The School Government is in charge of overseeing the school and ensuring that it maintains high educational standards. They have specific responsibilities such as monitoring Health & Safety, the Curriculum, Staffing, and other areas. They assist with setting school targets, managing budgets, and developing plans for school improvement and staffing. Additionally, they evaluate the progress of the school and monitor classes related to their specific roles. For example, a Governor in charge of the Curriculum department would monitor classes to ensure that staff are following the curriculum. Governors also participate in interview panels for hiring new staff members, which is also practiced in my setting.
The school governors must acquire understanding of the school’s functioning by undergoing training, participating in meetings, and familiarizing themselves with the school community through visits to events like Red Nose Day and Fairtrade Fortnight. It is crucial for governors to collaborate as a team, led by the chair of the governing body. Many governing bodies mandate their governors to adhere to a Code of Practice. Our Board of Governors actively engages in the school’s activities.
The senior management of a school typically comprises the head teacher, deputy head, and potentially other members based on school size. This may include assistant head teachers or senior teachers with specific responsibilities like organizing teacher timetables and duties (such as lunchtime duty, break duty, corridor duty in the mornings). They also oversee assessments, staff training, and pupil reviews. The special needs co-ordinator (SENCO) may also be part of this team. The primary function of the senior management team is to establish and effectively manage the school’s strategic direction. They lead necessary changes and ensure that the school offers optimal education for its students.
Teachers not only teach but also prepare homework, coursework, and assignments. These tasks are crucial for reinforcing the taught material and assessing students’ learning progress. Additionally, they aid in identifying areas that require further review and promoting active engagement in the learning process. Moreover, teachers endeavor to deliver up-to-date information to the best of their abilities without any bias or unequal treatment towards any student.
They provide feedback on the pupil’s progress to the tutor teacher, parent/carer, and head of the pupil’s boarding house if it is a residential school. Other support staff in the school assist administrators, teachers, and school counselors in addressing special educational needs. They work under the supervision of school principals and certified teachers, and must possess flexibility, training, and various skills to fulfill their roles.
Support staff play a crucial role in keeping the school running smoothly. They include TA’s, educational psychologists, healthcare professionals, cleaning staff, housekeeping, and cooks. Without these support staff members, there would be a chain reaction of negative consequences. For instance, the absence of cleaning staff would result in an unclean school, leading to cooks being unable to prepare food due to poor hygiene. Furthermore, dirty schools directly affect the ability of TA’s and Teachers to teach effectively, eventually leading to the absence of education and schools. Therefore, support staff are extremely important in ensuring the proper functioning of the school.
Schools collaborate with external professionals for assistance to individuals in need, including children with special educational needs (SEN), behavioral or eating disorders, and mental disabilities. Among these professionals are educational psychologists, who possess specialized training in both psychology and teaching. Their role involves evaluating children’s special educational requirements and designing intervention programs in cooperation with educational institutions. They may also contribute to creating a communication-friendly environment within the school setting on a broader scale.
All maintained schools have regular access to an Educational Psychologist (EP) who provides advice and support to parents/carers of children with special educational needs (SEN). The EP collaborates with the SEN Co-ordinator in identifying the root cause of learning or behavioral challenges. Once identified, they communicate their findings to both the school and parents. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are healthcare professionals specializing in assisting children facing speech, language, and communication difficulties. They closely collaborate with schools, parents/carers, and other healthcare professionals.
They also offer speech exercises for the child’s tutor/SEN key-worker and the child’s parents to utilize in order to enhance the child’s speech and communication abilities. Specialist Teachers are educators who are undergoing training in a specific field, and their role is crucial as they guarantee that the students in school receive the highest quality education. They provide guidance and assistance to teachers and school leaders. Their responsibilities frequently involve working closely with underperforming students, with the purpose of helping them enhance their academic performance.
Schools also engage Dieticians to assist children in learning how to eat healthily and maintain a balanced diet with moderation. These Dieticians collaborate closely with the child’s parents or caregivers to assess their home feeding practices and develop a suitable healthy diet plan for the child. In the case of certain children with special educational needs (SEN), the involvement of a Physiotherapist is necessary to aid them in regaining control over their leg, arm, neck muscles, and other areas. To facilitate this process, Physiotherapists work in conjunction with the SEN Co-ordinator, allowing information about the child’s condition to be shared effectively. Additionally, the Physiotherapist provides exercises to school staff, SEN key-workers, and parents or caregivers to carry out with the child.
In our setting, we hold a yearly evaluation that includes the student, their parents, the headmistress, and external experts who possess knowledge about the child’s background history. This may involve social workers if necessary or physiotherapists if the student requires their assistance. Furthermore, we have established a partnership with Sign Health, an exclusive counseling service designed for deaf individuals of all ages. The counselors from Sign Health are skilled in sign language and thus can effectively communicate with and provide support to our students.
This service prioritizes confidentiality, but it may be necessary to breach it in certain cases to ensure the child’s safety and well-being, as well as protect those involved. Ofsted conducts inspections at each school, evaluating aspects like cleanliness, care, and educational standards. The inspectors collaborate with the LEA and the school’s headteacher to inform the school about the inspection schedule and provide required evidence for evaluation.
