School governors play an important part in the life of our school. They are all volunteers who generously give their time, skills and experience to support the school. Our governors come from a wide range of jobs, careers and backgrounds, and this helps them to bring different perspectives, knowledge and expertise to their role.
Governors are not members of staff, and they do not run the school day to day. That responsibility sits with the Head Teacher and senior leaders. Governors work at a strategic level, helping to guide, support and challenge the school so that it continues to provide the best possible Catholic education for our children. The Archdiocesan Protocols describe this as ensuring a clear Catholic vision, ethos and strategic direction, holding school leaders to account, and overseeing the school’s financial performance.
As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Liverpool, our governors have a particular responsibility to help preserve and develop the Catholic character of the school. Foundation governors have a special role in this. They help strengthen the link between home, school and parish, supporting the school to live out its mission as part of the wider Catholic community. Governors work closely with the Head Teacher, staff, parents, parish and wider community. They visit school in a planned and purposeful way, usually linked to particular areas of responsibility, school priorities or statutory duties. These visits help governors understand the life of the school more fully, but they are not inspections, and they do not replace the role of school leaders.
Governors help to:
- ensure there is a clear Catholic vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school;
- support and monitor the School Improvement Plan;
- hold school leaders to account for educational standards, pupil outcomes and the Catholic life of the school;
- oversee the school’s finances and make sure public money is used well;
- support safeguarding, risk management and compliance with legal and Archdiocesan requirements;
- promote high standards while ensuring that children are welcomed, valued and challenged to grow.
Governors act in the best interests of the school as a whole. They do not represent any one group, but they do listen carefully to the views of parents, staff, pupils, the parish and the local community. Their role is to work in partnership with the school, the Archdiocese and others for the common good of all our children. The Protocols remind us that Catholic schools work best through relationships that are effective, respectful, proactive, collaborative and productive.
In all they do, governors are expected to follow the Seven Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.