Code of conduct

Little Ilford School Governing Body

Purpose

All governors are responsible for carrying out their duties with the utmost integrity. The purpose of this code of conduct is to provide governors with clear guidelines as to their standard of behaviour, responsibilities, and best practice in fulfilling their obligations to the governing body.

Our obligations

As governors of Little Ilford School we aim to provide outstanding governance that drives improvement and holds senior leaders to account for the quality of teaching and learning, levels of achievement, the safety and well being of pupils and staff and the effective management of the school’s financial resources.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that our pupils receive the best possible education to enhance and maximise their life choices.

To achieve our aims, we recognise that we must be fully committed to the work of the governing body and carry out our duties with the utmost integrity. We will:

• Involve ourselves actively in the work of the governing body, and accept our fair share of responsibilities, including service on committees or working groups.
• Regularly attend and actively contribute to meetings governing body and its committees.
• Take responsibility for developing our knowledge and understanding of our roles and the skills we need to be effective governors through training and learning.
• Visit the school regularly to learn more about how it operates.
• Be well prepared for meetings so that well considered decisions can be taken.
• Carry out our duties collectively, other than when responsibilities have been delegated by the governing body to committees or individuals.
• Be respectful of each other’s views in all our communications with other governors.
• Be bound by decisions of the governing body regardless of our personal views.
• Set the strategic direction of the school, monitor and evaluate our decisions  and hold senior leaders to account for performance.
• Recognise that the headteacher is responsible for the day to day management of the school and complying with his/her statutory responsibilities.
• Recognise that when individual conflicts of interest or conflicts of loyalty arise these should be declared, and that governors declaring the interest should withdraw from the discussion.
• Update our personal information in the governing body’s register of interests when this changes or annually.

In carrying out our duties we will have regard to:

• The interests of our pupils and employees.
• The likely long term consequences of our decisions.
• The need to foster positive relations with the wider school community, our partners and our suppliers.
• The need to act transparently and fairly, putting the interests of the school and the governing body beyond our personal interests.
• Maintaining the reputation of the school and the governing body.
• The need to make the best use of resources.

Governing Board Code of Conduct