Darlington Association of Governors provides a forum for:
(a) expressing and co-ordinating the collective views of governors and governing bodies of all schools in the Borough.
(b) making representations on behalf of governors and governing bodies to Darlington LEA and to the Government through the National Governors Council.
(c) keeping governors and governing bodies in touch with national developments in school governance.
(d) disseminating good practice to governors and governing bodies.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association is held in September each year at which Officers and Management Committee are elected and for conducting previously notified business. The Officers of the Association are the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. All categories of schools are represented on the Management Committee which meets once a term for conducting the Association's business and for giving strategic direction to the Association.
Current Officers and Management Committee are as follows:
Chair: Ray Bennett, Dodmire Infants and Nursery School.
Vice Chair: Nick Rees, Hurworth School Maths and Computing College.
Secretary: Alan Macnab, Harrowgate Hill Primary School.
Treasurer: Michael Fryer, Hummersknott School & Languages College.
Management Committee:
Nursery Schools representative: Ray Flowers, Gurney Pease Primary School
Primary, Infants and Junior Schools representatives: Val Cadd, St. John's CE Primary School and George Firbank, St. Bede's RC Primary School
Secondary Schools representative: John Curry, Branksome Community School
Special School representative: Tom Stebbings, The Education Village
Representatives on Outside Bodies:
National Governors Association - the Chair and Secretary.
Children and Young People's Scrutiny Committee - The Vice Chair and Tom Stebbings.
Joint Consultative Group: The Chair.
Governorth: The Chair.
Darlington Assembly: The Treasurer and Barbara Collishaw.
The Association produces a termly newsletter which is sent to all governors. The newsletter aims to keep governors in touch will developments in school governance locally and nationally and to enable governors to comment on policies which are submitted for consultation. The Association also uses e mail to obtain the views of governors on national educational policies on behalf of the National Governors Council.
The Association sends representatives to the following National Governors Council's meetings:
(a) the AGM.
(b) the Chairs Conference.
(c) the Spring Conference.
(d) the six monthly North East Regional Meeting.
The Association also meets with Darlington LEA on a regular basis and participates in the LEA's Link Governors meeting.
All schools in the Borough are members of the Association and contribute £20 each year to the Association. £16 is for Association running costs and £4 for the work of the National Governors Council.
D.A.G Mission Statement 2005 (pdf document)