Governance

School Governors

At Penwortham Primary School, our Governing Body plays a vital role in ensuring the school provides the best possible education, care and opportunities for all pupils.

Governors work strategically with the Headteacher and senior leaders to set the direction of the school, hold leaders to account and ensure that resources are used effectively to improve outcomes for children. Their work supports our vision of happy children who achieve.

The Role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body has three core functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding school leaders to account for educational performance, safeguarding and wellbeing
Overseeing the financial performance of the school to ensure money is well spent

Governors do not manage the day-to-day running of the school. Instead, they provide appropriate challenge and support, acting as a critical friend to school leaders and ensuring high standards are maintained.

How Governors Support the School

At Penwortham Primary School, governors:

work closely with school leaders to monitor standards and progress
support and challenge leaders through focused questioning
ensure safeguarding arrangements are effective and regularly reviewed
oversee provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
monitor attendance, behaviour and wellbeing
ensure statutory duties are met
support school improvement priorities

Governors bring a range of skills, experience and perspectives and work together as a team to support the school and its community.

Working with School Leaders

The Headteacher works closely with the Governing Body as its principal professional advisor. Governors receive regular reports on:

teaching and learning
pupil outcomes
behaviour and attendance
safeguarding and wellbeing
SEND provision
finance and staffing

This ensures governors are well informed and able to make strategic decisions in the best interests of pupils.

Training and Support

Governors are supported in their role through:

ongoing training and development
guidance from Lancashire County Council Governor Services
regular updates on statutory responsibilities and best practice

This ensures governors are confident, knowledgeable and effective in fulfilling their responsibilities.

The Governing Body at Penwortham Primary School

The first point of contact for the Governing Body is the Chair of Governors, Mrs Patricia Jones, via the school office. Mrs Jones will then contact you directly if appropriate.

Governor Roles and Responsibilities

To ensure effective oversight and accountability, members of the Governing Body at Penwortham Primary School hold specific link governor roles. These roles enable governors to monitor key priorities, fulfil statutory duties and support school improvement.

Link governors work closely with senior leaders and relevant staff, receiving reports and information to help them provide informed challenge and support.

Safeguarding Governor

Governor: Mrs P Jones
Ofsted Area: Behaviour & Attitudes / Leadership & Culture
Focus:

Oversight of safeguarding procedures and statutory compliance
Monitoring child protection, CLA and Prevent duties
School Link: Mrs J Cunningham (DSL)

SEND and Inclusion Governor

Governor: Mrs K Anderton
Ofsted Area: Inclusion
Focus:

Monitoring SEND provision and outcomes
Oversight of inclusion and support for vulnerable pupils
School Link: Mrs J Cunningham (SENDCo)

Pupil Premium / Disadvantaged Governor

Governor: Mrs M Mcauley
Ofsted Area: Quality of Education / Leadership
Focus:

Strategic monitoring of Pupil Premium funding
Ensuring impact for disadvantaged pupils
School Link: Miss K Penarski

Health & Safety / Premises Governor

Governors: Mr N Wright
Ofsted Area: Leadership & Culture
Focus:

Site safety, risk assessments and compliance
Premises and health & safety oversight
School Link: Mrs Asiya Sange (School Business Manager)

Early Years Governor

Governor: Mrs J Wilson
Ofsted Area: Early Years
Focus:

Monitoring EYFS provision and outcomes
Supporting effective transition into Key Stage 1
School Link: Miss L Barlow

Curriculum, Standards and Assessment Governor

Governor: Mrs P Jones
Ofsted Area: Quality of Education
Focus:

Monitoring curriculum implementation and impact
Oversight of assessment and pupil achievement
School Link: Senior Leadership Team

Wellbeing, Mental Health, Behaviour and Attendance Governor

Governor: Mrs M Jones
Ofsted Area: Behaviour & Attitudes / Personal Development
Focus:

Oversight of pupil and staff wellbeing
Monitoring behaviour, attendance and mental health initiatives
School Link: Miss L Barlow

Extra-Curricular, Enrichment and Cultural Capital Governor

Governor: Mr C Page
Ofsted Area: Personal Development
Focus:

Oversight of enrichment, wider opportunities and cultural capital
Monitoring experiences beyond the taught curriculum
School Link: Mrs Lambert

Careers and Transition Governor

Governor: Mrs C Davies
Ofsted Area: Personal Development
Focus:

Oversight of transition points (including KS2–KS3)
Supporting aspiration raising and next-step readiness
School Link: Mr Noblet / Miss L Barlow

Finance and Resources Governor

Governors: Mr N Wright
Ofsted Area: Leadership & Culture
Focus:

Financial oversight and value for money
Ensuring resources are used effectively to support pupils
School Link: Mrs Asiya Sange

Training and Development Governor

Governor: Mrs R Duke
Ofsted Area: Leadership & Governance
Focus:

Oversight of governor training and development
Ensuring governors remain informed and effective

Governance and School Improvement

Governors collectively oversee the priorities within the School Improvement Plan, ensuring that progress is monitored and reviewed throughout the year. Online safety oversight is supported through dedicated leadership and will continue to be strengthened through re-established working groups.

Governance effectiveness is reviewed regularly to ensure strong leadership, accountability and continuous improvement.

Governance Impact Statement

The Governing Body at Penwortham Primary School has a clear focus on improving outcomes for pupils and ensuring that the school provides a safe, inclusive and high-quality education for all.

Governors work closely with school leaders to provide appropriate challenge and support. Through regular monitoring, focused questioning and review of school information, governors ensure that leaders are held to account for:

the quality of education and pupil outcomes
safeguarding and child protection arrangements
provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
behaviour, attendance and wellbeing
effective use of financial resources

Governors use a range of evidence to inform their work, including reports from school leaders, external advice and first-hand knowledge gained through visits and meetings. This enables them to make well-informed strategic decisions that support continuous school improvement.

As a result of this work, governors have contributed to:

maintaining a strong culture of safeguarding
ensuring resources are targeted to support vulnerable pupils
supporting the development of the curriculum and teaching
strengthening leadership and accountability across the school

The Governing Body remains committed to ongoing training and reflection to ensure it continues to meet its statutory responsibilities and support the school’s vision of happy children who achieve.