The Local Governing Body is the strategic decision-making body of the school. Its role is to:
- set the schools overall strategic direction, and to then work with leaders to communicate this vision, ethos and strategic direction to the whole school community and develop a culture of ambition;
- provide a balance of challenge and support to the school’s leaders, understanding the strengths and areas for improvement at the school;
- understand the impact of teaching, learning and assessment on the progress of pupils currently in the school;
- ensure that the school manages its finances effectively and that the school is properly using the pupil premium, primary PE and sport premium;
- be transparent and accountable, including in recruiting staff, its governance structure, attendance at meetings and contact with parents.
Governors are volunteers who bring their outside experience into school to act as ‘critical friends’. Membership of the Governing Body is drawn from different parts of the community including parents, staff and co-opted members with specific skills. The Governing Body meets six times throughout the school year.
All Governors may be contacted by writing to them directly using the school address or by contacting the school on Telephone: 01527 68430.
Governing Body
The Chair of our Local Governing Body is Shaw Goodwin (Acting Chair)
The Clerk to the Governing Body is Kim Edmunds
| Name | Type | Term of office | Term of Office started | Term of Office End | Link Areas and Faculties | Committees | Register of business and pecuniary interests, including Gov role in other ed institutions |
| Jennifer Aston | Trust Local Governor Appointed by Trust | 4 years | 06.02.2024 | 05.02.2028 | Chair of LC; ESS | ||
| Ian Dipple | Parent Governor Ballot in school | 4 years | 06.12.2023 | 05.12.27 | LC; ESS | ||
| Shaw Goodwin | Executive Headteacher | 4 years | LC; ESS; Ops & Comp; Fin & Audit | ||||
| Gill Griffiths | Trust Local Governor Appointed by Trust | 4 years | 18.07.2023 | 17.07.2027 | LC; ESS; RIB | Governor at Bellfield Infant School and Chaddesley Corbett Endowed Primary School. | |
| Polly McMeeking | Trust Local Governor Appointed by Trust | 4 years | 24.10.2023 | 23.10.2027 | LC, ESS | Director of Black Country Ales. Governor at Chaddesley Corbett Endowed Primary School and Chair an IGB for Stourport High School in the same SAET trust. | |
| Zoe Weatherley | Trust Local Governor Appointed by Trust | 4 years | 06.02.2024 | 05.02.2028 | LC, ESS | ||
| Emma James | Headteacher Ex Officio | LC; ESS; Ops & Comp; Fin & Audit | |||||
| Christine Williams | Staff Governor Ballot in school | 4 years | 05.12.24 | LC; ESS | Employed at Birchensale Middle School | ||
| Melanie Vaughan | Staff Governor Ballot in school | 4 years | 29.01.2024 | 28.01.2027 | LC, ESS | Employed at Birchensale Middle School | |
| Pete Clifton | Associate Member | LC; ESS; Ops & Comp; Fin & Audit | |||||
| Stephen Kearns | Associate Member | LC; ESS; Ops & Comp; Fin & Audit | |||||
| Rachel Smith | Associate Member | LC; ESS |
View Governor Bios Here
Committees
The Local Governing Body has established three committees to carry out some of its governance functions. Where this includes making decisions, those decisions will be deemed decisions of the Local Governing Body.
Our committees are;
Finance Committee
Initial oversight and management of the annual budget drawn up by the school; Ensures the school maintains an appropriate system of internal financial control; Agrees priorities for revenue and capital funding.
Operations and Compliance Committee
This committee ensures strategic oversight of the operational aspects of the school including safeguarding arrangements and Health and Safety. This committee also functions to ensure that the school is compliant with statutory regulations and statutory guidance.
Education, Staffing and Standards Committee
Primarily drives standards and performance via the analysis of the School Development Plan (SDP). The committee makes recommendations to the LGB as required.
Meeting Attendance
BUSINESS AND PECUNIARY INTERESTS
The Local Governing Body of Birchensale Middle School and staff members have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business and personal interests and affairs and the interests of the school. A register of business interests is maintained for both Governors and school personnel with significant financial responsibilities.
The register includes all business interests such as directorships, share holdings and other appointments of influence within a business or other organisation that may have dealings with the school. The disclosures also include business interests of relatives and other individuals who may exert influence. Birchensale Middle School ensures the register is up to date and complete, includes all Governors and relevant staff and in this regard signed and dated. Individual records are maintained for each governor and relevant member of staff and where there are no business interests to declare a nil return is kept.
For each governor who has served at any point over the past 12 months; a list of business and personal interests, pecuniary (financial) and non-pecuniary of the Governors and any immediate family is presented below.
| None Declared |