The three core functions of a governing body, as reflected in Ofsted’s inspection criteria are:
Setting vision, ethos and strategic direction, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring statutory duties are met; Holding heads to account for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety; challenging and strengthening leadership; contributing to school self-evaluation; and Ensuring financial solvency and probity with effective management of financial resources, including the Pupil Premium, to raise standards.
They are also responsible for specific actions such as ensuring that there is a procedure in place for handling complaints; approving the school budget; and appointing the headteacher.
Governing bodies meet at least three times a year and usually rely on committees to advise their decisions. Committees may address issues such as staffing, finance, curriculum and premises.
Senior Management Team
The Senior Management Team is usually made up of the headteacher and deputy head but then depending on the size of the school, the team can be bigger and more varied. Often you’ll find Assistant headteachers or senior teachers with particular responsibilities like leading one of the key stages or something like assessment across the school. The Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) might be a member and increasingly the school business manager (SBM) is also a member. Their role is to set the strategic direction of the school and then manage this, lead any changes and generally make sure that the school is doing the best it can for the children that attend.
Teachers
There are many duties and responsibilities a teacher has. Some of them are: prepare lessons, making them as interesting as possible prepare homework, assignments and assessment research information to ensure the knowledge they impart is current mark homework and pieces of assessment identify the needs of individual students in their classes, and work to help each child develop his or her own potential prepare resources for the classroom confer with students over their work assist children to learn, not judge their inability to learn identify emotional, intellectual, physical, etc issues which may be hindering the student from learning to his/her best potential, and research and recommend courses of action conduct parent-teacher interviews provide a sounding board (for both students and teachers) and allow for open discussion attend professional development sessions to improve his/her own teaching methods and curriculum present a professional but caring persona at all times
Treat students with respect, and teach them to treat others with respect
Support Staff
In a school there are many support staff. Below is a list with some of their main responsibilities.
School Secretary – A school secretary is one of the most important positions in the entire school. A school secretary often knows the day-to-day operations of a school as well as anyone. They are also the person who communicates most often with parents. Their job includes answering phones, mailing letters, organizing files, and a host of other duties.
Encumbrance Clerk – The encumbrance clerk has one of the most difficult jobs in the entire school. The encumbrance clerk is not only in charge of school payroll and billing, but a host of other financial responsibilities. The encumbrance clerk has to be able to account for every cent a school has spent and received. An encumbrance clerk must be organized and must stay current with all laws dealing with school finance.
School Nutritionist– A school nutritionist is responsible for creating a menu that meets state nutrition standards for all meals served at school. They are also responsible for ordering the food that will be served. They also collect and keep up with all monies taken in and spent by the nutrition program. A school nutritionist is also responsible for keeping track of who is eating and for which students qualifies for free/reduced lunches.
Teacher‘s Aide – A teacher’s aide assist a classroom teacher in a variety of areas that can include making copies, grading papers, working with small groups of students, contacting parents, and a variety of other tasks.
Paraprofessional – A paraprofessional is a trained individual who assists a special education teacher with their day-to-day operations. A paraprofessional may be assigned to one particular student or may help with a class a whole. A paraprofessional works in support of the teacher and does not provide direct instruction themselves.
Nurse – A school nurse provides general first aid for students in the school. The nurse may also administer medication to students who need it or are required medication. A school nurse keeps pertinent records on when they see students, what they saw, and how they treated it. A school nurse may also teach students about health and health related issues.
Cook – A cook is responsible for the preparation and serving of food to the entire school. A cook is also responsible for the process of cleaning up the kitchen and the cafeteria.
Caretaker – A caretaker is responsible for the day-to-day cleaning of the school building as a whole. Their duties include vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash, etc. They may also assist in other areas such as mowing, moving heavy items, etc.
Maintenance – Maintenance is responsible for keeping all the physical operations of a school running. If something is broke then maintenance is responsible for repairing it. These may including electrical and lighting, air and heating, and mechanical issues.
Computer Technician – A computer technician is responsible for assisting school personnel with any computer issue or question that may arise. Those may include issues with email, internet, viruses, etc. A computer technician should provide service and maintenance to all school computers to keep them running so that they may be used as needed. They are also responsible for server maintenance and the installation of filter programs and features.
Bus Driver – A bus driver provides safe transportation for students to and from school.
SENCO
SENCO means Special Education Needs Co-ordinator. The responsibilities are: – working with, advising and contributing to the training of other teachers the teaching of, and maintaining records of, children with special educational needs keeping in touch with the parents of children with SEN
working with other agencies, including the educational psychology service, medical and social services and voluntary bodies ensuring the liaison between parents and carers ensuring that individual educational plans (IEPs) were in place advising other staff about SEN and having a school policy for dealing with SEN children putting in place a graduated response system to meet children’s needs at the earliest opportunity
