Meeting updates from Governors

Meeting Update - 28th November 2025

Governors met on Monday 24^th November for their first Full Governing Body meeting of the academic year and attendance at the meeting can be viewed here. 

In the meeting I was elected as Chair and Stacey Mack (Co-opted Governor) was elected as Vice Chair for the 2025/2026 academic year. We were pleased to welcome Josie Ogg, our newly elected Parent Governor, to her first meeting. Governors also agreed their procedures and committee membership for the coming academic year. The allocation of Governor's Areas of Special Responsibility was also discussed; these areas give Governors a deeper insight so they can fulfil their core statutory duties: financial and strategic oversight and ensuring that the Headteacher performs their responsibilities.

Governors also made plans to schedule their first additional deep dive meeting in the spring term to consider the impact of the government’s Schools White Paper on SEND, once this has been released. The deep dive meetings are planned to take place once a term to consider issues in more depth.  

In his Headteacher’s report, David Cooper shared that the outcomes for the statutory assessments (for EYFS, the Phonics Screening Check and Key Stage 2 SATs) were above local and national outcomes. The report also highlighted that attendance was above the national average. Governors also heard in the Headteacher’s report that staff were working hard to support the increasing SEND need in school and that interventions were in place to ensure that all children made good progress. Governors understood that SEND funding placed constraints on the school but were pleased to hear that Telferscot was working hard to offer children the best support possible with the available budget. Mr Cooper assured Governors that despite the falling rolls of other schools in the area, Telferscot's pupil numbers were higher than at the same point last year.

Governors were assured that safeguarding procedures were robust, and all Governors were undertaking training to ensure that they could effectively monitor safeguarding arrangements in school.

Reports were also submitted from the each of the committees; the Inclusion Committee which considers safeguarding, SEND and diversity; the Standards and Curriculum Committee, which analyses pupil attainment and the school’s curriculum, and the Resources Committee, which discusses finances, premises and staffing issues. 

The Governing Body was keen to ensure that the school community was fully informed of its activities and plans were made to provide a table at the Winter Fair on Saturday 6^th December. In the meeting it was also agreed that Governors would consider a review of their individual impact and how their skills had benefited the school.

I wish everyone a safe and happy festive period and look forward to updating you again in the Spring.

Garry Connolly
Chair, Telferscot Governing Body