The board of governors comprises professionals from many walks of life. They bring their expertise and talents from successful careers to the mission of governance at Finchley Catholic High School.
They protect the Catholic status of the school, ensure there is clarity of vision and strategic direction, oversee the school's financial operations and hold the Headteacher to account for the performance of the school.
Much of the work of the board is delegated to five standing committees:
You will find a copy of the Terms of Reference for the committees below.
Our governors are also qualified to participate when necessary in statutory committees to address complaints, grievances and disciplinary issues, and also in recruitment of senior staff.
At FCHS, the board believes that a close relationship with staff members supports and enhances the quality of governance. We believe that these relationships and being in constant contact are just as important, if not more so, than the committee meeting attendances.
Our Link Governor Programme requires every governor to have one or more direct links with senior members of the school's staff. This fosters a close and collegiate relationship between Board and the Senior Leadership Team and enhances strategic planning and the Board's ability to fulfil its duty to hold the school to account. A further benefit is that the school is aware of the professional skills of Board members and is able to draw on the governors as an additional resource on for example planning, legal, financial and HR issues. The programme requires governors to meet regularly with their SLT link as well as, where possible, to be available for ad hoc meetings of importance to the school.
The links are re-established annually to encompass our statutory responsibilities for health and safety, safe-guarding, pupil premium, SEND, section 48 and financial probity, and to support the key priorities of the School Development Plan.
Please see below for the Board Membership Detail and the Register of Business Interests.