Governance
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Each member of our board has a wide range of business and community interest as befits a large pupil body drawn from across the Middlesbrough area.
The Local Governing Body
Within a Multi-Academy Trust, each school has governors who form the ‘Local Governing Body’, and they play an essential role in the successful running of a school and have three distinct roles in the governance of the school:
- Governors are the academy’s ambassadors in the local community and indeed hold deep knowledge of the school community and its specific needs
- Governors can play a very important role in relation to safeguarding and safety as they know the schools intimately, and in many cases have extensive involvement in the school
- The governors can also play a very important role in the scrutiny of education quality and performance. Their ability to balance challenge and support helps to raise standards.
The Department for Education’s guidance makes clear the significance of the role a school governor can play.
“Governors should be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils, staff, parents, carers and local communities.”
The importance of Link Governors
Knowing the school well, its strengths and weaknesses, is a key element of effective governance and informs the quality of the professional challenge and support for school leaders. In order to serve this purpose the local governing bodies at Endeavour Academies have governors who take responsibilities for the following areas:
- Teaching, learning and assessment
- Curriculum
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Safeguarding
- Attendance
- ‘People’ (recruitment and retention, staff development, wellbeing, performance management)
- SEND and LAC
- EYFS.
To improve the quality of governance, the school has been involved in a collaborative CPD project with other MATs across the Tees Valley. This project has resulted in the production of the Governance Handbook, which the academy governors use to guide their work. This handbook also forms the basis of an induction for new governors.
As well as formal half termly meetings regularly reporting on established practice, governors spend time in the school engaging with pupils and staff. The full Local Governing Body meetings follow a full agenda which allows us to ensure the above takes place and to focus on specific areas such as progress in teaching, learning and assessment, whole education, safeguarding, finance and staffing matters.
If you are interested in knowing more about the role of an school governor, please contact:
Fr Glyn Holland
Chair of Governors
c/o Archibald Primary
Ayresome Green Lane
TS5 4DY
GOVERNOR'S BIOGRAPHIES
Glyn is the Vicar of All Saint’s Church in Middlesbrough and has considerable involvement in community initiatives and major regeneration projects, including being Chair of the Middlesbrough Town Centre Company. Glyn is a very experienced school governor and has been Chair of Governors in two Middlesbrough Primary Schools, and is also a Trustee for Endeavour Academies
Paul is a former pupil of Archibald Primary School and currently works for a charity. His experience extends to major regeneration schemes, developing partnerships, community engagement, project development and delivery, recruitment, managing an organisation and its staff and volunteers, as well as reporting to a Board of Trustees. Paul has been governor for several years and as a governor wants to ensure that Archibald continues improving the education and life chances for all pupils.
Anita has worked in education as a teacher for 40 years. She has been Head Teacher for Archibald Primary School since 2007. Anita holds a National Professional Qualification for headship (NPQH) and is currently undertaking the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL). She is a Local Leader of Education (LLE) and also works as an Associate for PiXL supporting other primary schools in the region to improve.
Andrea is a retired headteacher and was co-opted to Archibald Primary School Governing Body in September 2013. Her experience as a teacher and leader of education enables her to support the school in a particular way. Andrea has first-hand knowledge of how a primary school is managed, the financing and staffing, the upholding of the highest standards for the children as well as the place of the school in the local community. Andrea’s experience of Governorship has included being a parent representative for many years at her children's school, a teacher representative and being the Headteacher Governor.
Claire is a year six teacher and team leader at Archibald Primary School. She joined the school in 2011 and became a member of the governing body in 2015.
It is her passion to ensure that all Archibald pupils achieve the best they can before moving on to the next stage of their education. Claire also holds the position of Curriculum Leader within the school and has played a major role in the development of teaching and learning.
Lyndsay is a Secondary Drama Teacher who joined Archibald Primary School Governing Body in May 2019. Growing up within the Middlesbrough area and attending Archibald Primary as a young child, she understands the challenges that classroom teachers face. As a current classroom practitioner, she has first-hand experience of ensuring that the highest standards for young people are upheld to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Lyndsay holds safeguarding, pastoral support and strong teaching and learning strategies as priorities in her everyday practice. She is committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for the children at Archibald Primary and to ensure they learn in a happy and safe environment to achieve their full potential.
Andy is currently Deputy Headteacher at Macmillan Academy and has worked in Middlesbrough since 2005. Andy has a keen interest in 'personal development' and has a passion for ensuring that young people are well educated and also well rounded individuals who in the future will make a positive contribution to their local communities. Andy has previously been a parent governor of a primary school and has been a teacher since 1998. He has recently been appointed to the national council of the Association of Secondary College Leaders (ASCL) which keeps him up to date with education policy throughout primary and secondary schools.
In attendance:
Governors left in last 12 months:
Shaheen has two sons currently at Archibald Primary School, and joined the Local Governing Body in January 2019 as a Parent Governor. Shaheen has over 10 years' experience working with young people and adults, specialising in substance misuses - complex needs within the Middlesbrough Area.
Shaheen feels it is very important that all children have the best start in life so they can achieve their dreams and goals.
