Governor's Statement

Dear Parents/Guardians

The Governing Body of the school writes an annual governance statement which describes how we have fulfilled our responsibilities during the year.

Every year the governors work to fulfil three strategic functions:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
2. Holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The Governing Body has a full programme of meetings and monitoring visits to the school which are carefully planned to ensure that we fulfil our statutory obligations as well as support and challenge the school to continuously improve.

Governor attendance at all meetings is very good, and we have never had to cancel a meeting because it was not ‘quorate’ (the number of governors required to ensure that decisions can be made).  This has enabled us to maintain our duties of supporting the school staff, approving the budget and considering strategic issues for the future.

Governors review all policies on a rolling programme basis to ensure that all guidance is up to date. Special attention is paid to ensure that the school complies with the Department for Education mandatory policy list and Local Authority recommendations.

There are a number of key documents that the governors look at regularly including: 

• The School Improvement Plan identifies the key priorities for the staff and governors to work on each year. The key issues for the plan are decided by staff and governors at the end of the school year. Governors monitor progress through regular visits to the school and reports from school leaders to ensure the improvements take place. Some of the improvements as a result of this year’s plan include:

• Successful implement a new framework for writing assessment in writing, with a focus on purposeful, accurate work and a clear understanding of next steps for pupils
• Embed principles of memory and metacognition into teaching practice to strengthen knowledge and skills acquisition
• Develop a rich and engaging curriculum that delivers high quality, memorable learning experiences to be shared with parents, carers and other partners.
• Ensure that the school environment, including behaviour, actively supports inclusive learning for all pupils

This year’s Year 6 SATS results reflect a strong performance across all subjects, with a high majority of pupils either meeting or exceeding the national standard and particularly impressive results in Reading and Science. It has been wonderful to see this cohort develop and grow across their years with us and we wish them all the very best for the future.

Progress in EYFS and Key Stage 1 was also good with recent, in-house assessments showing positive progress, with many children achieving targets, particularly in writing.

Governors have continued to closely monitor attendance throughout the year and are delighted to report that overall attendance has reached 96.3%, significantly above the national average of 93%. St Augustine’s was recognised as having the 13th highest attendance rate amongst all primary schools in West Sussex primary schools for the 2023/24 academic year – a fantastic achievement and a testament to the commitment of our whole school community. We know that strong attendance plays a vital role in supporting pupils’ learning, and we would like to thank our staff, parents and carers for their ongoing support in maintaining such high attendance levels.   

We were delighted to recently welcome two new governors to the Board; Judy Durrant as a Co-opted Governor and Rev. Canon Martha Mutikani as our Ex-Officio Foundation Governor. We look forward to building on our long-standing strong relationship with St Augustine’s Church and continuing our shared work. 

• The Schools Financial Value Standard document is a tool which helps the governing body to manage the school’s budget wisely and properly. It contains 29 questions which the Resources Committee reviews with senior staff. The school is compliant in this area. Through careful management of the budget, St Augustine’s School remains in a stable financial position and this has enabled us to be able to retain both an inclusion assistant and additional teaching assistant, ensuring continued support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. This year also saw a number of improvements to the fabric of the school including new sports equipment and construction of a new group room at the front of the building.  
• After many years, we are pleased to confirm that plans to construct a new, permanent classroom are moving forward. We will continue to work with the local authority to ensure the project is delivered in 2026 so that the school can continue to thrive for years to come.  

We remain extremely proud of the determination and commitment of both staff and parents in the St Augustine’s community to keep our children happy, healthy and learning.

We hope this report gives you an insight into the work of the governing body. We value your support and interest. Please look out for updates from the governors in the school newsletter and feel free to talk to any of us. Contact details are also on the school’s website, or just ask in the school office.

Lynn Hainge, Chair of Governors, July 2025