Brook Acre Community Primary School

Welcome to the Governors’ section of the website.  School Governors now have very significant responsibilities for appointing staff and for the way the school is run.  We meet regularly both as a full Governing Body and in committees. 

The Governors endeavour to be of help in appointing the very best teachers and to work hard with all the staff to know the school well and support it in all that is being achieved. We have committees to manage the budget, to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum and to support the management of the building.  We keep quite busy.

In addition to this each Governor has a link to an area of the curriculum and will probably come into school, when they can, to find out what is going on.  For me, this is the best part of being a Governor because there is always something new and different happening whether it is a PE lesson, a trip, children singing in the hall children explaining the progress they have made in maths or any of the many unique ‘happenings’ that take place each day.   Brook Acre is a very exciting school in which to be a Governor – but it is always challenging and the Governors relish that challenge to support Brook Acre to be the best that it can be!

Our Governing Body has three core functions:

1. Ensuring 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; and
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The core features of effective governance also apply at any scale and in any context, and are common to good governance practice in the charity and corporate sectors. They include the importance of the Governing Body having:

• The right people with the necessary skills, time and commitment, and sufficient diversity of perspectives to ensure internal challenge, all actively contributing in line with clearly defined roles and responsibilities under an effective chair and an explicit code of conduct, and with active succession planning;
• Clear governance structures with tightly defined remits, particularly in relation to functions delegated to committees or other bodies;
• Clear separation between the strategic and operational in terms of the role of the body and its school leaders;
• A positive relationship between the body and its school leaders enabling robust constructive challenge on the basis of a good understanding of objective data particularly on pupil progress, staff performance and finances;
• The support and advice of an independent and professional clerk and, in the case of academies, company secretary;
• Robust processes for financial and business planning and oversight and effective controls for compliance, propriety and value for money; and
• Processes for regular self-evaluation, review and improvement including; skills audits, training and development plans, and independent external reviews as necessary.

The governing body is responsible for the conduct of the school and promoting high standards of educational achievement. Governors provide a strategic view of the school by establishing a vision and setting the purpose and aims of the school within an agreed policy framework, appoint and performance manage the headteacher and agree the school improvement strategy and staffing structures. Governors monitor and evaluate the work of the school, agree policies and review the effectiveness of the policy framework, progress towards targets, and the effectiveness of the school improvement strategy.  

Governing bodies are required to meet a minimum of three times a year. In September 2016 a review by governors decided to alter the committee structure reducing 3 committees to 2 and ensuring a strong and appropriate skill set exists on each.  

No Governors have any declared business interests. There are no relationships between governors and members of the school staff (including spouses, partners and relatives). The clerk to the Governing Body is provided by the local authority and is currently Alyson Wells .  She can be contacted on awells@warrington.gov.uk 

For more information on the role of the board or being a school governor, please see the Governance Handbook on the Department for Education’s website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook

WHO CAN BECOME A GOVERNOR?

Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people.

There are different categories of governor:

• parent
• staff
• foundation
• partnership
• local authority
• co-opted

The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however all governors have the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing board.

RESTRICTIONS

Almost anyone over 18 can serve as a governor but there are some understandable restrictions. No one can serve if they:

• Are barred from working with children or vulnerable adults
• Are subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or similar
• Have certain criminal convictions, depending on the nature of the offence and sentence and how long ago it was

CURRENT VACANCIES

There are currently two vacancies for a co-opted Governor at our school.  Please contact the school office if you wish to enquire about becoming a member of our Governing Body. 

Miss Jo Holmes - Headteacher

I have had the pleasure of spending my entire career as a teacher at Brook Acre Community Primary School.  I started at the school as a new teacher in September 2005 and have watched the school grow on an immense journey of school improvement.

I was born and grew up in a very quiet and beautiful part of North Wales.  I didn’t always find school life easy and knew from a very young age that I wanted to make a difference in education.  After relocating to Warrington 11 years ago to start my career, I still often go home to the peace and splendour of the Welsh countryside.

I am extremely proud to be the headteacher of Brook Acre.  I, along with a dedicated team of teaching and support staff, bring passion and commitment to ensure each child at Brook Acre achieves the best possible outcomes and gains the skills, drive and enthusiasm to become a life-long learner with a positive future ahead.

Mrs Mary Chuck - Co-opted Governor

I have worked with Brook Acre School for thirty years, building the first links with what was then Padgate High School, and have served on the Governing Body for around twenty of those years.  There have been so many changes over that time – in education and in the school - and it has been a wonderful journey, being involved with all the improvements over that time.  It is now a very special place in which to play a part. 

The skills I bring to the Governors are those I learned in twenty years of secondary school leadership and management. They range from child protection awareness, appointment procedures and HR knowledge through to school budget management. In the spare time I have, I enjoy the keeping as fit as possible, writing poetry and painting in watercolours and acrylics, and spending time with family, including 4 grand-children who have kept me well-informed about changes in schools – but those interests are kept well away from Brook Acre!

I have no interests which conflict with my roles at Brook Acre, but I do keep broadening my mind as a Trustee of the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere.

Mrs Annabel Viar - LA Governor

Mrs Zoe Davies - Parent Governor