Our School
Governance
A number of Parent Governor positions are currently available, please contact the Clerk to the Governors c/o reception office, Hendon School or email the Headteacher's PA Email: goodallk@hendonschool.co.uk if you are interested or would like to find out more.
Election closes 9am, Monday 11th December 2023
The Governing Board has a wide range of duties and powers with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement in the school.
The Governing Board ensures clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction, holds the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff and oversees the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
The Governing Board owns the premises, employs the staff and has responsibility for admission arrangements. The school receives its revenue from the Department of Education DfE.
1. Information about the Governing Board
Hendon School is a single convertor academy and a company limited by guarantee. The company was incorporated on 7 October 2011. As an academy, Hendon School is responsible for its own governance and management. The Academy is the employer of its staff, owns the building assets on its main site and retains responsibility for its own admission arrangements, working in conjunction with the Local Authority on this. Funding comes primarily from the Education Funding Agency (an agency of the Department for Education) and also from the Local Authority (Barnet).
Hendon School has up to twenty members; one founder member and up to nineteen other members appointed by the members or elected by the parent body.
2. How Does the Governing Board Operate?
The Governing Board normally holds four meetings a year, one per term with two in the autumn term, including an AGM in December. The Head Teacher provides a report on the work of the school to each of these meetings. At the meeting, the Governing Board will go through the report from the Head Teacher, the work of its various committees and determine the outcome of discussions on pertinent topics relevant to governance. The Governing Board appoints various committees whose work is to review in more detail various activities that support the Governing Board regarding key decisions to ratify. The Committees are as follows:
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Admissions Committee: Responsibility includes developing and approving the Admissions Policy and reviewing the school’s standard number of admissions, supporting the school in pupil recruitment activities
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Audit Committee: The Audit Committee’s purpose is to monitor internal controls and risk management systems, the effectiveness of internal and external audit activity and the integrity of the financial statements.
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Chairs’ Committee: Considers and advises on any matters within the remit of the Governing Board, particularly those that involve the interests of more than one of the Governing Board Committees. Takes decisions in areas that do not require approval by the full Governing Board and which are not the responsibility of the Governing Board Committees with delegated powers.
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Curriculum Committee: The Curriculum Committee explores developments at the school with regard to the curriculum as well as monitoring the work of the school with regard to examination results and other key performances, the progress of special needs and looked after children, and the progress of the Equality Plan.
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Finance & General Purposes Committee: Its purpose is to oversee finance, premises, IT, human resources, health and safety and other business management issues; approving the annual budget, medium term plans and virements against budget.
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Staffing Committee: Its purpose is to promote and maintain the effective use of resources to ensure the highest standards of attainment for all pupils by supporting the school in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff.
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Student Welfare Committee: Considers on matters involving student interests; determines and monitors strategy and policies in respect of student support including SEN, minority ethnic, disabilities looked-after children; monitors and evaluates Pupil Premium, Behaviour, Discipline, exclusions and Attendance
3. Do you want to contact the Governing Board?
Sometimes parents/carers wish to contact the Governing Board directly. Sometimes parents/carers wish to contact Parent Governors about a school matter that is affecting them. Please contact the Head Teacher in the first instance. The Head Teacher is operationally in charge of the school, not the Governing Board, so on most matters, it is the Head Teacher who can most effectively deal with the issue. The Head Teacher is also a governor and, if the matter is more strategic, is in the best position to bring it to the attention of the Governing Board.
There are formal processes to deal with admission and exclusion and parents/carers involved in those processes will be contacted directly over those matters and informed on how to appeal.
If you are still of the view that you want to contact the Governing Board, please contact the Clerk to the Governors, at the school for advice about how best to pursue the matter.
Sometimes parents/carers wish to contact the Governing Board directly. The Governing Board can be contacted via the Clerk to the Governors c/o Reception Office, or alternatively email the Headteacher's PA Email: goodallk@hendonschool.co.uk
Parent Governor
A number of Parent Governor positions are currently available. The role of the school governor is absolutely vital. School governors form the largest voluntary force in the country and the influence they have over the development of children’s education is immense and contribute to the success, strategic development and running of the school. No specific skills are required but it is important to have an interest in young people’s education, enthusiasm and commitment and be able to work as part of a team. The school manages a significant publicly funded budget so experience or skills in finance, IT, planning and premises is welcome.
Becoming a governor is an exciting opportunity to acquire new skills, work as part of a team and make a difference to children’s lives.
Please do contact the Headteacher, one of the Governors or the Clerk to the Governors c/o Reception Office, Hendon School. Alternatively you can email the Headteacher's PA Email: goodallk@hendonschool.co.uk if you are interested or would like to find out more.