Welcome to our first newsletter

1. July 2011 Bullers Wood Governors’ Newsletter Welcome to our first newsletter Everyone has heard of “the governors”, but not everyone knows who we are or what we do. We hope this newsletter will begin to give you a clearer idea. Strong support from governors and parents makes a tremendous difference to the success of a school, and we hope you will continue to work closely with us, by sharing your hopes, ideas and concerns, to ensure Bullers Wood continues to be a truly exceptional school. Bullers Wood Governing Body What do the school governors do? Our main role is to work with the head teacher and staff to make Bullers Wood the best school it can possibly be. As you know, Ofsted has this term judged the school to be “outstanding”, but our aim is to help make it an even better school for all its students. Our role is primarily strategic: we are not involved in the day-to-day running of the school. Together with the head and the senior management team, we set the budget, oversee the curriculum, and work in many areas to try and improve standards. We also act as a “critical friend” to the school. Many of the governors have particular areas of expertise (finance, the law, personnel matters) and can offer support and constructive advice when necessary. We are all unpaid volunteers. How do I contact the governing body? Over the past year, many parents have met the governors at parents’ evenings, school events or at the parents’ workshops we have held. We aim to be approachable, and very much welcome your comments and ideas on these or other occasions. If you have a concern or an issue relating to the day-to-day running of the school, it is best to talk first to your child’s teacher or the head teacher. If you are not satisfied with the result, you are welcome to contact us via the clerk to the governors: kharris@bullerswood. bromley.sch.uk. We are also keen to hear positive comments.

2. What have the governors done this year? Becoming an academy: All governors were very much involved in weighing up the pros and cons of becoming an academy, and before taking the final decision we consulted widely inside and outside the school. Although the next few years will not be easy financially speaking, becoming an academy at least gives us some extra money, and will allow us to continue to provide a broad and high quality education to all our students. An “outstanding school”: All the work the governors have done has been focused on helping the school be come outstanding. Our committees identify areas for improvement and hold staff accountable for progress. This year we have worked hard, for example, on improving exam grades, decreasing absenteeism and lateness, making the sixth form more attractive and healthy eating. We were delighted when Ofsted recognised the efforts of staff and students and judged the school “outstanding”. Healthy eating At our Governors’ Day last year, when all the governors spent a whole day in school, observing lessons, talking to staff and students etc, we also looked particularly at the issue of healthy eating. Although we saw that kitchen staff were doing lots to promote healthy eating, we were aware that Bullers Wood could do more to encourage a healthier lifestyle. Governors sampled menus, visited other schools and worked with staff over several months to see how this could be done. As a result, cashless catering has been introduced, and healthier - and we hope more enticing -meals are now on offer. Who are the governors? Helen Barnes Parent Governor Martin Bishopp Staff Governor Kathy Byrne Governor Nick Cross Head Teacher Ann Day Governor Carrie Goodwin Parent Governor UlfetHuseyin Parent Governor Arthur Johnson LA/Co-opted Governor Dorothy Laird Governor Darren McNaughton Parent Governor Chris Patrick * Governor Peter Selby Parent Governor Sue Simons Co-opted Governor Helen van Teutem Staff Governor Bruce Walker ** LA/Co-opted Governor Jeff Ward *** Governor Mike Ward Parent Governor Len Webb Co-opted Governor Edward Wood Parent Governor * Chair ** Vice Chair *** Responsible Officer