About the Governing Body

The Governing Body plays a vital role in the life of the school. It is responsible for setting the overall strategy, vision and ethos of the school, formulating and reviewing school policies and overseeing the educational and financial performance of the school. Our aim is to provide the best possible education, in the best possible environment for the children who attend Cottam Primary School.

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What is the Governor Vision for Cottam Primary School? 

The Governors will ensure that as a community primary school, the family ethos we celebrate remains securely in place and the excellent reputation the school holds in the local area remains. The school will continue to be outward looking and embrace innovative practice.  Cottam Primary School will ensure pupil achievement remains excellent, whilst promoting a rich and vibrant curriculum that meets the needs of our learners and traditional values will remain at the heart of our success.

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the 3 core strategic functions of Cottam Primary School Governing Body are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, values and strategic direction;
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Governance Structure and Meetings

The Governing Body of Cottam Primary School was recently re-constituted .

We have four committees:

• Finance and Staffing
• Premises, Health and Safety & Safeguarding
• Curriculum 
• Standards and Effectiveness 

Each committee is made up of :

• Staff Governors
• Headteacher Governor
• Elected Parent Governors
• Local Authority Governors
• Co-opted Governors

Co-opted governors

Co-opted governors are only in schools with governing bodies constituted on or after 1 September 2012. Governing bodies constituted before that date have community governors.

Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body and are people who the governing body believes have skills which will contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

There is no restriction on the categories of people who can be appointed as co-opted governors.

Parent governors

Parents, including carers, of pupils at the school are eligible to stand for election as parent governors. They are elected by other parents.  If not enough parents stand for election, the governing body can appoint parent governors.

The law does not allow elected members of the local authority, or people who work at the school for more than 500 hours in a year, to become parent governors.

The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a parent governor at the school.

Staff governors

Staff governors are elected by the school staff. Both teaching and support staff employed to work at the school are eligible for staff governorship; volunteers are not eligible.

The headteacher makes arrangements for holding an election if there is a vacancy for a staff governor at the school.

Local Authority governors

Local authority governors are appointed by the local authority (Lancashire County Council) or nominated by the local authority and appointed by the governing body.

Anyone who is eligible to be a staff governor cannot be appointed as a local authority governor, but any other eligible person can.

Please click on the documents below for an overview of our Governing Body. (NB This document is updated on an annual basis)