Welcome to our Governors’ section.

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.
We have also provided a Register of Governor Interests and an Annual Statement of Issues for your information.

How is the Board of Governors Organised?

The Board of Governors normally meet termly and is chaired by the Chair of Governors.  The Governors have also set up three main Committees:

• The Standards Committee chaired by Mark Smith
• The Wellbeing and Personal Development Committee chaired by Sue Wanstall
• The  Business and Finance Committee chaired by Edward Murphy

What do we discuss at our meetings?

Each Governor is a member of at least one of the main Committees.   At each of our meetings, we make recommendations and decisions on a number of key priorities that affect the school.  These are recorded along with our discussions and what we have supported and what we have challenged. Part of our role as Governors is to act as a 'Critical Friend' to the school.

Working in Partnership

Holywell School is led by Darran Callaghan as Headteacher.  He has an excellent team of teachers and support staff and I take this opportunity to thank them for their marvellous contribution to the school.

We also have an excellent team in Parents and Friends of Holywell School (PFHS), and they are superb in their efforts to raise money for the benefit of the pupils at Holywell.

The Governors hugely values its links with the local Upchurch community.  We are proud to be involved in community events throughout each year and we continue to find new ways to work alongside those in our community. 

As Governors, we regularly visit the school and our most recent focus was ‘Curriculum in Action’, observing different activities going on throughout the school and speaking to subject leaders and children about their learning in particular subjects. 

How can you help?

When you have a free moment, please provide your thoughts and views on the school as part of ' Parent View' on the Ofsted website.  This can be found here.

What about the Future?

We are on a continuous journey to be the best school we can be and are working towards becoming an OUTSTANDING school.  To achieve this, we are:

• Becoming a Thinking School, working on ways to develop things like our resilience and independence through the use of Thinking Maps and Habits of Mind
• Ensuring that our environment, including ICT equipment, promotes all aspects of our vision
• That all stakeholders, including pupils, parents, staff and governors have a voice and a place in our school community.

Holywell School has a wonderful story to tell.  The pupils are excellent ambassadors and are a great credit to you as parents and guardians.  There is a vibrant and hugely positive atmosphere at Holywell School.  The Governors are most grateful to you for your continued support - which is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to meeting you in the future.

Alan Horton

Committees and Panels 2020-2021

Holywell Governing Body Code of Conduct

This code sets out the expectations on and commitment required from school governors and trustees in order for the governing board to properly carry out its work within the school and the community.  It can be amended to include specific reference to the ethos of the particular school. ‘School’ includes academies, and it applies to all level of school governance.

The Governing Board has the following core strategic functions

Establishing the strategic direction, by:

• Setting the vision, values, and objectives for the school
• Agreeing the school improvement strategy with priorities and targets
• Meeting statutory duties

Ensuring accountability, by:

• Appointing the headteacher
• Monitoring progress towards targets
• Performance managing the headteacher
• Engaging with stakeholders
• Contributing to school self-evaluation

Ensuring financial probity, by:

• Setting the budget
• Monitoring spending against the budget
• Ensuring value for money is obtained
• Ensuring risks to the organisation are managed

As individuals on the board we agree to the following

Role & Responsibilities  

• We understand the purpose of the board and the role of the headteacher.
• We accept that we have no legal authority to act individually, except when the board has given us delegated authority to do so, and therefore we will only speak on behalf of the governing board when we have been specifically authorised to do so.
• We accept collective responsibility for all decisions made by the board or its delegated agents. This means that we will not speak against majority decisions outside the governing board meeting.
• We have a duty to act fairly and without prejudice, and in so far as we have responsibility for staff, we will fulfil all that is expected of a good employer.
• We will encourage open government and will act appropriately.
• We will consider carefully how our decisions may affect the community and other schools.
• We will always be mindful of our responsibility to maintain and develop the ethos and reputation of our school. Our actions within the school and the local community will reflect this.
• In making or responding to criticism or complaints affecting the school we will follow the procedures established by the governing board.
• We will actively support and challenge the headteacher.

Commitment

• We acknowledge that accepting office as a governor involves the commitment of significant amounts of time and energy.
• We will each involve ourselves actively in the work of the governing board, and accept our fair share of responsibilities, including service on committees or working groups.
• We will make full efforts to attend all meetings and where we cannot attend explain in advance why we are unable to.
• We will get to know the school well and respond to opportunities to involve ourselves in school activities.
• We will visit the school, with all visits to school arranged in advance with the staff and undertaken within the framework established by the governing board and agreed with the headteacher.
• We will consider seriously our individual and collective needs for training and development, and will undertake relevant training.

Relationships

• We will strive to work as a team in which constructive working relationships are actively promoted.
• We will express views openly, courteously and respectfully in all our communications with other governors.
• We will support the chair in their role of ensuring appropriate conduct both at meetings and at all times.
• We are prepared to answer queries from other governors in relation to delegated functions and take into account any concerns expressed, and we will acknowledge the time, effort and skills that have been committed to the delegated function by those involved.
• We will seek to develop effective working relationships with the headteacher, staff and parents, the local authority and other relevant agencies and the community.

Confidentiality

• We will observe complete confidentiality when matters are deemed confidential or where they concern specific members of staff or pupils, both inside or outside school.
• We will exercise the greatest prudence at all times when discussions regarding school business arise outside a governing board meeting.
• We will not reveal the details of any governing board vote.

Conflicts of interest

• We will record any pecuniary or other business interest (including those related to people we are connected with) that we have in connection with the governing board’s business in the Register of Business Interests, and if any such conflicted matter arises in a meeting we will offer to leave the meeting for the appropriate length of time.
• We will also declare any conflict of loyalty at the start of any meeting should the situation arise.
• We will act in the best interests of the school as a whole and not as a representative of any group, even if elected to the governing body.

Breach of this code of conduct

• If we believe this code has been breached, we will raise this issue with the chair and the chair will investigate; the governing board will only use suspension/removal as a last resort after seeking to resolve any difficulties or disputes in more constructive ways.
• Should it be the chair that we believe has breached this code, another governor, such as the vice chair will investigate.

The Seven Principles of Public Life

(Originally published by the Nolan Committee: The Committee on Standards in Public Life was established by the then Prime Minister in October 1994, under the Chairmanship of Lord Nolan, to consider standards of conduct in various areas of public life, and to make recommendations).

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.
2. Integrity - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
3. Objectivity - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
5. Openness - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.