Governor Welcome
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am writing to introduce myself as the Chair of Governors at Ley Top Primary School. My name is Ben Lewis and I have been part of the Governing Body since May 2022 when I was appointed as a Local Authority Governor.
My background includes working within the education sector for the last 15 years and for the last 7 years I have held the role of Chief Executive for an educational consultancy company. I have been involved in governance for the last 16 years and chaired many boards across the district.
What do Governors at Ley Top Primary School do?
The Governing Body has three specific roles:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- To hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
- To oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.
They also carry out a number of other important duties, which include:
- Determining how the school's budget is spent
- Hearing appeals and grievances
- Forming policy on the school's curriculum and collective worship
- Setting standards for pupils' behaviour and discipline
- Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
- Setting and monitoring the school's aims and policies.
How we work
The Governing Body has established several committees and statutory panels. We meet as a Full Governing Body every term.
The Governing Body cover:
- Curriculum and Standards
- Safeguarding
- Resources, Finance, Staffing and Health and Safety
The statutory panels only meet when they are needed, and these are:
- Headteacher Performance Management
- Pay Review
- Complaints.
As Governors, we also share a common objective, which is the wider school community – working in partnership with you as parents and carers and staff to ensure that every child can succeed and reach their full potential. To achieve this, and to carry out our role as governors effectively, we need to know what issues are important to you (so we remain responsive) and ensure that you know what issues governors are discussing (so that we remain accountable). That is why, as governors, we work closely with Miss Crawford and staff to ensure that we continue to deliver a high standard of education to our children at Ley Top Primary School.
I think that the most important thing to note is that governors are a team, not a collection of individuals or groups with separate agendas. However, much we may sometimes differ in our opinions and experiences we are united by our commitment to the school and the responsibility we share for the School’s long-term success.
All relevant information is included on the School’s website. Please remember that the website is a good way of keeping up to date with all aspects of school life.
If you have a concern or a point of view to share, please let us know. We can be contacted via the School Office or by e-mail office@leytop.bradford.sch.uk
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support and to assure you that I am committed to and very proud of our School. I will continue to work with Mrs Rouse and her staff, governors, parents and pupils as we all collectively strive to make Ley Top Primary School a great School.
Regards
Ben Lewis
Chair of Governors