| Headteacher | Chair of Governors | Review Dates |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Last Review: 09-2024 |
| Lisa Keighley | Philip Cavalier-Lumley | Next Review: 09-2025 |
Rationale
Through our programme of individual governor visits we aim to:-
- Improve knowledge of the ethos of the school and awareness of the work on the curriculum.
- Assist the whole governing body to fulfil its statutory role.
- Improve governor understanding of the needs of the school and the priorities for the School Improvement Plan.
- Monitor and evaluate the School Improvement Plan especially in relation to curricular issues
- Improve governor links with staff, pupils and parents.
- Help governors to be better able to support the school community.
- Highlight the needs for particular resources.
Timetable of visits
- All governors aim to visit at least once a year during the working day.
- All new governors to be offered an introductory visit soon after their appointment to the governing body as part of their introduction programme.
- Governors are welcome to informally visit the school (with prior notice) taking into account the needs of all concerned and the appropriate timing of visits e.g. assemblies
- Invitations are sent for some occasions.
- Visits to talk with the Executive Head and/or Head of School to be made by appointment.
- Governors receive copies of parents’ newsletters, which contain notice of events and are welcome to attend these.
Focus of Monitoring Visit
Visits to focus on aspects of the School Development Plan and on carrying out the work of the governing body eg. Governor for:
Vulnerable groups ( SEND, disadvantaged pupils)
Curriculum and standards
The Quality of Education
Behaviour and Welfare
Personal Development
Parental Engagement
Leadership and Management
The implementation of a new initiative
The visits are to have a particular emphasis on a major aspect of delivery of the school. The Curriculum Committee will discuss the focus of these visits and suggestions brought to the whole governing body.
What Governor Visits are NOT about:
- Making judgments about quality of teaching and operational management
- Checking the progress of own children
- Pursuing personal agendas
- Monopolizing teachers time
- Arriving with inflexible preconceived ideas
- Interrupting, giving ideas or suggestions during teaching time
Procedure
Format for visits
1 Arrange a visit with the appropriate teacher(s) and agree the aim of the visit and arrangement for it in advance. Ensure the Headteacher is aware of the focus of the visit.
2 The visit
Staff will have been consulted about the date and purpose of the visit. This will enable them to prepare any information related to the focus of the monitoring visit and to set up a programme for the governor. This might include;
- Opportunities to talk to staff about a particular school priority
- Make Informal observations
- Conduct a guided learning walk
- Speak with children
- Attend subject lead presentations and discuss action plan priorities
- Review school's safeguarding procedures
- Visit classrooms
- Examine data
- Observe a key SDP priority in action
The follow up
1 Governor to complete a visit report.
2 The completed report shared with the full governing body.
3 Staff and governors to give opinions on the effectiveness and success of these visits
4 Governors and staff to update the policy every three years.