Governors

Welcome to the Governors pages.
 

How to contact the Governing Body

 

You can contact us by email governors@march.w-sussex.sch.uk. or by writing c/o the school office.

The March CE Primary, Claypit Lane, Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NU

 

The Local Governing Body

The March being part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust is governed by the Trust Board and by a Local Governing Body, which is legally a Committee of the Trust Board, and only responsible for decisions delegated to it by the Board under their Scheme of Delegation. Appointments to the new Local Governing Body have been confirmed by the Trust Board as follows:

 

 

Nominating Authority

First Appointed

Term Start

Term End

Committee Membership

Linked Subject

 

Headteacher

 

 

 

 

Finance, Admissions

Ethos

N/A

 

Nicola Metcalfe

 Ex officio

01 Dec 2018

 

 

 

 

 

Parent governors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 PHSCE

 

Vacancy

 

 

   

 

 

Patricia  Dickie

DCAT

01 Dec 2021

01 Dec 2021

30 Nov 2025

 

 

Staff governor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lorna Jones

DCAT

15 May 2023

21 Feb 2023

20 Feb 2027

Finance

 

 

Foundation governors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Stephen Bennett

DCAT

25 Feb 2021

25 Feb 2021

24 Feb 2025

Finance & Ethos

H&S Pupil Premium Data

 

Reverend Rachel Hawes

Ex Officio

DCAT

22 Jun 2022

21 Jun 2026

20 Jun 2030

Ethos

English & RE

 

Justine Howard (Vice Chair)

DCAT

01 Dec 2018

30 Nov 2021

29 Nov 2025

Admissions, Ethos, EYS

Safeguarding, wellbeing & Behaviour

 

Reverend Trevor Marshall

Ex Officio

DCAT

21 Sep 2021

21 Sep 2021

20 Sep 2025

Ethos

RE

 

John Proctor (Chair)

DCAT

01 Dec 2018

30 Nov 2021

29 Nov 2025

Finance Chair

Admissions

Assessment & Data

ICT & E Safety

 

Community governors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Bryan

DCAT

01 Dec 2018

01 Dec 2020

30 Nov 2024

Finance & Ethos

 

 

SEN. & Pupil premium

 

Clerk to the Governors

Mrs A Park who can be contacted at apark@dcat.academy

 

In addition to the above members, Mr. Beruk Berhane, Senior Education Leader (DCAT)​​ and other officers from  the Academy Trust, may attend meetings. 

 

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Governing Body

The three main functions of the governing body include:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the academy;

2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the academy and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the academy and making sure its money is well spent.

With all of the three items above, the role of the Governing Body is to constructively challenge the senior leadership of the academy (that is, to be a "critical friend"). The Governing Body is not meant to get involved in the day-to-day running of the academy.​

 

What does the Governing Body actually do?

 

The Governing Body meets monthly for a full meeting.  Standard items that are discussed at these meetings include: data on how the children as a whole are progressing, academy finance, academy policy updates, safeguarding and SIAMS (the Statutory Inspection of Anglican schools).  A termly headteacher's report is also circulated, which updates governors on various matters to do with the academy. 

Once a year, the Governing Body scrutinises the academy's Self-Evaluation Form (which is the academy's evaluation of how it is doing against previous judgements made by OFSTED), and also the School Development Plan, which is the yearly action plan that follows on from the Self-Evaluation Form.

As well as these meetings, governors regularly visit the academy to focus on a particular element of academy life.  For instance, recent visits focused on school improvement, and looked at the role of both subject leads and class teachers in the detailed and comprehensive planning that takes place for every lesson.  A write-up of these visits are then circulated to other governors, so that the Governing Body can build up a collective picture of the academy.

The lead governor for safeguarding meets termly with senior leaders and SENCO to ensure that the academy is up keeping its safeguarding responsibilities.  Likewise, the lead governor for Health and Safety meets with the business manager and site caretaker to conduct a termly health and safety walk.

 

 

 
Useful Links
 
You can compare schools results here www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk
 
You can complete the Ofsted parent view questionaire here www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk
 
Minutes of the Governing body are available  on the school website for this academic year