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. 

Alderton Junior School joined Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust from 1 September 2018.

Local Governing Body Constitution since 1 September 2018 comprises of - Parent Governors x 2; Trust Appointed Governors x 4; Staff Governor x 1; Headteacher, ex-officio.

It usually meets as a full Governing Body each half term and there is a committee which meets annually to deal with pay matters.

Governors Objectives - The major objective for the governors is ensuring that our pupils progress appropriately in their education and appreciate that for this to happen the pupils must be supported by a well led, enthusiastic, professionally competent and motivated staff all working together within a safe, supportive, expecting environment. Governors appreciate too the requirements of our children’s parents and carers, and their need to be satisfied about the overall leadership and management of the school and how it affects safety, learning and enjoyment of their children. To achieve their objectives governors too must continually evaluate the role they have played within the life of the school and publish relevant information to all interested parties. This statement is part of that evaluation and publication process.

School Development Plan (SDP) – Governors work co-operatively with the head teacher and senior management in the writing and monitoring of the School Development Plan. The School Development Plan sets aims for the forthcoming year. The current SDP is based on priorities identified from monitoring which includes discussions with pupils and looking closely at their work in class and in books, monitoring the Quality of Education children receive across the curriculum and analysis of how pupils achieve and progress. The SDP is set out with the Trust objectives at the top and clear aims for the school, the key tasks which will be completed to achieve these aims and the success criteria in order to measure the impact. The SDP is monitored and reviewed termly, with an evaluation overview being completed and presented to governors alongside the Head Teacher report.

Governor visits – Governors regularly visit the school as part of their monitoring of the SDP and these are considered a valuable opportunity for governors to be able to work closely with staff members across the board and speak with pupils. Governors follow a cycle which sets out the monitoring activities which they will be undertaking which includes visits to work with leaders to evaluate the curriculum, 'speed dating style' interviews with subject leaders to discuss the evaluation of the their leadership area and key priorities as well as joining the school for any Trust or school commissioned external review. Leaders and the School Council are regularly invited to meet with Governors or attend Board meetings to provide reports on the school progress in particular areas of the SDP. Some of the visits have included reviewing key aspects of the curriculum, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and SEN/D. Guidance in terms of the roles and responsibilities of statutory link governors are provided to relevant governors and regular training is available in order to up skill our team. Training has included Finance, Data, Safeguarding and GDPR. Governors also attend the school for school events, to support by attending performances and parent mornings or parent consultation evenings and often attend during Year 6 SATs week to observe the administration of the tests. 

Data analysis – Data is made available to governors through termly meetings with verbal and written presentations followed by question and answer sessions with the Headteacher. Governors are able to benchmark their data against schools nationally to ensure standards and expectations are high and are able to be closely scrutinised, particularly on pupil progress across all ability groups including vulnerable groups and on the effective use of the Pupil Premium. Governors have attended and observed pupil progress meetings in order to understand the process that leaders and teachers undertake to ensure all pupils achieve and progress well. 

Policies – Governors continue to review all relevant policies on a programmed basis to ensure that all guidance is current and up to date. Policies that have been updated in the last academic year have included Attendance, Behaviour and Discipline, Safeguarding and SEN/D. New policies that have been added include a Reading and Play Policy. 

Financial Management –The Governors work with school staff to achieve 'The Schools Financial Value Standard and Assurance' (SFVS) on an annual basis. The impact of the governors’ role in the

school ensures that the budget is well managed and improvements are effective and continuous. External audits confirm that finances are well managed. 

Staff Recruitment – The Headteacher, Deputy headteacher and the Safeguarding Governor are trained in “Safer Recruitment”. Governors are involved in the recruitment and selection of the Senior Leadership Team and use the appointment process to ensure that high quality staff who share the school ethos, vision and aims are appointed.

How you can contact the governing body?

The Co-Chairs of Governors, Mrs S Davies and Ms J Hodges, can be contacted via the School Office on office@ajs.efspt.org or email sdavies@ajs.efspt.org or jhodges@ajs.efspt.org.