Governors

• Annual Statement of Governance

• Governing Body Structure

• Governor Meeting Attendance

• Code of Conduct

• Governing Body Overview

• Statutory Governance Information

• Governor Personal Statements

• Declarations of Interest Overview

• Governors End of Year Letter to Families

• Sample Governor Day Timetable

"I never really knew or appreciated how much work and effort goes into running a school until I was on the inside and I just want to say, you do an amazing job!" School Governor

"We appreciate the staff so much - teaching is not a job it is a vocation." School Governor

"The children at Morley Victoria are wonderful. They are so welcoming on Governor Days and they love to share their thoughts and their work with us. It is such a treat!" - School Governor

"It's the Governors' job to help run our school - to make sure we are learning well, that we are happy and that we are safe." - MV Pupil

"The Governing Body seem to be very active in the life of the school. They have Governor Days and they attend important events." - MV Parent

The Governing Body of any school is in place to provide both support and challenge the leadership team in the way the school is led and managed and to provide the best possible education to every pupil in the school - our Governing Body is no exception.

Our Governors do not tend to get involved with the daily running of the school but their expectations are exceptionally high in terms of the way the leadership team carry out their roles and responsibilities. It is the role of the Governors to work with the school leaders on the strategic planning and thinking ahead; they also ask questions and are well informed about every aspect of school life. 

Our Governors provide support and challenge in equal measure thanks to their excellent knowledge of the school and the policies and practices. The skill set of our Governing Body is also a strength of our school - we have people who work in the following professions: finance, HR, child minding, ex-teachers, law, coaching and mentoring and in the medical profession. When combined, all of this experience simply enhances the strategic running of our school.

Our Governors share the vision and ambition of the leadership team for the children at Morley Victoria to be the best they can possibly be both academically and socially and emotionally. They agree that the children are at the heart of everything we do at Morley Victoria. The Governors are always welcome to come into school but at the beginning of each academic year we plan three full days in school so that the Governors can come and spend time with the staff and the children - these days are incredibly valuable for everyone. Governors are invited to attend staff meetings, staff training, visits from external consultants, they attend some pupil progress meetings and performance management to name a few.

Governors are volunteers who give a significant amount of time over the course of the year to helping the school be the best it can possible be. They are part of the biggest volunteer workforce in the country and we thank them for their time and efforts.

For more detailed information about the members of the Governing Body, please see the Statutory Governance Information at the bottom of this page, alternatively click on the blue box to the left. Below is a short summary.

Equality and Diversity on the Morley Victoria Governing Body

Equality and diversity are hugely important at Morley Victoria and our Governing Body is no exception. In line with the school's work around CCQM we want our Governing Body to be reflective of the community we serve. Whenever we recruit new members onto the Governing Body we try to offer as much information as possible about the role and make it very clear that this role is suitable for any individual who has a keen interest in the life of the school regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, culture, marital status, whether they are pregnant or on maternity / paternity leave or have a disability. We are keen to ensure that everyone is welcome and that our Governing Body is as diverse as we can possibly make it.

Who is part of the Morley Victoria Governing Body?

The current membership of the Governing Body is:

The Headteacher:
 Joanne Wood

The Chair of Governors:

Claire Skeet (Co-opted)

Parent Governors, elected by parents/carers:

Dee Odesola and Rebecca Passley 

Staff Governors, elected by the staff:

Sarah McCullagh and Lisa Farmer

Co-opted Governors appointed by the Governing Body to represent the community:

Julie Hardaker,  Reena Sharma, Susan Gilbertson, Angie Walker, Ali Archbold and Julia Britton (Vice Chair)

Observer Members (These members attend because they wish to be part of the Governing Body but hold no responsibility or voting rights)

Debbie Smith and Kevin Precious 

How do I contact the Governing Body if I need their help?

If you would like to make contact with the Governing Body at any time, please speak to the school office.

How does the Governing Body work?

The Governing Body holds an organisation meeting in September each year to set out meeting dates and dates for Governor Days in school. We use the School Development Plan and the School Evaluation Form to decide upon strategic roles and responsibilities for the coming academic year.

Since becoming part of The Owlcotes Academy Trust we have changed the meetings that we hold as Finance and Resources are now held centrally with the Trust. Therefore from September 2024 we have two committee meetings which cover all other aspects of school life: Teaching and Learning, and Pupil and Staff Support. The committees are held termly and all Governors attend both meetings so they have a rounded picture of the school. 

Some Governors have specific areas of responsibility due to their skillset, strengths and experience but the Governing Body as a whole work together to discharge their responsibilities and support and challenge the school as appropriate - it is very much a team effort. All Governors are equal and the decisions made by the Governing Body are our collective responsibility.

Every year we have 3 Governor Days in school where the whole Governing Body spend the day in school looking at various aspects of the School Development Plan.  We also have other meetings during the school year when needed about subjects such as safeguarding, data, Ofsted and the curriculum. 

At the start of each academic year all governors complete a Governors' Code of Conduct form and a Notice of Business and Personal Interest form.

What is the Governing Body responsible for?

(This information is taken from Leeds City Council Governor Support Services)

Primary School Governing Bodies have a range of responsibilities as a consequence of the Education Acts:

* to help to decide school policy for management of the school with the Headteacher and act as a link between the school and the local community
* to monitor the progress of a post Ofsted Action Plan and the School Improvement Plan
* to set appropriate targets for pupil achievement at Key Stage Two
* to ensure that all children make progress in their personal development and wellbeing (Stay Safe, Be Healthy, Enjoy & Achieve, Make a positive contribution, Achieve economic wellbeing)
* to ensure that the curriculum for the school is balanced and broadly based and that the National Curriculum and religious education are taught
* to ensure that special education needs are met
* to manage the school budget
* to determine the staffing of the school and pay policy and make decisions about pay in accordance with the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions of Employment document
* to recruit and dismiss staff employed at the school
* to participate in the appointment of the Headteacher
* to ensure provision of a performance management policy and to set performance objectives for the Headteacher
* to listen to complaints from parents
* to hear appeals from parents when pupils are excluded from school
* to decide the start and finish times of the school
* to make sure the school is safe and healthy

How to become a Governor

When there is a space on our Governing Body, a letter/ email will go out to parents / carers and request for those who are interested to contact school.  You will then be asked to write a short statement about what skills you could offer the school by being part of the Governing Body.  You will then be invited to a meeting to learn more about the role of a school Governor. The statement is then circulated round to the relevant people to read.  If needed, a vote is then carried out and the person with the highest number of votes is elected.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the Governing Body at Morley Victoria or need further information about the role of a Governor, please speak to the school office.   

The document below sets out the eligibility criteria for being a school Governor. This is a vital document to consider before applying.

Eligibility Declaration

If you would like a copy of meeting minutes from the sub committees or require any other information, please contact the school office or Governor Support Services on 0113 3785123.

Governor Day Feedback for Families.pdf

Full Governing Body Minutes 2023-2024

Full Governing Body Minutes - Organisation Meeting - Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes - Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes - Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes - Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes 2022-2023

Full Governing Body Minutes - Organisation Meeting - Autumn 

Full Governing Body Minutes Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes - Budget Meeting

Full Governing Body Minutes - Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes 2021-2022

Full Governing Body Minutes Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes - Budget Meeting

Full Governing Body Minutes Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes 2020-2021                                                                          

Full Governing Body Minutes Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes - Budget Meeting

Full Governing Body Minutes - Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes 2019 - 2020

Full Governing Body Minutes Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes COVID Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes Autumn

Full Governing Body Minutes 2018 - 2019

Full Governing Body Minutes Summer

Full Governing Body Minutes - Budget Meeting

Full Governing Body Minutes Spring

Full Governing Body Minutes Autumn

Morley Victoria Primary School Governing Body

Statutory Governance Information

Chair: Miss Claire Skeet                                                             

Vice Chair: Mrs Julia Britton

The constitution of the Governing Body is 13 members:

• The Headteacher
• 2 parent Governors, formally elected through a ballot of parents unless the election is uncontested 
• 7 co-opted Governors, nominated and appointed by the Governing Body - 1 vacancy
• 2 staff Governors, formally elected by staff employed at school

We then also have up to 3 observer members, appointed by the Governing Body (who have been given the right to vote in committee meetings but are not able to in the Full Governing Body Meetings). They are staff members at the school who have a keen interest in the Leadership and Management of the school.

The Governing Body operates with the following committees:

•  Teaching and learning committee - responsible for overseeing teaching and learning matters including target setting, standards and achievement, SEND (including reporting annually on the success of the SEND policy),  monitoring teaching and learning and curriculum provision. This committee must ensure that the Governing Body is represented at school improvement discussions.

   Committee chair: Miss Claire Skeet

• Pupil and Staff Support - responsible for overseeing all matters related to safeguarding, SEND, medical needs and the general behaviour and welfare of the pupils. This committee discusses the important matters of attendance, children’s spiritual moral social and cultural development, children, parent and staff voice, extra-curricular activities, cluster and other partnerships. We also consider the staff and their health and wellbeing, their CPD and their voice during this meeting.

   Committee chair: Mrs Julia Britton

• Headteacher Performance Management Committee – this small group of Governors will meet twice a year to review the Headteacher's performance targets. Members of this committee would also form a Pay Appeal committee should it ever be required – responsible for hearing pay appeals and ensuring a fair and proper process has been followed. This is done in partnership with the MAT Central Team and the CEO.

Current Governors and business/other interests declared are provided in the table below.  Governors and associate members are reminded that they should declare any changes as and when they occur and this is on the agenda of each meeting to ensure that this happens.

These are Governors who have left our Governing Body in the last 12 months. We would like to thank them for all of their time and commitment.