Governors
Welcome to the governor section of our school website.
Local governing bodies within the Castleman Academy Trust are called School Standards Boards (SSB’s). They champion, oversee, and make recommendations to the Trust Board about the school experience for the pupil, their families, and the staff.
Members of the SSB are called governors, and Ferndown Middle School has a strong team of governors, comprised of parents, staff and members of the local community. Whilst the Headteacher and Senior Management Team are responsible for the day-to-day running of the school, governors are responsible for monitoring standards, data, and pupil progress as well as financial oversight of the school.
After the year the country has had with the pandemic, more than ever, schools and their leaders need the support of these committed individuals who hold the school leadership to account on behalf of the pupils.
Members of the SSB come from all walks of life and meet at least once every half term. During these meetings, we look at a wide range of information to find out how well the school is performing. Mrs Allen provides a detailed Headteacher’s report, but we also look at data and independent reports so that we can make our own decisions about how well the school is performing.
We attend training sessions and seminars to help us keep up to date with changes in schools and education and to help us do our job effectively. We also go into school to meet with the Headteacher, other members of staff and pupils to help us find out how the school is progressing towards its development plan and targets.
From time-to-time governor vacancies arise and if you are interested in becoming a governor, please do not hesitate to contact the school so we can arrange for a governor to have a chat with you. All new governors are fully supported, and a mentor is assigned to help the newcomer through the first year or so.
Governors receive no payment for attending meetings but there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction that each one is making a valuable contribution to the education of all the children who attend Ferndown Middle School.
There is a list of current governors below and we try to contribute to the school’s newsletter on a regular basis.
We hope your child/children is happy during their time at Ferndown middle School and that you will take every opportunity to ensure that you are fully involved in their education.
If you have a question for the governors, then you can email us at clerk@fernmid.dorset.sch.uk or leave a message at the school office.
Mr Paul Clarke
Chair of Governors
School Standards Board Members
Amber Barter – Headteacher
Richard Bebbington – Staff
Paul Clarke – Community – Chair
Kirsty Green – Parent
Dave Lolley – Parent
Jo Phillips – Parent
Shelly Rossiter – Parent
Terry Wallington – Community
Dawn Wingrove – Community
Vacancy – Community
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We are seeking new people to join the Schools Standards Board as Community Governor who can contribute their time, enthusiasm and skills.
Our governors come from a range of different backgrounds, skills and experience but all share a common interest of wanting the best possible education for the children in our school. Our governors support the Headteacher with strategic planning and are the champions of the school experience for pupils, their families and the staff, working with the Headteacher to do all they can to ensure that our school is a great place to be.
We would welcome applications from anyone within our local communities, or further afield, who is interested in supporting local education.
Training will be available to support them in the role. In looking to fill these vacancies we are particularly interested in applications from people with education experience and also people who can occasionally visit the school during the day. However, what is more important is enthusiasm, interest and the willingness to learn.
We would be delighted to arrange a school tour with any interested candidates to give them a greater insight into the role. To arrange a tour or for further details, please contact the Governance Officer (Clerk to SSB) via email clerk@fernmid.dorset.sch.uk or call the school office on 01202 876556.
Letter from Chair_Community Governor
Community Governor Application Form-FMS
Governance in Castleman Academy Trust FINAL
The role of school governors and trustees – YouTube
Community Governor Roles in Castleman Academy Trust
At this time, we are looking for Community governors, not parent governors, however, if you are a parent at Ferndown Middle School and are interested in becoming a governor, the Castleman Academy Trust currently has vacancies for Community Governors at Broadstone First, Broadstone Middle, Ferndown First and Parley First Schools.
More information about governance in these schools can be found on the Castleman Academy Trust website. Please contact Gill McDonald, Director of Governance Operations at Castleman Academy Trust (gmcdonald@castlemanacademytrust.co.uk) if you are interested in pursuing one of these opportunities.
Downloads
FMS Governors Attendance at Meetings 2023-2024
FMS 2024-25 Register of Business Interests Summary
Scheme of Delegation
Support Document for Scheme of Delegation
Terms of Reference – The roles and responsibilities of our governors
Performance and Pay Committee
Minutes of governors’ meetings are available from the Governance Officer (Clerk to the Governors) clerk@fernmid.dorset.sch.uk
Correspondence to the Chair of Governors should be addressed c/o the Governance Officer