Welcome to the Governors' section of the Broomgrove Infant School website. Here you will find details of our Governors, their areas of responsibility, and a copy of our Annual Governance Statement.

Our Governing Board is made up of dedicated volunteers who are committed to supporting the school community and helping every child achieve their potential. Governors come from a range of professional and personal backgrounds, bringing a variety of skills and experiences that support the effective governance of the school.

The Governing Board currently includes parent governors, co-opted governors, a staff governor, associate governors, and a Local Authority governor. Together, we fulfil our role as a "critical friend", supporting and challenging school leaders to ensure the best possible outcomes for all pupils.

The Role of the Governing Board

Governors are responsible for:

• Setting the strategic direction and vision of the school.
• Holding the Headteacher and senior leaders to account for educational performance and school improvement through performance management, monitoring visits, scrutiny of reports, and constructive challenge.
• Overseeing key areas of school governance, including finance, staffing, premises, curriculum, safeguarding, and pupil outcomes.
• Attending Full Governing Board and committee meetings to review progress and make informed decisions that support the school's continued success.

Governors regularly undertake training to ensure they remain informed about developments in education and governance, enabling them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Monitoring and School Visits

As part of their role, Governors conduct regular school visits to monitor the implementation of the School Development Plan and to see first-hand how policies and procedures are put into practice. These visits provide valuable opportunities to observe teaching and learning, meet staff and pupils, and gain a deeper understanding of school life.

You may also see Governors supporting and attending key school events such as Sports Day, Christmas performances, Bonfire Night celebrations, class open mornings, and school fairs. However, much of our work takes place behind the scenes through meetings, monitoring activities, and strategic planning.

Becoming a Governor

From time to time, vacancies arise on the Governing Board. Serving as a Governor is a rewarding opportunity to contribute to the success of the school and the wider community. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Governor, please speak to the Chair of Governors or Mrs Grigg.

Contacting the Governing Board

All Governors are committed to working in partnership with parents, carers, staff, and the wider community. If you would like to raise a matter with the Governing Board, please leave a message with the school office and a Governor will respond as soon as possible.

You can also contact the Governing Board via email at: governors@broomgrove-inf.essex.sch.uk

Governing Board Chair

MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS:

We currently have a vacancy for a Parent or Co-opted Governor. If you are interested in the position, please contact the school office, or complete the application form below.

GOVERNOR STATEMENT FOR 2025 -26

Governor Statement for 2025-26

Annual Governance Statement

Governing Board of Broomgrove Infant School

July 2026

In accordance with the Government's requirements for all governing boards, the three core strategic functions of the Governing Board at Broomgrove Infant School 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 ensuring that resources are used effectively and provide value for money.

Governance Arrangements

The Governing Board of Broomgrove Infant School is currently made up of ten governors: the Headteacher, one staff governor, four parent governors and four co-opted governors.

To ensure effective oversight across all areas of responsibility, all governors sit on the Full Governing Board (FGB), through which the majority of governing business is conducted. In addition, a small number of additional meetings take place throughout the year, including the Headteacher Appraisal Panel, the Pay Committee and the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) review.

The Joint Interest Committee (JIC), which operates in partnership with Broomgrove Junior School, also meets regularly to ensure effective collaboration and strategic working across both schools for the benefit of pupils and their families.

Further details of these meetings and areas of responsibility are outlined below.

The Full Governing Board (FGB)

The Full Governing Board meets seven times each year. The first meeting of the academic year is the planning meeting, during which governors:

• Review the work of the board during the previous year.
• Identify governors' training and development needs.
• Consider any gaps in skills and experience within the board.
• Allocate governor responsibilities.
• Plan the work of the governing board, including monitoring visits, for the year ahead.

Subsequent FGB meetings are held half-termly. Early-term meetings focus primarily on school performance, while late-term meetings include detailed reviews of the school's financial position.

Throughout the academic year, governors undertake monitoring visits covering key statutory responsibilities, including:

• Safeguarding
• Equality
• Health and Safety
• Monitoring progress against priorities identified within the School Development Plan

Individual governors also undertake training linked to their specific areas of responsibility and support the school through attendance at events and activities throughout the year.

Finance and Premises

A key responsibility of the Governing Board is to monitor the financial management of the school. This includes oversight of:

• Budget planning and expenditure
• Human resources and staffing structures
• Premises maintenance and development
• Health and safety compliance
• The effective use of resources to support pupils' learning and wellbeing

Curriculum and Pupil Outcomes

Throughout the year, the Governing Board reviews pupil outcomes across all curriculum subjects and key performance indicators. This scrutiny ensures that the school continues to meet its objectives and effectively serves the needs of the entire school community.

The board is also responsible for monitoring the impact of Pupil Premium and PE and Sport Premium funding to ensure that these resources are used effectively to improve outcomes for eligible pupils.

Governors monitor progress towards the priorities identified within the School Development Plan and regularly review and approve a range of statutory and non-statutory school policies.

The Joint Interest Committee (JIC)

The Joint Interest Committee meets three times each year to discuss matters affecting both Broomgrove Infant School and Broomgrove Junior School.

Areas of discussion include:

• Catering arrangements
• The use of the Bungalow
• Premises and grounds
• Shared facilities and resources
• Strategic opportunities for partnership working

The committee consists of the Headteacher, Chair of Governors and Vice-Chair from each school.

The Governing Board also continues to work closely with the Broomgrove Schools Association (BSA) to support fundraising activities, including the Summer Fair and the annual Broomgrove Fireworks Event.

Looking Ahead: Priorities for 2026–2027

During the 2026-2027 academic year, the Governing Board will continue to focus on its core strategic role, with particular attention given to the actions arising from the school's Ofsted inspection in 2024.

The Governing Board has closely monitored the actions taken in response to the Ofsted inspection findings regarding classroom practice. A key focus has been the implementation and embedding of Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction to strengthen teaching and learning across the school. Staff have received training and ongoing support to ensure that they identify misconceptions promptly, regularly check pupils' understanding, and adapt teaching accordingly. Greater emphasis has been placed on techniques such as frequent questioning, checking for understanding, guided practice, and maintaining high levels of pupil engagement throughout lessons. Governors have monitored the impact of this work through learning visits, discussions with leaders, and reviews of pupil outcomes. As a result, teachers are increasingly responsive to pupils' learning needs, ensuring that misconceptions are addressed swiftly and that pupils remain focused and make the progress of which they are capable.

Acknowledgements

On behalf of the Governing Board, I would like to thank parents and carers for their continued support of Broomgrove Infant School.

If you would like to contact the Governing Board, please email governors@broomgrove-inf.essex.sch.uk or leave a message via the school office.

Chair of Governors
Broomgrove Infant School

The Governors bring a wide variety of relevant knowledge, skills and experience to the Board. As of the 1st September 2025, membership of the Governing Board is:

Mrs Helen Evans (Chair)

Mrs Gill Black and Mr Paulo Serodio (Vice Chairs)

Mrs Alison Grigg (Headteacher) Mrs Louise Worth (Staff Governor) Mr Kristian Gleditsch Mrs Jennifer Tonkinson Mr Peter Vardon Mr Dominic Munro-McCarthy Mrs Johanna Bennett