Governors

Welcome to the Governors section of our website.

At the Federation of the Church Schools of Shalfleet and Freshwater & Yarmouth, staff and governors work together as a team to create a safe, happy, and high attaining environment for the children and a welcoming, supportive community for our parents and carers; a community where everyone feels valued.

The DfE handbook for Governors explains that governors should focus on the following key functions:

1. Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The Federation is very lucky to have a diverse group of governors supporting both schools. They are involved with a variety of issues including finance, pupil welfare, performance management, policies, buildings/grounds, etc. However without doubt we consider that our most important role is to ensure that the Federation seeks the highest standards from its pupils and delivers high quality education for local children in a safe environment. We are very proud of the children in our schools. We would also like to thank our parents and carers for your support and encouragement of your children. This is invaluable for their progress and well-being.

Our Governing body is made up out of members from our community. Our current Instrument of Government which is approved by both the Diocesan Board of Education and the Local Authority is included on this site for your information together with a list of the governors.

The Headteacher meets regularly with individual governors, focusing on a specific area of responsibility. Reports from these meetings are brought to the Governing Body for discussion and approval.

The Governors visit both schools to support the Federation Development Plan. In our development plan are the areas Mrs Grainger and her staff will focus on in the coming year, working to improve standards in both schools and ensuring new requirements are met.

Both are schools rated a solid good with Ofsted and the Federation is a strong unit through the commitment of staff, governors and the wider community. Pupils enjoy working and playing at each other’s schools, meeting friends from the communities they live in and residential trips are undertaken together to broaden their experiences in preparation for Secondary School. Staff are working across the Federation and with other schools to share best practice and benefit from the wider experience, keeping the learning in our schools vibrant and engaging and creating new opportunities for the children.

The Federation is a positive experience for everyone. We have dedicated governors who give significant time voluntarily to support both schools and are committed to offering the best education in the West Wight.

On this website we aim to publish our latest minutes and other relevant information in order to keep you informed of our work. Should you have any questions in the meantime however, please do not hesitate to contact me or Mrs Jodie Smith, Clerk to the Governing Body.

Yours faithfully

The chair of the governing body may be contacted through either school office – Shalfleet (01983 760269) or Freshwater & Yarmouth (01983 760345).