors. The most important qualities for a governor are enthusiasm, commitment and an interest in the education of the students of the College.
Governors do not act individually but make decisions together; they work closely with the head teacher to make decisions about the successful running of the college, improving standards and approving the budget. They support the head teacher but also ask questions and make sure the head teacher is taking the college in the right direction. They are often said to act as a ‘critical friend’ to the college.
What is the Local Governing Body?
The Local Governing Body (LGB) consists of a group of 11 people drawn from all areas of life, who are responsible for every aspect of All Hallows Catholic College: what is taught in the curriculum and the standards achieved by the pupils; the staff employed to deliver an outstanding Catholic education; and the environment in which the children learn.
Governors do not manage the College or the staff, nor are they responsible for making operational decisions. The Principal leads and manages the College and is responsible for delivering the College’s aims and priorities. He is supported by the Senior Leadership Team: Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal’s.
The Local Governing Body exists to support the Principal and his team; to ensure that academic and financial standards are maintained, and that the College is continually striving to reach the next level; and to provide strategic direction. They do this by ensuring they understand the College well (its strengths and areas for development) in order to determine how the College is currently performing and where it needs to get to; and by asking the right questions of the Principal.
How is the Local Governing Body made up?
The Local Governing Body consists of:
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6 x Foundation Governors – appointed by the Bishop of Shrewsbury to ensure the Catholic ethos of the College is at the heart of everything we do.
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2 x Staff Governors – the Principal plus one other member of staff, elected by staff.
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2 x Parent Governor – elected by the parents at the College.
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1 x Community Governor – taken from the general community but normally with links to the College; for example, the parent of a former pupil at the College
Local Governing Body Meetings
The Local Governing Body now meets six times per year, to ensure all areas of responsibility can be maintained in the new structure. Minutes of the meetings are available to view in College.
Key areas of responsibility for the Local Governing Body are:
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Standards – Monitoring Education, what is taught, how it is taught and most importantly, the results achieved by our students, including vulnerable children. It also monitors areas such as behaviour and attendance.
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Finance – Monitoring how our College funding is spent. It ensures that we are always striving for “best value” and that the money spent is directed towards achieving the College objectives.
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Strategic Direction – Agreeing the College’s priorities; its values and its ethos.
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Staffing – Responsible for the performance management of the Principal; monitoring arrangements for staff, including involvement in the recruitment of staff
You can find out more about each of our Governors in the Staff and Governors section of the website, under the Meet the Governors tab.
Being a Governor requires a significant input of time, effort, skill, and enthusiasm but also brings great rewards. It is a varied, challenging and fulfilling role and many Governors go on to serve more than one term of office. Full training is offered by the external partners, such as the Diocese. The Local Authority also provides specialist support for Governors.
To find out more about the role of Governor visit: