Welcome to Long Row School Governors page. Governors play an important role in the work of the school.  

The Government expects Governors to:-

• systematically monitor the school’s progress towards meeting agreed development targets

• be well informed and knowledgeable about the school

• take and support decisions in the interests of pupils

• visit school to gather information about the work of the school alongside the Headteacher

Please see the Governors annual statement below for more details. If you would like any further information about our Governing Body, please see Mrs Pickering in the school office.

What our Governors do…

The Full Governing Body (all Governors) meets once each term. There is a formal agenda with our Clerk to the Governors taking notes which become the official minutes of the meeting. The Headteacher provides a full update of the previous few months in a Headteacher Report and the Chair of Governors feeds back information about Governor Committee (standards and resource committee meetings), Governors visits and Governor monitoring.

 Andy Fairhurst (Chair of Governors)

Annual Governance Statement – September 2024 – August 2025  (This is a live document with ongoing updates)

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, and the Governors’ Code of Conduct (approved Jan 22), the four core strategic functions for the schools for the schools governing body are:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
2. Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
4. Ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard.

Governance Arrangements

The Governing Body of Belper Long Row Primary and Nursery School was reconstituted on July 2021 and amended in Jan 22. It is made up of 10 governors, each having a four-year term of office.  The membership is:

• Head Teacher
• One Local Authority governor
• One staff governor
• Four parent governors
• Four co-opted governors

The Chair of Governors is Mr Andy Fairhurst.

The Vice-Chair of Governors is Mrs Emma Monkman.

The governing body has a programme of meetings throughout the year and a committee structure that focuses on specific areas of governance:

Two committees are Resource and Standards committee.

Approved minutes are available on request through the school office.

Contacting your Governing Body 

Information about the school’s governing body is available on the governors’ page of the school website.  Governors can be contacted by the following methods: 

By telephone 01773 823319 

By letter Chair of Governors 

Long Row Primary School 

Long Row  

Belper 

Derbyshire 

DE56 1DR 

By email info@longrow.derbyshire.sch.uk 

Current Membership of the Governing Body

Governor                           Category                            Date of Appointment                    Expiry of Office

Mrs L. White                      Head Teacher                            1/9/2021                                            N/A

Mr A. Fairhurst                   Local Authority                         20/3/2021                                      19/3/2028

Mrs D. Hamlin                   Co-opted                                  24/1/2022                                       23/1/2026

Cllr E. Monkman                Co-opted                                 22/11/2022                                     21/11/2026

Mr D. Keen                        Parent                                      28/1/2019                                      27/1/2027

Mr M. Hawkins                  Parent                                      18/11/2024                                    17/11/2028

Mrs R Grundy                   Parent                                       26/11/2021                                    25/11/2025

Mrs E Cooper                   Parent                                       26/11/2021                                     25/11/2025

Mrs J Jones                      Staff                                          24/1/2022                                       23/1/2026

Committee Structure and Membership

Standards Committee                            Resource Committee

Mrs White                                                       Mrs L. White

Cllr E. Monkman                                             Mr A. Fairhurst

Mrs D. Hamlin                                                 Mrs E Cooper

Mr M. Hawkins (Chair)                                    Mr D. Keen (chair)

Mrs R Grundy                                                 Mrs J Jones

Mrs J. Jones                                                                                                                               

Governors with Specific Responsibilities

Cllr E. Monkman               - Child protection / Safeguarding / Looked after children / Anti-bullying

Mrs R. Grundy                   - SEND, DDA, Inclusion

Mr A. Fairhurst                   - Pupil progress Maths.  Website audit

Mr D. Keen                        - Pupil progress Sports

Mr M Hawkins                   - Pupil Progress English, Health and Safety

Mrs E. Cooper                   - EYFS, Nursery/2 year olds 

Full Governors’ and Committee Meeting Dates

Governors Attendance Record 2024-2025

Governor Training Record

All - Sept 2024 - Safeguarding training

AF - Nov 24 - DCC Autumn Governor briefing 

AF - Nov 24 - Property Risk assessment 

DK, LC, EM March 2025 - Prevent

Governors’ Declaration of Business, Pecuniary and Personal Interests 

Governor      Business, Pecuniary and Personal Interests.  Membership of Professional Bodies / Organisations.  

Governor / Trustee Position held in another school / organisation. 

Mrs L. White                                                                                  None 

Mr A. Fairhurst                                                                              None 

Mrs D. Hamlin                                                                               None 

Mrs J. Jones                                                                                  None 

Mr D. Keen                                                                       Parent Governor – Children at Long Row

Mrs R Grundy                                                                   Parent Governor – Children at Long Row

Mrs E Cooper                                                                   Parent Governor – Children at Long Row

Mr M. Hawkins                                                                 Parent Governor – Children at Long Row 

Cllr E. Monkman                                                              Belper Town Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Ward Councillor                                                                                           for Belper North, Flood Warden, Chair of facilities and environment for                                                                                           local economy committee, Deputy Leader Amber Valley Labour Group

Governor Visits  

Governors visit the school as part of their monitoring of the school’s development plan and specific issues identified through the School Improvement Plan (SIP). These visits are an invaluable opportunity for governors to work with staff members. In addition, subject link governors both monitor and review activities undertaken by subject and/or phase leaders. The development of a governor monitoring timetable has ensured that governors have an accurate picture of the performance of the school and can support school improvement as well as monitor and challenge current school practice and policies. Governors attend school open evenings, assemblies, presentations, and information evenings, including sporting and musical events, in order to engage with all members of the school’s community. Furthermore, governors seek opportunities for the pupils to be ambassadors for the school in the local community and further afield.  

Governor Monitoring 2024/2025

Governor                  Date                    Reason for visit / monitoring

AF                             Termly                  Headteacher termly briefings

EM                             Termly                 Safeguarding system checks 

EM                             Termly                  Attendance monitoring 

MH                             Termly                 Progress in English 

AF                              Termly                 Progress in Maths 

AF                              November           Website Audit 

RG                             November           SEND Inclusion 

EM, LC, MH               December           Headteacher appraisal 

MH                             December           Health and Safety Audit

DK                             January               Sports funding 

RG                             March                 SEND policy and practice 

All governors attend termly breakfast meetings

Autumn - Pupil progress and attainment Data.

Spring - SEND provision 

Data Analysis  

Data is made available to governors through written and verbal presentations providing an opportunity for the members of the board to challenge the Head Teacher and the Senior Leadership Team on the educational standards of the school and its pupils. Link governors meet with subject leaders for an update regularly and this includes scrutiny of the curriculum, standards, and data from all year groups. This enables members of the governing body to ask questions about pupils’ progress and achievement.  

Policies  

Governors review all relevant policy documents on a regular basis to ensure that guidance is relevant, accurate and up to date. Specific attention is given to the Department for Education’s statutory requirements and compliance tests.  

Staff Recruitment 

The Head Teacher and a number of governors are trained in Safer Recruitment and ensure their training is kept up to date. Governors are involved in the recruitment and selection process to ensure that high quality staff, who share the school’s vision and ethos, area appointed. Governors work hard to recruit high quality teachers and leaders. A wide range of strategies are implemented to ensure that the right staff are appointed and can drive forward the actions necessary to improve the school.  

Financial Management – Resource Committee 

The governors work with staff at the school to address and comply with the School Financial Value Standard each year. Governors ensure that the budget is well-managed, and improvements are effective and on-going. The school is subject to external audit to ensure value for money and good budget management is achieved.  

Safeguarding 

Governors take responsibility for ensuring that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. They evaluate and review the annual safeguarding audit.  Governor signs off the single central record monthly.

Strategic Planning for the Future 

Governors on the standards committee work co-operatively with the Head Teacher and senior leadership team to develop the School Improvement Plan (SIP). The SIP details the school’s priorities and is based on the issues identified through data analysis, self-evaluation, and Ofsted priorities. The SIP establishes clear strategies and tasks, details who is responsible for carrying out these tasks and the resources required to deliver them, and the monitoring tasks and procedures of the governing board.  

School Improvement Plan 2024/25

SIP Key Priority 1 - EYFS

Developing 2 year old check and nursery termly reporting to parents.

SIP Key Priority 2  -Leadership and management

Strengthening governing board – understanding ambitious curriculum, appoint new community members.

SIP Key Priority 3- Personal Development

Visits and visitors to school – STEM, PCSO, Multi faith leaders

SIP Key Priority 4 - Behaviour and Attitudes

SIP Key Priority 5- Quality of Education

To secure improved outcomes for disadvantaged pupils through programmed Pre-teaching, interventions, pupil leadership and nurture activities.

What the Governing Board achieved in 2024/25 that will make a difference to the children in this school:   

• The progress the pupils have made in key areas
• Governors have agreed the School Improvement Plan which directly impact the children
• Dates agreed for Governor Monitoring visits

• Direct parents to the pupil data on the school website
• Approved Behaviour Policy & Anti-bullying Policy
• Use of school data to inform School Improvements Plan
• Budget management shows school finance is managed well. Maintaining a healthy budget allowing the provision for educating our children. including ensuring all debt is collected. 
• Building work ensures compliance and health and safety for all 
• Discussed the issue to RAAC and the fact that it is strongly believed that Long Row is not affected by it.
• Safeguarding Training completed by Governors and staff
• Website review – Gold Standard, is comprehensive  and exceeds compliance.
• Policies, including Uniform and Disciplinary procedures have been approved
• Discussion around phonics and SSPF (Super Sonic Phonic Friends)  
• Pupil Premium strategy – funding in place to support our children in receipt of Free school meals 
• Policies, practices and audits ensure the safety of children and staff in school.  
• The need to ensure pupil parent pay accounts ae kept up to date.
• We review Safeguarding at all meetings
• Feedback/Formative assessments discussed – how can we teach/demonstrate children understand what they are being taught.
• SMILERS parent/community event success; having an impact for families.
• Parents evening feedback collected annually - we thank you for a fantastic response
• Governors continue to regularly visit school, update their training and partake in school initiatives.
• The careful use of school resources
• PTA have gained charitable status
• Governors have reviewed the progress children have and are making.  
• Governors have a better understanding of phonics
• Aim to increase the number of Governors to improve capacity and strengthen the governing board. 
• New zero tolerance policy following an escalation of instances of bullying on school grounds from parents/carers. We will not tolerate it and if needed will be escalated to the police. this has a huge impact on staff wellbeing.
• Reviewed SEND report and provision for  pupils  needing additional support while at school.

Last updated Feb 25 LW