Governors

The Governors are a key force in the development of Linwood School and a vital link between the school, its families and the wider community.

Governance at Linwood

School governors are one of the largest volunteer workforces in the UK, with more than 300,000 volunteers supporting schools across the country. Governors bring their time, experience and knowledge to help schools make important strategic decisions and provide the best possible education for their pupils.

At Linwood, our governing board supports and challenges the school’s leadership team to ensure our children and young people have the best possible opportunities to learn, develop and thrive.

Our governing board is made up of twelve governors: four parent governors, five co-opted governors, one local authority governor, one headteacher governor and one staff governor.

What do our Governors do?

The role of the governing board is a strategic one. The Department for Education identifies three core functions for governing boards:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the Executive Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

At Linwood, this means governors work closely with the Executive Headteacher and senior leadership team, providing support, challenge and oversight across the school.

Governors also visit our campuses and meet with staff to develop their understanding of the school’s work and the experiences of our pupils.

What Governors don’t do

Governors are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the school. This is the responsibility of the Executive Headteacher and leadership team.

Our governing board

Our governors bring a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience, including education, finance, healthcare, technology, business and social care.

This breadth of experience is particularly valuable to Linwood as a specialist school, helping the governing board to consider the needs and experiences of our children, young people and families from a range of perspectives.

Could you be a Governor?

Being a governor is a rewarding opportunity to make a real contribution to the life and future of a school.

You do not need previous governance experience or to work in education. Training and support are available.

From time to time, vacancies arise for parent and co-opted governors. Details of current vacancies and how to apply will be published on this website.

Meetings and terms of office

The full governing board meets five times a year: twice in autumn, twice in spring and once in summer.

All Governors’ terms of office are for four years, except for the Headteacher Governor.

Contacting our Governors

Governors can be contacted by emailing Hayley Upton, Clerk to the Governors: hayleyupton@linwood.bournemouth.sch.uk

Minutes of meetings can be made available on request to the Clerk.