What is it like being a Governor?

I joined CCI as a Foundation Governor last summer. I don't have any direct links with children at the school but live locally and wanted to contribute something to my local community after taking early retirement. I felt I still had lots of experience and enthusiasm to offer. Everyone has been very welcoming and I already feel part of a great team. There's lots of opportunity to get involved in the wider school life and meet the children. They are so confident and interested in everything going on around them - it's a joy to be a part of their experiences. 

What does a governor do?

All governors are part of the Full Governing Body, who meet together once a term to discuss and agree a wide range of topics around the school strategic leadership. The governors will:

• Set the aims and objectives for the school
• Set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
• Set the targets for achieving those aims and objective
• Monitor and evaluate progress the school is making towards its aims and objectives
• Be a source of challenge and support to the Head

Additionally, most governors will also have one or more "link roles". The link roles have specific functions requiring more focussed knowledge and discussion than can be expected within the Full Governing Body. This allows governors to build a depth of knowledge in a smaller area of school leadership, making the role much easier to do. The link roles for Christ Church Infants encompass areas of school leadership such as:

• Finance, Staffing and Premises (FS&P) - focus on the school budget; what money comes into the school, how the money should be spent and how the school achieves value for money against it's strategic aims and objectives
• Standards and Curriculum (S&C) - focus on the school curriculum; understanding what is being taught, how progress is being monitored and tracked across the curriculum, and whether the curriculum is providing the knowledge, skills and experiences for the students that we desire
• Ethos - focus on the school vision and values; what are the vision and values the school has and how are these reflected within the school to the pupils, the staff and to the wider community around the school

Governors at Christ Church Infants also enjoy being part of the wider school family. Governors are linked with classes in the school and look to support those classes practically throughout the school year with resources, fund-raising activities, or time spent with the class on visits or doing tasks such as reading with the students.