Governance
Welcome to Kelsall Primary School Local Governing Body
Kelsall Primary School is proud to be part of the Cheshire Academies Trust (CAT), a multi-academy trust committed to providing high-quality education. Our governance is split between those matters decided by the CAT Trust Board and those delegated to our Local Governing Body (LGB), which plays an essential role in supporting the school.
The LGB is composed of governors from different backgrounds, including parents, staff, and community representatives. Governors serve a 4-year term, with the possibility of serving a second term, and in exceptional cases, a third term with trustee approval. The governing body is constituted according to the requirements set out by Cheshire Academies Trust, and it includes:
The Headteacher
Up to 2 staff governors
At least 2, and up to 4, parent governors
Up to 8 co-opted governors
The role of the Local Governing Body is strategic, focusing on the school’s long-term success, rather than the operational day-to-day management, which is the responsibility of the Headteacher. There are three main areas of responsibility:
Setting the vision, values, and strategic direction of the school.
Holding the leadership accountable for the school's educational performance and the welfare of pupils and staff.
Overseeing financial performance, ensuring the school’s resources are managed responsibly and effectively.
We are also committed to ensuring that the voices of all stakeholders—parents, pupils, staff, and the wider community—are heard and taken into consideration in decision-making processes.
Our governing body meets regularly throughout the year, with full governing body meetings held at least nine times annually. We also establish sub-committees or working groups as needed to explore specific areas, such as staff pay or school development priorities.
In addition to meetings, governors engage with the school through link visits, each focusing on key areas aligned with the school's strategic goals. Current link areas include Safeguarding, Finance, Health and Safety, SEND and Pupil Premium. These visits allow governors to observe how policies are implemented, speak to staff and, when appropriate, interact with pupils.
Governors also attend school events, information evenings, and performances to understand the broader life of the school and gain insight into teaching methods and the pupil experience. We further evaluate feedback from surveys distributed to parents, staff, and pupils to help inform our decisions.
By combining information from link visits, surveys, school data, national results, reports from the Principal, and input from external education advisors, we ensure that our decisions are evidence-based and always focused on the best outcomes for the children at Kelsall Primary School.
