School Governance Committee (SGC)
The School Governance Committee
Being a School Governor for the British Section, SHAPE International School (SIS) is a terrific opportunity to make a difference and to support a school that plays a central part in our community. Governors have a responsibility for providing both challenge and support to the School Leadership Team (SLT) – being a “critical friend”. And they must also recognise that they are a key part of the strategic leadership and management of the School. Governors are a powerful force for school improvement, raising standards and ensuring that all children reach their full potential.
Ministry of Defence (MOD) School Governance Committees (SGC) do not have the same statutory responsibilities or full delegations held by a Governing Body in England; these responsibilities lie with the MOD’s Defence Children Services (DCS), with its MOD Schools department acting as the Appropriate Authority. But MOD SGCs do retain statutory duties for quality assurance that include: performance of the school and pupil outcomes, safeguarding, Health and Safety compliance, financial propriety and Data Protection.
However, being a Governor is more than these and the SGC may involve itself in a broad range of matters that are consistent with the aim of improving educational provision and outcomes for pupils and families. Governors must remember that it is the Headteacher and her SLT who are responsible for the day-to-day operational running of the School - this is not SGC business. The key roles for the SGC are strategic - providing a strategic view, acting as a critical friend to the School and ensuring accountability. At all times it acts in the best interests of the pupils, focussed by the question, “What difference will this make to the pupils in the School?”
