Governance
It is my pleasure to welcome you to our Federation.
School days should be the happiest days of your child’s life, and at this school we aim to ensure that your child receives a happy, secure and stimulating start to their education.
The school has experienced staff, who are committed to learning, raising standards and making learning fun.
We believe that parents have a vital role to play in partnership with the teachers in the education of their children, and we are always pleased to discuss any points or queries that you might have. In true partnership we can achieve what we aim for, a happy, successful and well motivated child.
We hope your child will enjoy their time in our school and will use the opportunities given to them, to develop their abilities to the full within a caring and supportive atmosphere.
Rosemary Games
Chair of Governors
Governing Body Structure
The school has no employees with a salary of over £100K
Becoming a Governor
All Angels’ Federation constitution stipulates a maximum of 14 Governors can serve on the Governing Body.
Governors are appointed from a wide variety of sources:
- Education Professionals
- Parents – not just from our schools
- Diocese of Norwich
- Local Church
- Local Authority
- Local Businesses
- Local Community
There are rules which must be applied to make sure all stakeholders are represented on the Governing Body, e.g. there must be two parent governors and a staff representative included in the membership, but we welcome members from all walks of life who can make a positive contribution to the running of the school.
From time to time vacancies arise on the Governing body and as ‘many hands make light work’ we like to fill them as soon as possible. No governorship experience is necessary and free training is available.
If you feel that you would like to find out more information about what it means to be a Governor at All Angels’ Federation and what the commitment is, please read the document below and get in contact with the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors via either of the schools’ offices.
Would you like to be a governor?
If you would like to join our committed team of All Angels’ Governors you would be able to give valuable support to our two schools. As a governor you would contribute to the work of the governing body by attending Full Governing Body (FGB) meetings where all important aspects of school life are discussed and where decisions are arrived at that make a difference to the quality of education provision for our children. Further more detailed work is carried out at the Finance and Premises Committee and the School Improvement Committee and these feed into the FGB meetings. There are six meetings for each of these groups throughout the academic year. All governors attend the FGB meetings and serve on one of the committees. Our meetings take place after school from 15.45 – 17.45 usually on a Thursday, although this may vary for some committee meetings.
One of the responsibilities of governors is to monitor what is happening and this is done partly through spending one day in the Spring term in school. This is always a very positive experience and one that governors enjoy as it helps us to get to know more about the interesting and exciting work that is happening throughout the two schools. It also helps us to engage more meaningfully in the discussions that take place about progress and school development.
There is training available for those taking on this role for the first time. In addition there is ongoing training in many aspects of school life for all governors, e.g. training in Finance, Safeguarding, Monitoring, Early Years etc.
We work very closely with our Headteacher, Mrs McCarney, her leadership team and staff to ensure that what is available for our children is of a very high quality. This is inspired through the schools’ vision and values. As Church schools we have a very close relationship with the Norwich Diocese and pride ourselves in the level of care and support that we provide for our children in every aspect of their development. The children and their families are at the heart of everything that happens and we continue to work together to make sure that we provide them with every opportunity that will meet their needs as they journey with us through our two schools.
If you would like to consider joining our team we would love to hear from you. Please contact the Headteacher, Mrs McCarney or Chair of Governors, Mrs Rosemary Games, through the school office of either school:
St Michael’s VA Junior School 01603 745812
E-mail: stmoffice@allangelsfederation.org.uk
Clover Hill VA Infant and Nursery School 01603 745559
E-mail: Choffice@allangelsfederation.org.uk
All Angels’ Finance
The Federations’ Finance Committee meet regularly to monitor the budget against actual spending, to discuss expenditure on large building projects and repairs, to look at staffing requirements and management structure, to examine health and safety procedures and to make sure that any money allocated for a specific purpose is spent wisely and on the correct resources.
Income
It is the Governor’s responsibility to make sure that the Federation’s income, the majority of which is public money, is spent to the advantage of the children at the schools and that the federation endeavours to provide value for money.
The Federation’s income is obtained from several sources.
- A large proportion is from the Government, through the Local Authority. The amount is based on pupil numbers plus a sum for deprivation and an additional amount depending on the level of special educational and health needs.
- Funds raised through services provided to parents, meals, after school clubs, breakfast club, extra nursery sessions etc. All income from these services is spent on staff and provisions. They are run on a not-for-profit basis.
- Occasionally there is the opportunity to apply for grants from charitable and other organisations which are to fund specific projects. They must be applied for directly and the process can be time consuming with copious paperwork to complete. All Angels’ staff are very adept and practised at applying for extra funds this way and the children have benefitted from many grants obtained from outside organisations. Typically, this income is spent on training or equipment to improve learning or the teaching environment, e.g., grants for books, playground equipment, speech and language training etc.
- Money raised by parents at fetes and other events are called voluntary funds and are kept separate for each school. These funds must be used for the benefit of the children and are usually used to subsidise trips and educational events or buy special equipment to use in school.
It isn’t always easy to balance the books, but with careful management the Federation can continue to provide value for money and quality education for all its pupils.
Expenditure
The financial year for Local Authority maintained schools starts in April. Before this date finance staff, the Headteacher and governors are preparing a budget for the next 3 years to make sure that all the plans we have for the future are sustainable. This budget is sent to the Local Authority for validation and approval.
It is one of the core functions of the Governing Body to make sure that All Angels’ Federation is run efficiently, and all contracts are reviewed frequently for quality and value for money.
Every year, in the Autumn term, governors compare the federation’s finances with other schools of similar size in England in a benchmarking exercise. Governors can check that every part of the budget is being spent in line with other schools unless there is a need for our school to be different, spending extra to implement the improvement plan set up at the beginning of the school year. At every finance meeting Governors check that spending is in line with the budget and that the school is providing value for money, with special attention to:
- Pupil Premium – money provided by the Government for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Special Needs – money provided for children who need extra help and support in school.
- Catch Up funding – money provided by the Government to help support children most affected by the pandemic.
- PE funding – a grant provided to make sure that PE provision in school is of high quality.
In the documents below there is a yearly analysis of expenditure.
Diversity Statement
As a governing body we are very aware of the importance of Diversity in our strategic planning and work, as we engage with all groups and individuals who make up our Federation community. We are very conscious of the importance of taking account of the breadth of characteristics that enrich what we do. It is essential for us to have a diverse culture within our governing body and, to that end, we recruit new members who can contribute meaningfully and creatively to our schools’ commitment to understanding life in modern Britain and beyond. We are committed to supporting the Christian ethos of our church schools where all faiths and none are respected and honoured. We value the contribution that those with a wide range of experience can offer, as well as those who are able to bring new ideas and perspectives because of their particular roles in an inclusive society. We ensure that we are up to date with current developments by seeking training opportunities and by seeking the views of our very diverse community.
