Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body

of South Normanton Nursery School

2022/2023

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all Governing Bodies, the three core strategic functions of South Normanton Nursery School Governing Body are:

1. ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction. 
2. holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils. 
3. overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Governance arrangements

The Governing Body of South Normanton Nursery School was reconstituted in July 2020 and is currently made up of:

Headteacher

1 x LA (Local Authority) Governor

3 X Parent Governors

3 X Co-Opted Governors

1 X Staff Governor

The names, terms of office, committee membership and areas of responsibility of our Governors can be seen on our “Meet our Governors” page. 

Our Governors have a range of skills and experience which contribute to effective governance and the success of the school. These include Governors with experience in Education, Finance and Business.

Attendance record of Governors

A record is kept by the Clerk to the Governing Body of Governors’ attendance at meetings and visits to the school. The attendance record for September 2022 – July 2023 can be seen by following the link at the bottom of the “Meet our Governors" page.

Meetings need to be ‘quorate’ to ensure that decisions can be made; this means that at least half of the members must attend.

The work we have done on our committees and in the Governing Body:

As a Governing body, we understand the importance of the first five years in children’s lives and recognise that they learn more in these years than in any other phase of growth. As such we focused our efforts in 2022/2023 on making sure that South Normanton Nursery is a place where children can reach their full potential in these formative years.

At a time when budgets have been squeezed in the public service sector, we have supported the Headteacher in managing a balanced budget during these challenging times. We regularly review and scrutinise the finances of the organisation whilst ensuring that South Normanton Nursery School continues to provide a high-quality education for all children.

We continue to provide support for the general philosophy/vision of the Headteacher and staff. Governors have visited the nursery on several occasions to observe and monitor how this has been implemented in practice. This has enabled us to hold the Headteacher to account and identify good practice and progress within the nursery and has also enabled Governors to have a good understanding of children within the nursery community.

Governors have supported the Headteacher in building on and furthering his vision of supporting those with SEND. This has enabled the Headteacher to provide an inclusive, nurturing, and challenging environment for ALL children.

The Headteacher identified Communication and Language as an area of concern and has undertaken significant steps to address this. The Governing Body has supported the Headteacher by allowing the allocation of budget, time, and CPD.

As the shadow of Covid 19 recedes, the Governing Body continues to be aware of the enormous impact this has had, particularly on the development of some of the children within the nursery. We will continue to support the Headteacher and staff’s efforts to enable all children to reach their potential and become lifelong learners, regardless of any challenges they may face.

What we intend to do in 2023/2024

We will continue to support the Headteacher as the nursery moves forward into the next academic year and will help with the appointing and welcoming of new members of staff into our established and effective teaching team.

Following on from Ofsted, we will support the Headteacher in developing strategies and plans to increase parental engagement, helping to promote the importance of early years education within the community. We will also monitor the effectiveness of the measures in place to refine the sequential knowledge of learning within the nursery.

We will work with the Headteacher and staff to advance the School Improvement Plan, ensuring that the education provided meets the individual needs of the children and allows everyone to be challenged. We aim to provide strategic direction for the nursery school by reviewing policies, targets, and priorities. We will review the school’s aims and objectives and contribute ideas to the School Improvement Plan (SIP).

As a Governing Body, we recognise the commitment, focus, and dedication of all the staff. We would like to thank them for everything they do and continue to do for the children in our school community.

How to contact your Governing Body

 Information about the school’s Governing Body is available on the Governors’ page of the school’s website.

Go to the ‘Home’ page, then use the ‘About us’ tab and navigate to the “Meet our Governors” pages.

The Chair of Governors may also be contacted via the School Office.