Governance

Norbury Manor Primary School is a local-authority-maintained school. Our Governing Body provides strategic leadership and oversight of the school.

Governors are volunteers who bring a range of skills, knowledge, experience and perspectives to their role. They work collectively to support the school's continued improvement and to ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of pupils.

The Governing Body is the school's accountable body and operates at a strategic level. The Headteacher is responsible for the operational, day-to-day leadership and management of the school.

The Department for Education identifies three core functions of a maintained school's governing body:

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

At Norbury Manor Primary School, governors work closely with the Headteacher and school leaders while maintaining the appropriate distinction between strategic governance and operational leadership.

Governors' responsibilities include monitoring the school's priorities and improvement plans; considering pupils' achievement, attendance, behaviour, personal development and wellbeing; overseeing safeguarding and SEND provision; monitoring the school's finances and use of resources; ensuring statutory duties are met; contributing to the appointment and performance management of the Headteacher; and ensuring that the school provides a safe, inclusive and ambitious education for its pupils.

Governors also provide appropriate support and challenge. They ask questions, scrutinise information and consider evidence so that they can understand how well the school is performing and hold leaders to account for agreed priorities.

The Governing Body also has strategic oversight of the school's safeguarding arrangements.

The Governing Body and Headteacher work in partnership, but their roles are different.

The Governing Body is strategic. It agrees the school's vision and strategic priorities, monitors progress, oversees financial performance, ensures statutory responsibilities are fulfilled and holds the Headteacher to account.

The Headteacher is operational. The Headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school, implementing the Governing Body's strategic direction and leading the staff and educational provision.

This clear distinction enables governors to provide effective oversight without becoming involved unnecessarily in the day-to-day management of the school.

The Norbury Manor Primary School Governing Body meets six times each academic year, normally once each half term, as a Full Governing Body.

Additional meetings, panels or working groups may be convened when required for specific responsibilities or decisions.

Governors receive information from school leaders, consider evidence and data, visit the school as appropriate and monitor agreed areas of responsibility. This enables them to understand the school, evaluate progress against strategic priorities and provide informed support and challenge.

The DfE requires maintained-school governing bodies to meet at least three times each year; NMP's six Full Governing Body meetings therefore provide a regular cycle of governance throughout the year.

An effective Governing Body benefits from people with a diverse range of skills, experiences and backgrounds. Governors do not represent their own individual interests; when carrying out their role, they work collectively and act in the best interests of the school. GOV.UK

The membership and constitution of a maintained-school governing body are set out in its Instrument of Government.

At NMP, our Governing Body may include:

• Parent Governors – elected by parents and carers of registered pupils at the school, or appointed where permitted if insufficient candidates stand for election.
• Staff Governor – elected by members of school staff.
• Headteacher Governor – the Headteacher is a governor by virtue of their role unless they choose not to take up the position.
• Local Authority Governor – nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body.
• Co-opted Governors – appointed by the Governing Body because they have the skills and experience needed to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
• Associate Members – people appointed by the Governing Body because of particular skills or experience. Associate members are not governors, although they may attend meetings or serve on committees in accordance with the responsibilities and voting rights agreed by the Governing Body.

The precise composition of NMP's Governing Body can be found in our Composition and Register of Interests section below

We believe effective governance should be open and transparent. Information about our Governing Body is therefore published on this page, including:

• Composition and Register of Interests – who our governors are, their category, term of office and relevant business or financial interests.
• Governance Attendance Record – governors' attendance at meetings.
• Governor Profiles – an introduction to our governors and the skills and experience they bring to the Governing Body.

For further information about maintained-school governance, see the Department for Education Maintained Schools Governance Guide.

Composition and Register of Interest for the Governing Body

 Governor Attendance Record

Governor Profiles

 Click on the picture to read the governor's profile. 

 Written Statement of Behaviour Principles

The Governing Body of Norbury Manor Primary School believes that high standards of behaviour are essential to creating a calm, safe, inclusive and supportive environment in which every pupil can learn and thrive.

Our behaviour principles reflect the school's RESPECT values: Resilience, Empathy, Scholarship, Peace, Excellence, Community and Thankfulness and our commitment to ensuring that all pupils feel safe, valued and respected. The school's wider aims emphasise respect for ourselves and others, responsible behaviour, care for the school community and an understanding that our behaviour affects the rights of others.

The Governing Body expects the school's Behaviour Policy and practice to be based on the following principles:

• Every pupil has the right to feel safe, valued and respected and to learn without disruption from others.
• All pupils, staff and visitors should be protected from discrimination.
• Staff and volunteers should model the high standards of behaviour expected from pupils at all times.
• Expectations, rewards and consequences should be clear, fair and applied consistently in accordance with the Behaviour Policy.
• Pupils should understand the school's behaviour expectations and be supported to take responsibility for their actions.
• Positive behaviour should be recognised and encouraged.
• Consequences should be proportionate to the behaviour and should help pupils understand how to make better choices in the future.
• The school should use restorative approaches where appropriate, giving pupils opportunities to discuss incidents, understand their impact and repair relationships. The Behaviour Policy specifically describes the school's approach as restorative and includes reparative actions such as apologies and putting things right. NMP_Behaviour_Policy__September…
• The individual needs of pupils must be taken into account. The school recognises that behaviour may be affected by SEND or other additional needs and that its approach may need to be adapted on a case-by-case basis. NMP_Behaviour_Policy__September…
• Pupils should be listened to and supported to understand and regulate their behaviour.
• Parents and carers should be involved in supporting positive behaviour and resolving behavioural concerns, so that the school and home can work together effectively. NMP_Behaviour_Policy__September…
• Suspension and permanent exclusion should only be considered where appropriate and in accordance with statutory guidance. The school's policy states that these measures are considered only when alternatives have been explored, except where the seriousness of an incident requires a more immediate response. NMP_Behaviour_Policy__September…
• Violence, threatening behaviour, bullying, harassment and discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated.

The Governing Body recognises that safeguarding and behaviour are closely linked. Changes in behaviour may indicate that a pupil needs help or protection, and safeguarding concerns will be addressed through the school's safeguarding procedures.

Behaviour Policy