Annual Impact Statement from the chair 2026
Governors’ Impact Statement
Bexton Primary School
Local Governing Body
Academic year 2025/26
A note from the chair
I am pleased to present this year’s Governors’ Impact Report, which explains how Bexton’s Local Governing Body (LGB) has supported and challenged the school throughout 2025/26. Our role is not to manage the school day to day, but to bring constructive scrutiny, professional experience and an independent perspective to the decisions that shape the School’s future. This year, that contribution has been particularly visible in our oversight of educational standards, inclusion, safeguarding, finances and major investment decisions.
Bexton is a high-performing and highly regarded school. Governors have reviewed detailed attainment and progress information throughout the year, supported by focused visits from our assessment and data link governors. We have celebrated strong outcomes while continuing to ask where improvement is needed, particularly in writing, early literacy, provision for disadvantaged pupils and the progress of children with SEND. This challenge has helped maintain a clear focus on those pupils who may need additional support or greater stretch, rather than allowing strong headline results to conceal variation between groups.
Governors have also closely monitored the School Development Plan and the school’s developing Pathway framework. We have tested whether priorities are clear, measurable and manageable for staff, and whether initiatives are making a visible difference for children.
Inclusion has remained central to our work. Governors have scrutinised the quality and consistency of SEND support plans and the way small steps of progress are captured for children following a personalised curriculum. Link governors have visited the Rainbow Room and met with SEND leaders to see the provision first hand. We have also supported the school in pressing for the Rainbow Room’s funding and formal status to reflect the full-time specialist provision it now delivers.
Safeguarding rightly remains our highest priority. There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our children. Governors have reviewed the school’s safeguarding, online safety and low-level concerns policies, monitored the safeguarding action plan and undertaken dedicated link visits. We have strengthened oversight by ensuring that near misses, as well as accidents, are reported to governors so that lessons can be learned before harm occurs. We have also reviewed the updated personal, social, health and economic education curriculum, including stronger content on consent, boundaries, image sharing, online influence and emotional wellbeing. Alongside this, governors have continued to oversee cyber security and data protection, drawing on specialist governor expertise to challenge arrangements and support practical improvements.
Underpinning all of this, the LGB has assured itself that the statutory foundations are secure. All governors have read and confirmed the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and completed annual safeguarding training, giving us full coverage across the board. Our health and safety audit returned full compliance, and our policies, registers of interest and website information have been kept up to date.
The LGB has maintained close oversight of staff wellbeing, workload and capacity. Governors challenged whether workload reduction had gone far enough, examined staff survey findings and asked for comparison with other schools in the Trust. We have supported the Headteacher and senior leaders in balancing improvement activity with what is realistic for staff, while maintaining high expectations for pupils. We have also monitored staffing changes and succession, offering support and challenge to ensure stability and the right deployment of expertise across the school.
Our annual parent survey received 190 responses, with 99% of parents saying they would recommend the school- results of which we are very proud.
Financial scrutiny has been especially important in a difficult funding environment. Governors have examined forecasts, reserves, staffing costs, SEND funding, nursery and wraparound provision, and the school’s longer-term financial assumptions, with an eye on ensuring that the deployment of funds will deliver the greatest benefit for pupils.
That scrutiny extended to several significant procurement decisions. Governors reviewed the catering tender, sought assurance on food standards, contract performance and remedies for underperformance, and considered feedback from the School Council (the children) before recommending the preferred supplier. We also acted promptly to approve the refurbishment of the Year 1 and Year 2 toilets, enabling essential work to be scheduled for the summer holiday while maintaining a complete and transparent decision-making process. We hope your Year 1 and 2 children enjoy those upgraded facilities. We also approved a full refresh of the school's ICT suite, comparing competing quotations to secure the best value before giving approval.
The Multi-Purpose Building has been the Board’s most substantial strategic project. When the first tender exercise produced bids around £200,000 to £300,000 above the available budget, governors did not compromise. We challenged the assumptions, explored alternative forms of construction, sought professional cost advice and supported a revised approach. Governors questioned the quantity surveyor directly on affordability, contractor resilience, safeguarding, insurance, programme risk and completeness of pricing. Following this detailed due diligence, the LGB was able to recommend a viable proposal to Trustees while preserving the intended space for wraparound care and wider school use. This is a strong example of governance adding value through persistence, commercial challenge and sound stewardship. We hope to see that long-running project concluded in 2026/27 academic year.
As an LGB, we have continued to strengthen our own effectiveness. Governors have undertaken training, completed a skills audit and self-evaluation, maintained a broad programme of link governor visits and secured continuity in key roles. The LGB is made up of eleven governors, bringing together parents, staff and co-opted members chosen for the skills and experience they offer, supported by our professional clerk. This year Samantha Rundle and Mike Charnock were reappointed for further terms, and in July the Trust approved further terms of office for Sue Sharratt, Lynne Lea and me, giving the board valuable continuity as we head into an important year. We currently carry one co-opted vacancy, which we will recruit against the specific skills our board most needs, informed by our annual skills audit.
We met seven times as a full board during the year, with an additional extraordinary meeting to progress our building project. Every meeting was quorate, and governor attendance across the year was 90%. This is a level of commitment I am very pleased with, and one that reflects how seriously our governors take their role. Each governor also holds a link role, for example safeguarding, SEND, finance, health and safety, and early years. In those roles, Governors visit school, meet staff and report back to the board. We have reviewed our meeting structure and agreed a fuller schedule for 2026/27 so that important topics receive sufficient time for meaningful discussion.
Looking ahead, our priorities are to oversee successful delivery of the Multi-Purpose Building and other capital works, maintain the school’s strong educational outcomes while narrowing gaps for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, embed the Pathway and refreshed approach to personal development and ensure that safeguarding, staff wellbeing and financial sustainability remain at the heart of decision-making. We will also prepare carefully for the new Ofsted framework, as we expect to receive an inspection in the coming academic year.
On behalf of the Local Governing Body, I would like to thank Mrs Armstrong, Mr Marchington, the senior leadership team, all staff, pupils, parents, Friends of Bexton and our colleagues across Cheshire Academies Trust. Bexton’s success is built on their commitment, care and incredibly hard work.
Best wishes,
Matt Stephenson
Chair of the Local Governing Body