Governance

Barrow Hedges has a ‘Local Committee’, which is a sub-committee of the Cirrus Primary Academy Trust Board. The accountability of the academy rests with the Trust Board, but many responsibilities are delegated to the Local Committee.  Please see the Trust scheme of delegation here.

To find out about the structure of the Trust, please see this page on the Trust’s website. 

Barrow Hedges Local Committee consists of:

2 elected Parent Governors
2 elected Staff Governors
Up to 7 other Co-opted Governors
1 Headteacher

We aim to create a balanced group that will have the right skills, connections and dynamic for the Local Committee to work well and support the school in achieving exceptional performance.

Attributes we look for include:

• Good insight into the specific challenges at the school and the general challenges of operating top-quality schools
• Excellent community links
• Specific skills as needed by/relevant to the school

The term of a governor is four years, except for the Headteacher, who remains a governor for the duration of his or her time in post. Governors may be reappointed for further terms.

Trustees (including the Chief Executive Officer) are able to attend Local Committee meetings.

The Local Committee works closely with the Senior Leadership Team to oversee the strategic direction of the school. It does this by offering support, constructive advice, a sounding board for ideas, and help where needed. It challenges, asks questions and seeks information to ensure that the best interests of the children at Rushy Meadow are met. All governors work on a voluntary basis.

The Local Committee meets four times a year, to discuss issues and make decisions related to the teaching and learning within the school. Additionally, the Local Committee Chair attends a termly Chairs' Forum meeting with the Chair of the Trust Board and CEO. 

The Local Committee also performance manages the Headteacher and has a Pay Committee which works with the Head as part of the Performance Management Appraisal process.

The Clerk to the Local Committee is Karen Velissarides kvelissarides@cirrustrust.uk. Governors can be contacted via the Clerk.  

Role of the Local Committee

Establishing the strategic direction, by:

• Setting the vision, values, and objectives for the school
• Setting all necessary policies to meet the vision, values and objectives set
• Agreeing the school improvement strategy with priorities and targets
• Meeting statutory duties

Ensuring accountability, by:

• Appointing the Headteacher
• Monitoring progress towards targets
• Performance managing the Headteacher
• Engaging with stakeholders
• Contributing to school self evaluation

Ensuring financial probity, by:

• Monitoring spending against the budget
• Ensuring value for money is obtained
• Ensuring risks to the school are managed