How to contact the Governing Body
You can contact us by email governors@march.w-sussex.sch.uk. or by writing c/o the school office.
The March CE Primary, Claypit Lane, Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NU
The Local Governing Body
The March being part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust is governed by the Trust Board and by a Local Governing Body, which is legally a Committee of the Trust Board, and only responsible for decisions delegated to it by the Board under their Scheme of Delegation. Appointments to the new Local Governing Body have been confirmed by the Trust Board as follows:
|
Name |
Governor Type |
Appointed By |
Term From |
Term To |
Roles |
Committee |
|
Stephen Bennett Chair of Governors |
Foundation Governor
|
DCAT |
25 Feb 2021 |
24 Feb 2025 |
Development and Training Governor Governor for Allegations against the Headteacher Health and Safety / Annual Site Survey Pupil Premium/SEND/LAC/EAL
|
Resources |
|
Jackie Chandler |
Community Governor
|
DCAT |
31 Mar 2023 |
30 Mar 2027 |
Pupil Welfare/Equality and Diversity/Mental Health |
Resource's (Chair) |
|
Patricia Dickie |
Parent Governor
|
Election |
01 Dec 2021 |
30 Nov 2025 |
Attendance and Behaviour
|
|
|
Rev. Rachel Hawes |
Foundation Governor
|
DCAT |
21 Jun 2022 |
20 Jun 2026 |
RE and SIAMS |
Ethos |
|
Justine Howard Vice Chair of Governors |
Foundation Governor
|
DCAT |
30 Nov 2021 |
29 Nov 2025 |
Safeguarding Governor EYFS SCR |
Ethos Chair |
|
Lorna Jones |
Staff Governor
|
Election |
21 Apr 2023 |
20 Apr 2027 |
|
Resources |
|
Nicola Metcalfe |
Head Teacher |
|
||||
|
John Proctor
|
Foundation Governor | DCAT | 30 Nov 2021 | 29 Nov 2025 |
Online Safety and Filtering and Monitoring
GDPR
Website
|
Resources |
|
Mrs Annamarie Park |
Clerk to Governors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clerk to the Governors
Mrs A Park who can be contacted at apark@dcat.academy
In addition to the above members, Mr. Beruk Berhane, Senior Education Leader (DCAT) and other officers from the Academy Trust, may attend meetings.
The Roles and Responsibilities of the Governing Body
The three main functions of the governing body include:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the academy;
2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the academy and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the academy and making sure its money is well spent.
With all of the three items above, the role of the Governing Body is to constructively challenge the senior leadership of the academy (that is, to be a "critical friend"). The Governing Body is not meant to get involved in the day-to-day running of the academy.
What does the Governing Body actually do?
The Governing Body meets monthly for a full meeting. Standard items that are discussed at these meetings include: data on how the children as a whole are progressing, academy finance, academy policy updates, safeguarding and SIAMS (the Statutory Inspection of Anglican schools). A termly headteacher's report is also circulated, which updates governors on various matters to do with the academy.
Once a year, the Governing Body scrutinises the academy's Self-Evaluation Form (which is the academy's evaluation of how it is doing against previous judgements made by OFSTED), and also the School Development Plan, which is the yearly action plan that follows on from the Self-Evaluation Form.
As well as these meetings, governors regularly visit the academy to focus on a particular element of academy life. For instance, recent visits focused on school improvement, and looked at the role of both subject leads and class teachers in the detailed and comprehensive planning that takes place for every lesson. A write-up of these visits are then circulated to other governors, so that the Governing Body can build up a collective picture of the academy.
The lead governor for safeguarding meets termly with senior leaders and SENCO to ensure that the academy is up keeping its safeguarding responsibilities. Likewise, the lead governor for Health and Safety meets with the business manager and site caretaker to conduct a termly health and safety walk.