Trustees
Our Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the running of the school. These volunteers are very dedicated and passionate in ensuring that The Coppice is able to provide the best possible education and support for all pupils.
The Chair of the Trustees can be contacted via the standard school channels, as outlined on our "Contact Details" page.
This page contains the following Trustee related information:
- Statement from the Chair
- Board of Trustees, including areas of responsibility for 2023/24
- Attendance metrics for 2022/23 Board Meetings
- Trustee Declarations of Interests
- Memorandum of Association
- Articles of Association
- Funding Agreement
- Funding Agreement - Deed of Variation (Mar 2016)
Statement from the Chair
The Board of Trustees at The Coppice is responsible for helping the school to achieve its aims by overseeing the financial and educational performance of the school. This is done through close scrutiny of its Key Performance Indicators such as pupil progress and attainment data, the school’s accounts and pupil attendance figures. It acts as a critical friend to the Headteacher, who is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of the school as well as holding the Headteacher and Senior Leaders to account through ensuring that there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction. In addition, it has a crucial role in checking that the school’s pupils are happy, safe and cared for. Finally, the Trustees seek to ensure that the wellbeing of school staff is always a vital component for consideration when the school is implementing new developments.
Due to the variety of roles that are needed to support and challenge the school and its people, it is essential that the Board is made up of individuals with diverse knowledge, skills and work experiences. The Board of Trustees therefore consists of a combination of volunteers who are nominated, appointed, elected or co-opted by the Parish Council, local community, staff and parents.
Each Member of the Board of Trustees aims to attend four Full Trustee meetings a year. At each meeting, the Headteacher and other members of the Senior Leadership Team report on the school’s developments over the course of the term before questions are asked by The Board to quantify and qualify the statements made.
Trustees also work as part of at least one committee alongside the members of the School Leadership Team (SLT). These committees meet three times a year.
The three committees are responsible for:
- Pay, Personnel and Finance (PPF)
- Curriculum and Teaching and Learning
- Buildings and Grounds (including Health & Safety)
All Trustees are linked to a particular subject area within the school’s curriculum and liaise with the Subject Leader for that subject so that they can be familiar with the developments in that subject and can again support and challenge decisions being made and report back to the whole Board of Trustees.
In addition, all Trustees spend a morning each term visiting the classrooms of the year group they are attached to and observing the children involved in their learning. This is an opportunity to see the school in action and to ask questions of the teachers, Year Group Leaders and of course the children. Through carrying out these visits, Trustees are able to gain invaluable insight into how well the school is achieving its aims and how well the children are being taught and learning.
I can honestly say that, during my ten-year commitment as a Trustee, I have always enjoyed playing my part in helping to shape the school into the successful educational establishment it is today. Without doubt, being a Trustee at The Coppice has been an extremely rewarding experience and we are very excited about the future under the new Headteacher, Mr. Hutt.
Kathryn Byng
Chair of Trustees
Trustee Declarations of Interests
Trustees are required to declare any interests which they have that could interact with school, as these may cause actual or perceived conflicts of interest. A register is maintained and updated at every meeting.
Presently the following declaration of interests have been made:
- D. Webster - Husband of C. Webster - Employed on a Relief Office Administrator role to provide cover in the event of office staff shortages. C. Webster is not responsible for the selection or assignment of work assignments.