Understand how schools are organised in terms of roles and responsibilities 2.1- Explain the strategic purpose of
A) School governors
The role of school governors is to set the goals, aims and ethos for the school. They are a school version of board of directors, they have an overall responsibility for the school, and they delegate the day to day jobs to the head teacher. The head teacher refers back to the school governors for important matters for example the school budget which the head teacher can make recommendations but the board will set up the budget.
B) Senior management team
The role of the senior management team is to take the decisions of the school governors and implement them. They have a responsibility to ensure things are done properly such as health and safety, finance and equality legislation to ensure there is no discrimination in the school. The role of the head teacher is to implement the policies which have been put in place by the school governors; they ensure that the day to day running of the school is correct especially with aspects such as behaviour, attendance and staff. If I member of staff leaves then it is up to the school governors to decide whether or not to replace them but members of the senior management team could be present during interviews for the replacement member of staff and could choose the appropriate candidate. However it is usually up to the governors to have the final say as to which candidate will be successful especially when the role is for a member of the senior management team especially head teacher. However they could have several members of the school to convey their opinion this could include students, teaching staff and other members of the senior management team. C) Other statutory
Other statutory can depend of the size of the school and type of school however there are several roles which must exist in the school. Each school must have at least one SENCO however the same person could be shared between schools. The primary responsibility for the SENCOs is to support and discharge legal responsibility for supporting appropriate learning. SENCOs could also be responsible for child protection in the school. Schools must also have a child protection officer. Every school must have a health and safety officer who overrides the decisions made by staff and have the legal responsibility to shut down rooms or parts of the building which aren’t safe. Schools also must have financial management to ensure that the budget which has been set up by the governors is spent correctly in the right places and to ensure that the costing of the school does not go over budget. This is especially important in public schools where public money is involved other than in private institutions where it is private money.
D) Teachers
The role of teachers if to implement the rules and policies which have been laid down by the senior management team and the governors. They need to plan, prepare and deliver the suitable curriculum. They also need to asses and monitor student progress. They are delegated the responsibility to teach and take appropriate action to ensure it happens. The teachers are given the curriculum by the governors or senior management team but it is the role of the middle leader to set the syllabus. Teachers need to plan the best way to teach the syllabus to make sure that the students make progress. It is irrelevant if teachers disagree with a certain policy as they are representative of the school so must abide by the rules and policies of the school. E) Support staff roles
There are two types of support staff- Office or classroom. The role of the office staff is administrating roles such as health and safety, finance, filing, records and contacting parents. Classroom staff could either be selected to a particular department or designated to a certain child or group of children. Support staff who are designated to a particular department usually have to the role of copying resources, filing and tidying. Support staff who are designated to a certain child or group of children to help children and ensure the children’s educational needs are met.
2.2 explain the roles of external professionals who may work with a school. External professionals are used because they are usually cheaper than offering jobs for the roles. Using external professionals means that specialist support is available when it is needed and not there when it is not needed. Also certain types of external organisations can mean that the school gets extra funding from the government. Types of external professional’s provided by Falmouth school include: Connections- Provide non-school support for young people aged 14-19 years old. Careers south west- This organisation provide careers advice. Dread nought- This organisation provides projects and activity sessions to keep young people active and off the streets. PSA- Parent support advisers help with parents who are struggling with their child/ children or school. These people are able to go into the home and provide help or offer parent training and development. EWO- Educational welfare officers deal with the attendance of the school and can take out legal action against those whose attendance is below satisfactory.
School nurse- This is a nurse who usually works with the NHS and the school to provide first aid to students and advise on health issues. Kooth- This is an online counselling service that provides young people aged of 11- 25, with advice and support for emotional or mental health problems. Hear our voice- This is an organisation which specialises in helping young people aged 11-25 with mental health issues. Penhaligon’s Friends- This is an organisation specialising in bereavement counselling for young people. Social services- This organisation can include crises workers who work with children who have made a serious disclosure. Educational psychologists- These are specialists who work with young people with mental health issues. School Chaplin- These are a religious group who give advice to young people from a religious point of view.
