To enable and empower all members of our school community to follow the school vision to enable pupils to live happy, purposeful and fulfilled lives both now and in the future. We believe that such a life is what we want for each other, what all parents want for their child and is a right of all. A learning disability should not be a barrier to this life. The key to unlocking this life is through learning because learning can change lives. Our pupils’ learning is THE guiding principle at Glyne Gap School. This belief runs through everything we do.

We want our children to:

• Be as independent as they can be
• Understand and be understood to support their choice and autonomy
• Be able to make a contribution to their families, communities and society, including work where appropriate.
• Have and maintain positive relationships and friendships 
• Build aspiration, self-confidence and resilience

 Governors' Role

The role of the Governing Body is an intrinsic part of the leadership of the school. This impact statement is one way in which the Governing Body articulates their role in school leadership and the impact we have had on school improvement. The Governing Body is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers, who invest a huge amount of good will, hard work and time for the sole purpose of improving the education of every child in our school.. As Governors, we are accountable for the performance of our school and we are measured by three core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure the money is spent well

 Governors work co-operatively with the Headteacher and senior leadership team in the development and monitoring of the School Development Plan (SDP). The SDP sets aims for the forthcoming year(s). The current SDP is based on priorities identified from data, school self-evaluation and Ofsted priorities. The SDP is set out with clear aims, the key tasks that will be completed in order to achieve these aims and the success criteria in order to measure outcomes. The SDP is monitored and reviewed termly, with an evaluation overview being completed and presented to governors as part of the Headteacher report, delivered 3 x a year at Full Governors meeting.  

 

All members of Governing Body have and continue to have significant training. The impact of this is that the Governing Body are kept abreast of their responsibilities regarding the latest requirements and expectations. Within the last school year Governors have attended courses on Evidencing Challenge, Being prepared for OFSTED and Managing School Complaints. Governors will also be conducting school’s Safeguarding induction programme in March ’25 as a refresher. 

 

Governors attend three full governing body (FGB) meetings a year. In addition, governors meet three times a year in respective sub-committee meetings (Resources, Teaching and Learning and Safeguarding). Governors are linked to areas of the School Development Plan and have regular visits and meetings with staff to monitor progress against SDP objectives.

 

Governors provide strong support for the Headteacher. This was particularly important during a recent investigation into Glyne Gap School joining a multi-academy trust (2023/2024) and for the move of our FE accommodation (October 2024).  

The wellbeing of the school community is a priority and a standing agenda item at each Full Governors Meeting.  MHEW is supported by a governor who has a particular interest in this field and who attends the school’s MHEW committee meeting once a term and reports back to Governors.  

The Governors recruit a professional advisor (headteacher from a special school with similar cohort to GG).  The role of the Professional Advisor is to monitor the quality of the school’s self-evaluation (SEF) and implementation of the SDP. The Professional Advisor ensures there is a much sharper focus on the SDP and SEF allowing for more effective challenge and support by Governors. The Professional Advisor reports back to Governors and works with Governors to ensure that the focus is on the right priorities for the school at each stage of its development.

 

The school budget is scrutinised and reviewed in detail at these meetings (3 x year). On this committee, we have a chair with strong finance skills who reviews end of year budgets, attends pre-budget meetings/end of year account meetings and questions deficit/surplus balances. Using benchmarking information, the committee scrutinise the effect of pupil numbers on the budget and how this impacts on staffing and resources.  Through working closely with the School Business Manager and Headteacher, the Resources Committee has supported the school and held it accountable to ensure effective budgeting.  

 

Careful monitoring and planning of the budget by the Resources Committee has impacted positively on subsequent years where budgets have enabled the school to have a strong and effective staffing structure to drive school improvements. 

 

The Governors Resources Committee ensure ‘best value’ when purchasing items or services. The governors ensure that the school provide three quotes for items or services over £5000.  Best value practices have also been used for photocopying contracts and cleaning contracts, again ensuring the school is getting a good service and good value for money.

 

Planned spend of PP funding each year is approved at the Full Governors meeting and governors challenge the Headteacher and senior leaders on the impact of the spending. Governors scrutinise evidence of impact on the outcomes for PP Children.  Details of the impact of Pupil Premium spending can be found on the website under ‘About Us/School Evaluation and Reports’. 

                                                                 

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is ring-fenced and must only be spent on physical education and sport provision in schools. The funding aims to achieve improvement in all areas of PE.  The governors agreed it would be beneficial to use the sports premium to employ a part time sports coach to not only work with pupils but to also up skill teaching staff so that teachers are able to deliver quality PE lessons. Details of the impact of Sports Premium spending can be found on the website under ‘About Us, School Evaluation and Reports’.

  

Governors are responsible for ensuring the data protection policy is in place and being followed. Governors ensure the school has a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and that they attend regular refresher training.  Governors review Single Central Record 6 x a year.  

 

The last Safeguarding Practice Review (conducted by East Sussex County Council) in July ’24 concluded ‘The school have accurately self-assessed their safeguarding practice and there are no areas for priority action’. The monitoring of safeguarding practices is a key priority for governors and is ongoing throughout the year. The Governors Safeguarding sub-committee meeting is chaired by the DSL and Vice Principle of Bexhill College.  The Committee meets 3 x a year and reports back at Full Governor meetings.  Meetings provide an opportunity to challenge the safeguarding culture of the school and ensure robust procedures and practises are in place. The impact of this challenge and monitoring is a confidence of the strong culture in school that everyone is responsible for Safeguarding. The school now monitors all safeguarding incidences digitally through CPOMMs and all staff have been trained to submit incidencts/concerns. 

 

Members of the governing body have completed "safer recruitment” training and have contributed to the successful recruitment of a strong senior leadership team. Governors also attend selection days/interviews for teaching/administrative staff.  With a strong leadership team, Glyne Gap School has the skills to be self-improving and continue to raise standards and outcomes for pupils.

 

Glyne Gap School has Link governors with responsibility for specific areas including Safeguarding and MHEW.  Our Safeguarding Link Governor is the DSL (and Vice Principal) at a local (Outstanding ’24)  6th form college.  Our MHEW governor is a Shared Lives provider and runs a nightclub and theatre group for children and adults with additional needs and has an interest in MHEW.  Each governor regularly reports back to the full governor body meetings which results in greater accountability of staff.

 

Our curriculum focus is on the areas of learning that are going to bring happiness, purpose and fulfilment to our pupils. The recruitment of a Professional Advisor with specific knowledge in curriculum for children with special education needs enables Governors to feel confident that the curriculum assessment model holds teachers to account for the progress children in their class make.  The Professional Advisor visits 3 x a year and is given a specific area to monitor and challenge and reports back to Governors.  The last focus (Nov ’24) for Professional Advisor was to provide school Governors with a professional evidence based deep dive on the triangulation between pupil outcomes, school self- evaluation and the school's Development Plan.  Report was delivered to Governors for discussion at Full Governors meeting in December ’24. 

Progress and Attainment data is made available to governors through termly Teaching and Learning Governor sub-committee meetings with verbal and written presentations followed by question and answer sessions with the Headteacher and members of the senior management team.   Governors will ask questions to ensure the schools standards and expectations are high. Governors challenge the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team on the data, holding them to account. Particular scrutiny is placed on pupil progress of more vulnerable groups (LAC, FSM, EAL) and on the effective use of Pupil Premium Funding.

 

Governors review and approve policies annually (per The Key for School Governors). This takes place throughout the year in FGB meetings. All relevant policies are updated on the school website.

  

Governors are responsible for undertaking the Headteacher’s performance management review each year.  The Chair and Vice Chair set annual targets, which are reviewed at points throughout the year and request a professional advisor to attend these reviews as required. 

The Headteacher completes an annual performance management report for the governors evidencing that performance management has been completed for all staff and that staff have meet performance management targets. Governors scrutinise the report and use evidence to approve pay recommendations given by the Headteacher. Pay recommendations follow the East Sussex County Council Policy adopted by governors at Glyne Gap School.