The Appointment of Governors
Governors are appointed in accordance with the Education Act 1996 and serve for a four year period. There are currently no vacancies on the Governing Body.
Cornwall Education Committee appoints 4 of the governing body and both parents and staff have an opportunity to elect their own representatives (parents 7, staff 4 (to include Headteacher and one member of the non-teaching staff). The elected governors may appoint 5 additional members (now known as Community Governors).
The Functions of the Governors
Parliament has given a range of duties and powers to governing bodies under the Education Act and governors have the general responsibility for the conduct of the college with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement (Section 21 Education Act 2002). This includes:
· Setting appropriate targets for pupils’ achievement at Key Stages 3 and 4
· Managing the college budget
· Making sure that the curriculum for the college is balanced and broadly based and, in particular, that the curriculum includes the National Curriculum, religious education and sex education
· Reporting National Curriculum assessments and examination results to parents, the LA and to the DfES
· Appointing the headteacher and deputy headteacher, determining how the appointment of other staff will be managed and establishing procedures for management of staff conduct and discipline and staff grievances
· Establishing, and reviewing annually, a performance management policy for staff appraisal
· Managing governors’ duties to pupils with Special Educational Needs under Section 317 of the Education Act 1996
· Drawing up an action plan after an inspection (Section 17 of the School Inspections Act 1996 as amended.)
Governors have many local contacts and as a consequence they are often able to obtain financial help from local industry, for instance in the form of sponsorship or advertising.