The Governing Body
Governors at St Matthews
The school demonstrates good practice in:
- A positive, stimulating and inspiring learning environment which results in happy, highly motivated and successful pupils.
- The inspirational leadership of the Headteacher whose solution focused and pragmatic response to challenges engenders a sense of hope and resilience in her team. A strong leadership team who take an active role in coaching less experienced and less effective staff to improve their practice.
- A strong curriculum offer, effectively led by the Deputy Headteacher, which is embedded in an agreed pedagogical approach to learning.
- The leadership’s generosity of spirit in providing support to colleagues in other schools whenever this is requested.
- The schools outstanding approach to the personal and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils which results in a harmonious school community.
- The high value the school places on the professional development of staff which has a significant impact on its sustainability and capacity to improve, moving securely towards being an outstanding school in all areas.
- Its outstanding Early Years provision which is a beacon of effective practice and strong leadership.
St Matthew’s is a school where pupils thrive through a positive ethos which is nurturing, inclusive, celebratory and lives up to its Christian values in being: “caring, supportive and mutually rewarding”. Every visit to St Matthew’s provides the opportunity to see pupils who are highly motivated, engaged in their learning and keen to succeed. Whether you see pupils working formally with an adult in a classroom or working independently or collaboratively in a shared corridor space, you can be sure that the pupils will give you a welcome smile and proudly share their work with you. Leaders have effective systems in place to make sure pupils are kept safe. In short, St Matthew’s is a happy school where children know good things happen.
St Matthew’s staff are always willing and generous with their time in agreeing to support the needs of others. This can be seen through the school’s engagement in the STSA Leaders of Education (SLE) programme. Three of the staff in the school provide professional development support and guidance to staff in neighbouring schools. The evaluations of their work are always positive. They also warmly welcome visitors into the school who want to learn from their strong practice, particularly in Early Years.
The Governors take an active role in the life of the school. The Chair of Governors often attends the termly meetings led by the STSA adviser. This gives her the opportunity to seek clarification and guidance on wide ranging school improvement issues and developments. In these meetings she asks school leaders pertinent questions in her role as ‘critical friend’. As a result, through the Chair of Governors feedback reports, the Governing Body are kept fully aware of the school’s strengths and development points.
How can you contact a Governor?
Governors at St. Matthew’s C.E (Aided) Primary School and Nursery are always approachable through contacting the school office or emailing directly from the following email list.
Meet St Matthew's Governing Body
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Mrs Heather Cooper Acting Chair of Governors |
Vice Chair of Governors |
Mrs Deborah Mills Headteacher |
Mrs Rebecca Wilson Deputy Headteacher |
LA Co-opted Governor |
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Foundation Governor |
Mrs Katie Rivers Parent Governor |
Parent Governor |
Governors Attendance.
At St Matthew's primary School we hold termly meetings, see our attached Governor attendance form. Sept 2024-present
At St. Matthew’s C E (Aided) Primary School and Nursery Centre our Governing Body duties are wide ranging, including;
- Key Governor Champions involvement in the strategic financial management planning for Pupil Premium Children and Children in Care and those with special educational needs / physical disabilities.
- Ensuring equality of opportunity for all its pupils.
- Key Strategic governors involvement in the writing of termly Raising Attainment Plans with the attached school improvement advisor and Senior Management Team. This is usually the Chair of Governors in attendance.
- Establishing priorities , actions and timescales to raise standards of progress and attainment.
- Playing a pivotal role in establishing School improvement strategic planning and evaluation.
- Monitoring the progress of all groups of children, evaluating the impact of the school’s curriculum and promoting good teaching and learning.
- Acting as a ‘critical friend’. A ‘critical friend’ offers support, constructive advice, a sounding board for ideas, a second opinion on proposals and help where needed. However a ‘critical friend’ may also challenge, ask questions, seek information, improve proposals and so arrive at the best solution for the pupils, staff and whole school community.
- If a member of the Finance Committee, being involved in strategic financial planning , making decisions on the school’s budget and staffing, scrutinising school benchmarking to ensure best practice and best value.
- Being accountable for the performance of the school to parents and the wider community.
- If a member of the Curriculum Committee , ensuring that the curriculum for the school is balanced and broadly based and taking part in learning walks/Deep dives to ensure consistency of practice, evaluate provision and gain a greater awareness of standards and progress of targeted groups.
- Meeting with class teachers as Governor Champions to discuss progress and achievement, paying particular attention to Pupil Premium Children, CIC and other vulnerable children.
- If a member of the Health and Safety and Safeguarding Committee ensuring policy and procedures are followed and embedded.
- Ratification and approval of all school policies.
As a Church of England Aided School our governing body is made up of:
7 Foundation including 1 co-opted
1 LA
2 Parent
1 Head teacher
Staff
Involvement In School.
Each Governors has a link curriculum role with an allocated subject leader and liaise regularly to ensure their knowledge is current.
Key strategic link governors, for the core subjects, Pupil premium, Safeguarding, EYFS and SEND regularly visit and carry out learning walks/ deep dives with our school attached advisor and attend data meetings (usually the Chair). This keeps governors fully involved and allows them to challenge practice and impact.
We have a wealth of knowledge on our governing body which leads to quality observations and judgements being made and discussed. School priorities are regularly revisited to inform school self-evaluation and what direction we need to go in next.
Meetings and Structure.
St. Matthew’s CE (Aided) Primary School Committees and structure September 2023-2024
Strategic Curriculum Committee
- Analysis and synthesis of data
It is the role of this committee to receive verbal and written reports along with other evidence about the school’s work, in terms of external and internal data. Governors will participate in the analysis and synthesis of data. These activities will support the setting of annual targets for the school.
- Raising Attainment Plan (RAP), School Improvement Plan(SIP)
It is the responsibility of selected members of this committee to support the writing of the RAP and SIP, meeting with Senior / middle leaders and the School Improvement Advisor to carry out the thorough analysis and synthesis of data, resulting in improvements for all groups of pupils.
- School Curriculum
It is the role of this committee to monitor the work undertaken throughout school in all curriculum areas. This will usually be done by Governors working strategically alongside Subject Leaders and making visits to the school to see the curriculum in action, taking part in Learning walks with senior / middle leaders / School Improvement Advisor and carrying out work scrutinies with curriculum leaders. Governors will present their findings at subsequent committee meetings and full governing body meetings. Learning walks are then published on our school website.
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
It is the role of this committee to monitor the provision of SEND in school. This will be done by at least one governor working strategically alongside SENCo. The committee will receive both written and verbal reports about SEN.
- Pupil Premium Attainment
It is the responsibility of this committee to ensure that the attainment and progress of these pupils is no worse than other pupils within the school and to hold the school to account for any differences that are shown through the analysis of the data.
- Policy Development
It is the responsibility of this committee to identify and develop such policies as are deemed essential to the management of the school. This will be done by working closely with the Headteacher, Deputy headteacher and School Business Manager. Commissioning and receiving draft policies and helping prepare finalised policies for adoption.
- Monitoring cycle
It is the responsibility of this committee to hold the school to account; ensuring that there is a rigorous monitoring cycle in place which includes, the interrogation of data, scrutiny of pupil work and lesson observations, so that a judgement can be made on the quality of teaching, learning and progress of all groups of learners.Key Strategic Governors often take part in learning walks and work scrutinies to confirm their judgements of the school.
- Pupil Behaviour and Attendance
The committee will discuss current or anticipated issues around the general behaviour and attendance levels of all children. Any recommendations are taken forward to full Governing Body meetings for approval.
SIAMS Committee
- Christian Character of the School
As a Church Aided Primary School this committee is committed to ensuring that the school is promoting the Christian character associated with the school, and following the latest SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools ) guidance.
Finance Committee
The Remit for this committee covers to the following areas:
Members – Deb Mills, Rebecca Wilson, Heather Cooper, Katie Rivers
- Personnel
It is the role of this committee to consider items relating to the staffing arrangements of the school. This will be done by receiving reports on the deployment of staff and their roles. The committee will prepare recommendations for the governing body on all issues relating to employment and conditions of service.
- Finance - Additional grants - Recovery Premium , Catch up Premium , Tutoring School led programme
It is the role of this committee to deal with all matters relating to the school budget. This responsibility will include approving the annual budget and monitoring its use. The monitoring process will usually be done by receiving reports and statement of accounts throughout the year. Over the past year due to COVID there have been significant grants awarded to schools to facilitate the recovery, particularly of our Pupil Premium Pupils.
- Pay
It is the responsibility of this committee to make decisions on pay, based on the evidence provided by the Headteacher on monitoring outcomes or members of the Performance Management Committee on the Headteacher’s performance, based on Performance Management outcomes. It is also responsible for ensuring that there are equal opportunities for all staff in terms of the way they are treated and the grading of their salary.
- Pupil Premium Grant (PPG)
It is the role of this committee to hold the school to account for all PPG monies and how these are spent. The decisions on spending should be based on sound academic research, where there is strong evidence to support the spending in a particular area, which has a high impact on pupil progress and closed the gap between those pupils in receipt of PPG and those who are not. The Chair of Governors is the Governor designated to Pupil Premium.
- Sports Premium Grant
It is the role of this committee to hold the school to account in relation to the spending and allocation of the sports Premium, and ensure there is a fair and transparent process in spending to ensure the effective delivery of sport for all.
- Services Premium Allocation
It is the role of this committee to hold the school to account in relation to the spending and allocation of the sports Premium. Again it is their role to ensure this funding is allocated to the Forces service children appropriately and in a targeted manner , although the main aim of the pupil premium is to raise attainment, we are advised the service pupil premium can be spent on: non-academic outcomes, such as improving pupils' mental health. non-academic improvements, such as better attendance. activities that will also benefit non-eligible pupils.
- Premises - DFC from Lichfield Diocese -Bids and Outcomes
This committee is responsible for monitoring the maintenance and development work undertaken as part of the schools premises care. It will do this by helping to establish priorities, receive reports and make recommendations to the governing body on issues related to this area. The school regularly submits bids to the Diocese for specific building projects, we are presently reaping the reward of one of these bids which was awarded to replace our School roof , presently underway.
We have benefitted from DFC money to refurbish toilets, pathways, fencing , windows in our hall and our next bid will be to replace the windows in the rest of the school which are the 1970's ones and as such are not energy efficient.
- Health & Safety
It is the role of this committee to ensure that the school’s Health & Safety policy is carried out. This will be done by providing a governor representative on the Health & Safety team and receiving regular written and verbal reports. They may be in attendance at Health and Safety Audit feedback also.
- Policy and Procedure Review
It is the responsibility of this committee to ensure that all school policies are kept under review and are updated as and when necessary. This will be done through establishing a three year rolling review programme of all existing policies. This work will be carried out in conjunction with the Senior Management Team of the school.
Disciplinary, Grievance and Employment Protection Committee
It is the role of this committee to deal with any disciplinary or grievance matters and to ensure employment protection. It will also be responsible for staff discipline hearings.
Pupil and staff Discipline Committee
It is the role of the complaints committee to act as the 1st committee in any complaint or pupil exclusion which requires a formal committee to consider.
Appeals Committee
Heather Cooper
It is the role of this committee to act as the appeals committee in any situation which would warrant an appeal.
Performance Management Committee
It is the role of this committee to oversee that Headteacher’s performance management
SIAMS Committee:
Link and Special Interest Governor Champions and Subject Leader Roles and Responsibilities from September 2023
Pupil Premium:
Teaching and Learning:
Behaviour and Attendance:
Subject area Appointed Governor Designated Subject Leader
Impact of Governors.
The Governors at St. Matthew's are committed to rigorously analysing and challenging all aspects of school improvement. Our Chair of Governors attends the termly Raising Attainment meetings with our school Advisor and all our Senior and middle leadership team to establish clear targets for school improvement, analysing cohort data and drilling down into groups and individual pupil data where applicable. Pupil Progress meetings are discussed and interventions established.
Key Strategic Governors then accompany Senior / middle leaders and the school improvement advisor on Learning Walks to quality assure judgements made and see first hand the learning taking place, talk to pupils and scrutinise work in books.
Governors impact on a termly basis is recorded in every termly Governor's Meeting Head Teacher's Report.
The most recent impact documents can be viewed by opening the link below.
Governor Learning Walk Mathematics
Governors Profiles
Mrs D. Mills - Headteacher
Rebecca Wilson - Deputy Head Teacher
I am delighted to now be a member of the governing body having worked at St Matthew’s Primary school for a substantial number of years. I am committed to developing and sustaining success and am extremely passionate about developing everyday classroom's practice to provide accessible learning for all, working with pupils, staff and parents to ensure each individual is able to work to their full potential.
Throughout my teaching career at St Matthew’s I have had a number of roles including, at present, that of Deputy Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead. I am also the lead teacher for Pupil Premium, Looked After Children, Behaviour, Attendance and Curriculum. Throughout the years I have had experience of teaching children in all key stages working with children from Nursery through to Year 6.
Having moved a number of years ago from London, my family and I have now settled in Telford and live locally to the school. Living within the local area for a number of years has been beneficial in developing the sense of being part of the community. It has also enabled me to see first-hand the passion that the parents of St Matthew’s have in wanting the best outcomes for their children and as a Mum of two boys I therefore appreciate the importance of quality education that provides the stepping stones to build successful futures.
Chair Of Governors
Mrs Heather Cooper Vice Chair of Governors Foundation Governor
I have been attending St. Matthew’s Church since moving to Donnington in 2002, and it was through this involvement that I became a Foundation Governor at St. Matthew’s School in 2006. I am one of the Governors responsible for the Performance Management of the Head Teacher, and the Governor Champion for SEND and Mathematics. My role is to promote the Christian character of the school, so as well as attending meetings in school I am often in Church when the children come in for services and class visits
Foundation Governor Ambassador for RE/SIAMS
Mrs Katie Rivers
I am a mum of two boys who both thrive at St Matthews and love their time at school. I thoroughly enjoy my time as a parent governor at St Matthews. It is lovely to see how all staff really understand the personalities of each child and work towards each child’s personal goal. I am committed to helping staff ensure good outcomes for all the children at St Matthews. My link subject is maths and I am member of the school’s Finance Committee.
Outside of my school role, I work for the NHS in a legal and governance role and prior to this I worked for a local law firm. This has provided me with excellent GDPR knowledge and a good understanding of the importance of safeguarding children. It has shown me how schools play a vital role in ensuring children lead a happy and healthy life.