December 2021 Andrew Vaughan Parent Governor

Date: 5th Apr 2022 @ 3:55pm

As we hurtle towards the end of term I wanted to take a moment on behalf of the board of governors to say a huge thank you to Mr Lenton and all the wonderful teaching and support staff at Boughton Heath Academy.

We are so lucky to have and be part of such a dedicated and talented team.

In what must have been an extremely tiring term, all staff have gone that extra mile to keep all of our children, happy, healthy and most importantly engaged in deep and meaningful learning.

Bi weekly Covid 19 testing, adapting to new government guidance, (often at short notice) and preparing for a possible Ofsted inspection during this academic year all are extra stresses. However, every morning our children are met at the gates and classroom doors with smiles, positivity and an energy that inspires a love of learning even on the cloudiest of mornings!

As a parent governor of a child in year 4 it has been lovely to see the school returning to a much more familiar learning environment this term. Until very recently, life and the Covid pandemic had begun to feel that it had taken a turn for the better. After school activities, school trips, sports competitions had once again started to be planned and rolled out.

Even the governors had started to move away from monthly meetings on Teams to being back in school. It was a real privilege to be welcomed back into the building, walking around classrooms, looking at work in books and on the walls, talking to teaching and support staff, hearing and seeing first hand the progress made and how the new curriculum maps are being designed, implemented and evaluated.

I must admit i didn’t expect to feel so emotionally moved by such a simple action. I understand that that not everyone has been able to do this yet, but be prepared for a tear or two when we next can safely go inside classrooms and enjoy an in person ‘share the learning’ morning.

Seeing and feeling the buzz of children preparing for Christmas concerts, the visit of Santa and the Elf charity run have really added the festive feeling around school. It has been heart warming to see.  However, recent developments with the discovery of a new variant mean that we need to continue to be vigilant and on our guard.

I thank everyone for their continued support in trying to keep our school and community safe by once again wearing face coverings on and around the school site.

I also wanted to share some of the training that I have undertaken during the last year to support my own personal development as a governor. Through the National Governors Association I have been able to access learning link modules that expand my knowledge and understanding of the role

During the last year I have completed the following modules.

Safeguarding

The training was extremely valuable and explored the role that the governing board plays in the safeguarding of children and young people, by making governors aware of the most important points from the legislation and guidance, including the 2020 edition of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

It explained the importance of implementing and maintaining appropriate safeguarding practice in schools, and offered questions that those governing can ask to ensure they are not simply aware of the school’s practices, but can be involved in making sure they work.

Pupil Premium

The module is designed to help governors and trustees fulfil their strategic role in the effective and efficient management of the school’s use of the Pupil Premium Grant, to raise the attainment of Free Schools Meals Children, Looked After Children, and the children of serving members of HM Forces.

By the end of the module I had gained an understanding of the aims of the Pupil Premium initiative and the importance of the strategic role in facilitating the schools attempts to raise attainment for these target groups and understand the importance of gathering and analysing quality data about the school’s performance.

Arts and cultural education
It was so encouraging to see this brand new module included on the NGA’s training menu. As an arts professional it was extremely satisfying to see that the partnership with Arts Council England had helped develop such an important and often overlooked training area in school governance.

The training was an inspiring framework that provided help for governors to develop their understanding of what arts and cultural education is and how it can be used to improve schools. It focuses on six key areas where schools can use arts and cultural education to improve outcomes through: a broad and balanced curriculum, school community and parental engagement, health and wellbeing, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, social mobility, developing life skills and employability skills.

I will finish this blog by once again thanking everyone for their collaborative support, especially through these challenging and unusual times.

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful festive period and best wishes for a new year filled with joy, learning and laughter.

Thank you to all,

Keep safe :)