ST MATTHEW’S CE VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL LITTLE LEVER
GOVERNORING BOARD IMPACT STATEMENT 2024 -2025

The Academic Year began in September with a focus on regaining stability, both through staffing and financial accountability whilst maintaining an inclusive and safe learning environment for all to achieve the best possible outcomes. Ongoing world events such as local and national political challenge, the War in Ukraine and the Cost-of-Living Crisis and its material impact on budget, were a key priority for the Board.

Staffing has remained a key focus, continuing our support for the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and ECT’s as well as new members to the academic and support teams with ongoing support on recruitment to fill gaps as necessary to ensure continuity of our provision and supporting the SLT. Several changes have been made including a new Head of Curriculum, the maternity cover of SENCO responsibilities, the adition of the School Business Manager to the SLT as well as additional staff appointments across the school. Staff wellbeing and work-life balance has been a standing topic at all Board meetings to ensure that nobody is overloaded and adequate cover is achieved in conjunction with a promotional career path framework. We have now achieved a balanced workforce, aligned to budget but able to deliver the ongoing needs. Staff are now able to take their Planning, Prepation and Assessment Time (PPA) offsite to further aid a positive worklife balance of staff. A annual well-being day has been introduced for all staff to be taken on a day of their choosing.

Our statuary assessments have also produced results in line with our expectations underpinning our ethos and values.

Our focuses on Safeguarding and Inclusivity have been paramount in ensuring day-to-day operations and have consumed a large amount of Governor time. Whilst we have had a challenging year as highlighted above, we have risen to these challenges to ensure that outcomes are fair and just, aligned to our school and have no adverse impact on the community.

The Governing Board itself, continued from the previous academic year with a long-term vacancy for a LA appointed Governor. This has now been filled by Louise Ellison who brings a wealth of experience supporting children and young people. Last year saw the resignation of our long serving chair and vice-chair in order for them to dedicate more time to their work and families. In respect to this, we have successfully secured the appointment of Janette McEwen as Diocesan Governor, Sam Bagley as PCC Governor and Chair and Janet Sproat as Vice Chair. All appointments were made with the full support of the whole Board, the Diocese and the LA based on our needs highlighted from the skills audit conducted and analysed in year to ensure a quorate and experienced membership. Our statuary and ad-hoc committee structures as well as intermediary working parties have been continuously reviewed to reflect this.

As a board, we have continued to support the school not only through Governance but also through volunteering roles within the school e.g., reading with children or music provision, accompaniment on out of school activities and trips or community engagement. This has helped to lessen the out-of-band ask of staff at a time where obtaining support resource has been particularly challenging, allowed a focus on wellbeing and support whilst still enabling the most opportunities for our children.

We have also continually supported school initiatives in terms of provision and funding, both budgeted and through fundraising to ensure that opportunities are available for all, and our school remains safe, welcoming, and functional in the long-term. We have worked diligently with the Headteacher and School Business Manager to ensure that financial control is in place, regularly reviewed and has both a short-term tactical and long-term strategic plan.

Finally, as a Church School and a Board that has a majority of faith appointed roles, we have worked hard with our Church to ensure our links remain as strong as ever whilst also addressing other faiths, local, national and world events. We have maintained a consciousness of the effect this can have on all in school and how we can use our Ethos and Values to be stronger as a school family.