Our Governors

Governors at Five Lanes play a vital role in strengthening the connection between our small rural school, its community and EQUA Mead Learning Trust. As a Local Governing Body (LGB), governors act as representatives, advocates and ambassadors for Five Lanes, helping ensure that the lived experience of our children, families and staff is clearly understood at Trust level.

Our governors do not hold statutory responsibilities – these sit with the EQUA Mead Trust Board – but they make an important contribution through local knowledge, community insight and thoughtful challenge.

Their work is organised around the Trust’s Four Cs: Communication, Celebration, Community and Christian Ethos.

What Governors Do at Five Lanes

Governors at Five Lanes:

• Understand and champion the school community, bringing the voice of parents, carers and the wider village into governance. The handbook states that governors are responsible for “understanding, representing and championing the school community.”

• Provide support and challenge through local insight, acting as a critical friend to the Headteacher and helping leaders understand emerging issues, opportunities and risks. The document notes that governors “provide support and challenge through the lens of local knowledge.”

• Gather School Insight and Community Insight, spending time in school (Term 2) and listening to parents, staff and community members (Terms 4 and 6). These insights feed directly into LGB meetings and Trust‑level decision making. “Governor School Insight Activities… build governors’ understanding of the school,” and Community Insight Activities “gather the voice of parents, staff and the wider community.”

• Celebrate what makes Five Lanes distinctive, recognising pupil success, staff contribution and the strengths of our Christian ethos and rural identity. Governors “actively promote and celebrate the successes, achievements and strengths of the school.”

• Strengthen community connections, supporting partnerships, visibility and engagement across the villages we serve. Governors “strengthen local partnerships, community engagement activities and the visibility of the school.”

• Uphold and promote our Christian character as a Church of England school, ensuring the Christian vision is lived out and understood by pupils, staff and families. Christian Ethos is described as ensuring the school “upholds its Christian and spiritual mandate.”

What Governors Are Not Responsible For

To protect clarity and workload, governors at Five Lanes are not responsible for:

• Safeguarding oversight

• Special educational needs monitoring

• Performance management of staff

• Setting or approving the school budget

• Operational or day‑to‑day management

These responsibilities sit with the Trust Board and the Executive Team.

Why This Matters at Five Lanes

As a very small rural school with deep community roots, the role of governors is especially important. Governors help ensure that:

• The unique context of Five Lanes is understood by the Trust

• Families feel listened to and represented

• The school’s Christian ethos remains strong and visible

• Local opportunities and challenges are recognised early

• The school’s successes are celebrated beyond the village

Governors are a bridge between Five Lanes, its community and EQUA Mead. Their work helps ensure that every child truly has Every Child, Every Chance.

EQUA Mead Code of Conduct for Trustees and Governors 2026

If you have any queries or would like to know more about being a governor at Five Lanes, please contact the Clerk to the Governors, Becky Watts, on clerk@fivelanes.equamead.org

Our Chair of Governors, Beth Cuttell, can be contacted on bcuttell@fivelanes.equamead.org or via the school office on 01380 723565 or at the address below:

C/O Five Lanes Primary School

High Street

Worton

Devizes

SN10 5SE