Every Board of Governors has a statutory responsibility to establish and monitor school policies and evaluate the effectiveness of the school and its curriculum. Governors are also held to account for the school’s performance. The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) assumes that Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and will test this assumption during a school inspection.
The role of the Link Governor is to provide a link between the Governing Board and the school. When Link Governors visit the school and report back to the Governing Board they help to deepen all governors’ understanding of how the school operates, how the strategic objectives are being pursued, how financial resources are being used and what extra support the school may need to meet its objectives. Without Link Governors, the Governing Board is totally reliant on the Headteacher, or other staff governors, for their understanding of the school. The presence of Link Governors provides an additional source of evidence upon which governing decisions can be made. This additional evidence should enable the Governing Body to better challenge information presented by the school and also better support the school to meet its strategic objectives.
At Springfield Primary, we ask our Link Governors to:
What is the purpose of Link Governor Visits?
Structure for Link Governor Roles 2021/22
For the year 2021/22 we have aligned our Link Governor Roles with the aims of our School Development Plan so that governors can oversee their fulfillment. We have also introduced a Link Governor Role for KS1 and 2 so that a governor can follow a cohort of pupils through the Key Stage and get a real understanding of how the curriculum develops and shapes our pupils. Our Link Governors report their findings to the Board and also share their experiences with parents through out Monthly Mention.
Role | Named Governor | Frequency of Visits to School | Linked Staff Member | Meetings Planned for Autumn Term |
Safeguarding | Mike Freeman | One per term (3) | Mrs Chard | 20 September 2021 |
Reception-Year 2 Cohort | Marzita Abdul-Rahman | 2 per academic year
| Mrs Hughes | 16 November 2021 |
KS2 Cohort | Clara Cheung | 2 per academic year | Mrs Hamlett | 2 December 2021 |
SEN & Pupil Premium | Alex Flowers | 2 per academic year | Mrs Garbett & Mrs Ham | TBC |
Mental Health & Wellbeing inc. Sports Premium | Lesley Dowdall | 2 per academic year | Mrs Chard & Mrs Garbett | 29 November 2021 |
Health & Safety | Jenny Sykes | 2 per academic year | Mrs Chard & Mr Derbyshire | 19 November 2021 |
Recovery Curriculum | Clare Bruce | 2 per academic year | Mrs Chard & Mrs Platt
| 4 November 2021 |
Science | Gareth Holly | 2 per academic year | Mrs Slonecki | February 2022 |
Sustainability | Tony Martin | 2 per academic year | Sustainability Committee | 28 February 2022 |