The Judd School - Governance

Governance

The Judd School foundation document, which was approved by Queen Victoria on 15 October 1889, stipulated that the Board of Governors had right of appointment and dismissal of the headmaster, who has the same powers over the rest of the staff. Major decisions were made by The Skinners' Company, but its powers were restricted by the Charity Commissioners, who were granted considerable powers under the Endowed Schools Act. Soon after the First World War, in the wake of the Education Act 1918, the Burnham Scale of teachers salaries came into force and the school was forced to enter into negotiations with the Kent Education Committee to meet the increased expenditure; the Court of The Skinners' Company approved the school becoming grant earning in June 1919. It became necessary to appoint a composite governing body, a third of them public representatives nominated by the Kent Education Committee, who also had some control over school affairs. Subsequently a fee of one guinea was paid to those who attended meetings of the governing body, the first of which was held on 4 February 1920, at Skinners' Hall in London.

After applying for voluntary aided status, the school was required to adopt new Articles of Government on 31 December, 1944. It became the first school in the country to be awarded the dual control of state funding and limited independence. The Kent Education Committee funded free dinners for some pupils, travel and maintenance grants and created a common entrance exam. The current governing body consists of a chair and vice chair, ten foundation governors (elected by the Worshipful Company of Skinners), three parent governors, two Local Education Authority (LEA) governors, three staff governors, an education officer and clerk, education assistant, assistant clerk and the headmaster.