Governance

The Role of Our Governing Body

Our Governors serve as a vital pillar of the Senior Leadership Team, driving the strategic development of the school. Their primary mission is to ensure that Crowhurst provides a high-quality education by maintaining a culture of high expectations for every pupil. While the Headteacher manages the day-to-day operations of the school, the Governors provide the oversight necessary to raise educational standards and ensure every child can achieve their full potential.

The Governing Body is comprised of volunteers from our parents, the Local Authority, and the wider community, each appointed for a four-year term. Together, they hold three core responsibilities:

• Strategic Direction: Ensuring total clarity of the school’s vision, ethos, and long-term goals.
• Accountability: Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and the effective management of staff.
• Financial Oversight: Overseeing the school’s budget to ensure that every penny is spent effectively for the benefit of the pupils.

Governors are not here to simply "rubber-stamp" decisions. They act as "critical friends"—supporting and challenging the leadership team by asking the right questions and making informed decisions. By acting with integrity and loyalty to the collective board, they protect the interests of our pupils and the morale of our staff.

We have 9 Governors who are involved in setting and driving the strategic direction of the school.

These include two Foundation Governors appointed by the Diocese of Chichester, three elected Parent Governors, a staff Governor, the Headteacher, a Local Authority Governor appointed by East Sussex County Council and one Co-opted governors.

Governors operate a circle model with a working party for finance when needed;

Full Governing Body (Chair: Mike Stewart)

Clerk to Governors is Mrs Ann Craddock - clerk@crowhurst.e-sussex.sch.uk

All Full Governing Board Public Minutes can be obtained on request.

To find out more about the role of Governors please click HERE to visit the Governor section of the East Sussex Website or HERE to visit the National Governance Association website .