Governance and School Leadership

The governing body, headteacher and senior management team together constitute the leadership team of the school.

The overall purpose of governing bodies remains to help the schools they lead provide the best possible education for pupils. This involves, in particular:

• setting the school's vision and strategic aims, and agreeing plans and policies, making creative use of available resources;
• monitoring and evaluating performance and acting as a critical friend to the headteacher to support and challenge them in managing the school;
• ensuring that the school is accountable to the children and parents it serves, and to its local community and to those who fund and maintain it, as well as to the staff it employs.

Membership of the Governing Body

The school governance 'stakeholder model' is designed to ensure representation of key stakeholders (parents, staff, community, local authority, foundation and sponsors). The stakeholder model helps governing bodies to be accountable to parents, pupils, staff and the local community.

Governing bodies need to reflect the contribution of the key stakeholders:

• Parents - representing the consumers of the school and its services;
• The community - representing the consumers of the school (and, in the case of extended schools for example, may also represent the providers of other services);
• School staff and the headteacher - representing the providers of the school;
• The local authority - responsible for ensuring sufficient education provision in the area, and for funding;
• In addition, the governing body can appoint sponsor governors - representing those who support the school and its services.