News from the Governors

31st March 2025

Volunteering as a school governor is extremely interesting and rewarding as we gain a real insight into the workings of the school. We visit children regularly in their classrooms, across each key stage, observing how teachers help them to achieve their best. We keep a close eye on key performance indicators and are proud that the school was the highest performing Primary School in West Sussex and third overall in Sussex last year.

Funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities has been much talked about in the news in recent months and we ensure that, however restricted the budget, the maximum support possible is provided for each child that requires additional help. This can take many forms from one- to -one teaching support to providing a simple ‘wobble cushion’!

Governors have been busy making plans ready for the Government requirement for schools to provide ‘wrap around care’ from September onwards.  This has included a planned additional outside learning space which we are really excited about and restructure of the adjoining quiet garden. We think the cabin will become much used and sought after for group work.

 

This year we welcomed a new parent governor, Tom Baron, who joined our board in September.  Tom is a project manager in the civil engineering business and has been able to bring a wealth of professional experience around budgeting, quality, health and safety to the board, for which we are very grateful.  Our role as governors is to question and challenge so that the school is always moving forward and meeting the current needs of our children and parent governors play a key part in this.

We continue to enjoy belonging to the Bishop Luffa Learning Partnership and the many benefits this has brought us. We are looking forward to welcoming West Dean Primary School into the partnership as they join us in May.

Governors would like to thank all the local volunteers who come and help at the school including those that listen to children read and the Friends, whose fund raising efforts enable our school to purchase many items which enrich the provision for our children.