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

Mr M. Hanford                   Co-opted                                   8/7/2019                                          7/7/2024

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                                      13/11/2020                                    12/11/2024

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 (chair)                                  Mr A. Fairhurst

Mrs D. Hamlin                                                 Mrs E Cooper

Mr M. Hawkins                                                Mr D. Keen (chair)

Mrs R Grundy                                                 Mrs J Jones

Mrs J. Jones                                                                                                                               

Governors with Specific Responsibilities

Mrs 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

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

Full Governors’ and Committee Meeting Dates

Governors Attendance Record 2024-2025

Governor Training Record

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

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

SIP Key Priority 2

Leadership and management

SIP Key Priority 3

Personal Development

SIP Key Priority 4

Behaviour and Attitudes

SIP Key Priority 5

Quality of Education

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

What the Governing Board achieved in 2023/24 that has made 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
• Raised the confidence of Governors for future Ofsted visit with the School Improvement Plan
• 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 improve School Improvements Plan
• Devise a crib sheet for parents with tips for dealing with children's behaviour

• Budget is heading in the right direction and looking promising
• Building work, including electrical works have finished and no more disruptions to the children
• 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
• Budget is looking particularly good
• Policies, including Uniform and Disciplinary procedures have been approved
• Discussion around phonics and SSPF (Super Sonic Phonic Friends)  
• We may wish to share with parents the fact that all staff and Governors have attended Safeguarding training.
• Website is comprehensive /exceeds compliance.
• Maintained a healthy budget allowing the provision for educating our children
• Pupil Premium strategy – funding in place to support our children
• Policies, practices and audits ensure the safety of children and staff in school.  
• Decorators around the school are doing an excellent job and as such making the learning environment for pupils and staff alike a pleasant one.
• Decorators around the school are doing an excellent job and as such making the learning environment for pupils and staff alike a pleasant one.
• Discussed Pupil Premium strategy and the impact on pupils.
• The need to ensure pupil parent pay accounts ae kept up to date.
• Review of Safeguarding Report
• Feedback/Formative assessments discussed – how can we teach/demonstrate children understand what they are being taught.
• Reviewed and agreed SIP
• SMILERS parent/community event success – have an impact for families.
• Ensuring all staff wellbeing whilst waiting for Ofsted through Governor meetings and regular check- ins  
• Parents evening feedback and thank you for a fantastic response
• Good discussion on safeguarding and the safety policy
• Governors continue to regularly visit school, update their training and partake in school initiatives.
• The Careful use of school resources therefore allowing extra source of income
• Approved various policies
• PTA have gained charitable status
• Ensuring school debt is managed
• Governors have reviewed the progress children have and are making.  And it is clear where school is aiming with targeted children.
• Governors interrogated that data presented to them and asked challenging questions.
• Various policies were reviewed and approved.  
• Governors have a better understanding of phonics and where the school stance is on the teaching of phonic
• Increase the number of Governors to improve quorate.  
• There has been an increase in the instances of bullying on school grounds from parents/carers.  Long Row has a zero-tolerance culture within school, it will not be tolerated and if needed will be escalated to the police.
• Reviewed SEND report

Last updated Sept 2024 LW