Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing body is absolutely key to the effectiveness of our school.

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in school. It is the Governors who appoint the head teacher. At Appleby Primary School, the site is owned by the governing body. It is the Governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is Governors who work with the headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources. The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

The Governing Body fulfils three key, strategic roles:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos & strategic direction
• Holding the Headteacher and Senior Management Team to account for the educational performance of the school and its students
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent

Within Appleby Primary School, we achieve this through half-termly meetings of Full Governors and its two sub-committees which deal in detail with the two main aspects of the governing body’s work. Individual governors also act as a link between a specific curriculum area and the governing body.