Governing Body

The Governing Body has the statutory duty to regulate the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. To do this, governors must have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

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

2. Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and

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

Our school governors for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 are detailed under the ‘Governor Information’ section of this website.

For information of the school’s financial performance please use the following link: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/school/detail?urn=113166

We hold a minimum of three full Governing Body meetings each year (chaired by Mr A Goode), and termly Resources committee meetings.  The Resources committee (chaired by Mr J Quance), has delegated responsibility for Finance, Premises, Personnel and Health & Safety within the limits of various school policies, such as the Finance Policy.

We also have the statutory committees in place, however these meet on an ‘as and when’ basis as need demands.

The Governors provide challenge, leadership, support and direction for the Headteacher, determining the values and policies of our school. They do this in a number of ways through full governing body meetings, committee meetings, learning walks, monitoring visits, risk assessments and general support of our daily activities. They decide the school structure and staffing requirements, ensuring that we deliver the best possible education to the children at our school within the confines of the budget allocated to us for this purpose. They monitor and evaluate the school’s performance and put strategies into place to address areas that they feel need improvement at any given time.

We are fortunate to have dedicated and committed governors all of whom are extremely supportive of our school.  Four of our governors are actually past pupils of the school themselves!

You are warmly invited to attend the general part (Part One) of the Governors’ meetings, the dates of which will be published in the school newsletter.

Any confidential matters will be discussed in Part Two of these meetings. The Chair or Clerk to the Governors may be contacted by writing to c/o Shebbear Community School, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5SG. Telephone: 01409 281220.

Our Governing Body comprises governors in the following categories:

Co-Opted:  Mrs Lynne Duggan; Mr Andrew Goode (chairman); Mr David Hurley; Mr Jason Quance; Mrs Emily Trace.

Parents:  Mrs Amy Bernstone (vice-chairman); Mr Adam Skuse; Mrs Selina Woollacott and one vacancy from July 2024

Local Authority:  Mrs Patricia Kirby.

Staff (teaching):  Mrs Alice Fuller

Ex-officio:  Mr Nick Alford (head teacher)

Clerk: Mrs Sue Hawker

For further information about our governing body please see the Governor Information section of the website.  Minutes for this academic year are posted below:

Agreed AGM Part One Minutes 9th Oct 2023

Agreed Part One Minutes 4th December 2023

Agreed Part One Minutes 22nd January 2024