Q. What is an annual salary review and what do Governing Bodies have to do?

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1 Frequently asked questions Agendas Q. Who creates agendas for committees? A. The responsibility for the agendas for any committee is the Chair of that committee in conjunction with the Headteacher and Clerk. Some governing bodies have an annual planner which plans out the work of each committee over the year - i.e. which policies need revision each term - but the clerk would still liaise with the Chair - who usually liaises with the headteacher in case there are other matters which have been brought to his/her attention. Annual Salary Reviews Q. What is an annual salary review and what do Governing Bodies have to do? A. Payments to teaching staff are governed by the DCSF annual publication: School Teachers Pay and Conditions of Employment. All qualified classroom teachers must have an annual salary review and all staff should be aware of the procedures by which any grievance or appeal will be heard. Governing Bodies must ensure that all staff receive a formal statement of their salary and how it has been arrived at. There is no automatic pay progression for heads and deputies who are now assimilated into the new leadership pay spine but the Governing Body has to review their salaries with effect from September each year. It is a statutory duty of Governing Bodies to set performance objectives for the headteacher relating to management and leadership of the school and pupil progress. Appointment panels Q. Are there any statutory guidelines for appointment panels? A member of staff at a school has raised a concern that the appointment panel is only made up of the headteacher, deputy and chair of governors and she feels that this panel is too small and should have greater representation. A. There are no statutory requirements regarding who or how many must be on a recruitment panel for a school vacancy. The law states that governors need only be responsible for Headteacher and deputy appointments and all other appointments will be managed by the Headteacher. However, Headteachers welcome the inclusion of governors on panels and it is excellent experience for governors too. The size of panels will depend on the

2 posts being decided but staff and governors should be a part of the process from shortlisting to interview. Q Can a new governor who has not yet been Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checked sit on an interview panel for the post of Acting Headteacher? A. The CRB vetting of governors is important as governors are seen as trusted adults and as they regularly visit schools are likely to be in regular contact with children both in and outside the classroom. Obviously the absence of a CRB clearance means this new governor should not be engaged in these activities. Inclusion in a controlled interview process presents little risk as they would be in the company of other staff and governors throughout. In 2010 the new Vetting and Barring scheme requirements will mean that a governor s term of office will not commence until the confirmation of a satisfactory Enhanced CRB check and registration with the ISA. Associate Members Q. What is an Associate Member (ASM)? A. ASMs are people with additional skills which would enhance the Governing Body. They are appointed to serve on one or more committees. They can attend full Governing Body meetings. ASMs are appointed for 1 to 4 years and can be reappointed. They are NOT governors and are not recorded on the Instrument of Government. They can be parents, staff and people contributing on particular areas of expertise (e.g. Finance) Q. Can ASMs have differing lengths of office? A. No, they must all have the same terms but it should be made clear that the ASM does not necessarily need to complete the entire term if the need for a particular source of expertise changes. Q. What voting rights can ASM have? A. ASMs can be given limited voting rights on a committee but not on: Pupil Discipline Election or appointment of governors Budget Financial commitments Admissions Q. What role do ASMs have in staff appointments - do they offer advice or can they be given a limited voting right on a panel? A. The law says they can be conferred voting rights on a committee and staffing is not one of the areas listed where associates cannot vote. This

3 would mean that an ASM could be given votes on a staffing committee by the Full Governing Body. Q. Are we limited to the number of Associate Members we can appoint? A. No, but as ASMs are only to be used to bring 'additional skills' for a short period it would be unusual to have more than 3. If the Governing Body was deemed to be too small reviewing the size would be appropriate particularly if the required ASMs could then be appointed or formally stand for election. Budget monitoring Q. Is it the Chair of the Finance Committee or the Chair of Governors who is responsible for signing the Budget Monitor? A. If the Finance Committee has delegated responsibilities the Chair of Finance should sign the monitor. The minutes of finance meetings would be reported to the full governors with a copy of the budget monitor available in school if any other governor wanted to see a copy. Changing the school name Q. What is the process for changing the school name? A. Governors should initially discuss the proposed name change, and seek views of interested parties. Governors should also write to the LA (Jayne Gorton - Senior Education Officer School Organisation & Pupil Access) to advise of their intention to formally propose the change at the next full governors' meeting. At the Governing Body meeting the vote in support of the change MUST BE UNANIMOUS - in this case proxy voting is permitted - this is the only time proxy voting can be used.

4 Change of category Q. A Parent governor is leaving to go to Afghanistan for 6 months. The school decided to make him a Community governor following his end of term of office 3 months later. As he is going away they elected him for the community appointment immediately. Can he see out the end of his parent term and then start a community governor role later with no breaking his term of office, or does he change categories from the date of appointment? A. It is for the Governing Body to decide when a community appointment is commenced but it is usually with effect from that meeting. In making the change immediately it would mean the governors can start filling the parent vacancy earlier. Charging for Christmas productions Q. Can parents be charged to attend Christmas productions? A. There has been some national debate recently about charging for productions. This would be a Headteacher s decision but governors might be asked for an opinion. Whilst it is normal to charge for concerts after school or shows where some children take part, where it is a whole school celebration - such as an assembly or carol service the majority choose to open this to ticket holders but with no value on the tickets. Funds can be generated to cover costs by charging for teas, coffees and programme sales. Each school will take a different view and there is no guidance in the governors area of the law. Q. What is the guidance for charging for school activities? A. The Guide to the Law states' education provided during school hours must be free. This includes materials, equipment and transport' A later section states - Although schools cannot charge for school time activities they may still invite parents and others to make voluntary contributions to make school funds go further. All requests must make it clear that the contributions would be voluntary, Governing Bodies should also make it clear that children of parents who do not contribute will not be treated any differently.

5 Clerking Q. How is a clerk appointed? A. First complete a job description/contract. The Governing Body must endorse the appointment. School completes Form BR18 to inform LA of new appointment and request any relevant checks. School completes form ED/SI which needs to be sent to Payroll section at Civic Centre. Clerk completes notification of change form (GV1) for the Governor Development Team. Q. What does a Clerk to Governors do? A. A Clerk advises the Governing Body on constitutional and procedural matters, duties and powers. He/she is accountable to the Governing Body. A Clerk must be appointed. Governors, ASMs and headteachers cannot be the Clerk (TAs can be a Clerk). In the Clerk s absence governors present at the meeting can appoint a member of the Governing Body (not the headteacher) to act as Clerk for that one meeting. Main Clerk functions: -Convene meetings -Attend meetings, take minutes -Maintain register of Governing Body members and report vacancies -Maintain register of attendance and report this to the Governing Body -Perform other functions determined by Governing Body from time to time Removal: A Governing Body can remove a Clerk by resolution at a Governing Body meeting. Clerks Pay Q. What are the average hours for a Clerk? A. 10 hours per full Governing Body meeting 15 hours annual training (so 5 full govs = = 65 6 full govs = = 75) It is strongly recommended that the Clerk also clerks committee meetings Committees 6 8 hours per meeting.

6 Q. What do Clerks get paid? A. The pay scale decided by Job Evaluation is Grade C. The number of hours contracted is entirely for the Governing Body to decide. Clerks resignation Q. Can a Clerk resign and leave with immediate effect if there are particular circumstances? A. A Clerk can resign with no notice if it is in the best interests of the Governing Body and he/she agrees to this. However, it is usual practice to give one month s notice and in fact, most Clerks will give maximum notice to allow the Governing Body the opportunity to appoint someone new in this role. Committee structure Q. Which committees are statutory? A. The only statutory committees are Pupil discipline, Staff discipline and Staff disciplinary appeals. VA schools must also have an Admissions committee. Most Governing Bodies Complaints Policy also provide for a Governors Complaints Panel. Committee membership Q. Does a governor have to be a member of a committee? A. A governor s commitment will vary depending on availability. It is perfectly acceptable for a governor not to sit on any committees but of course we encourage them to know about the school and therefore one is the recommended commitment. Someone who does not sit on a committee could still be valuable for exclusions/appeals etc. Where there are more than 2 committees governors can sit on more than one but this should not always be an expectation. Q. I am a member of two committees - finance and curriculum. If I do not attend a particular committee meeting does it preclude me from knowing what went on at that meeting? Continuing on from that - is the business of any committee free for discussion by ALL Governors (even those not present at the original meeting?) A. As a governor if you were not able to attend a committee meeting you would still receive the minutes of that meeting. Indeed all governors see the minutes of every committee (unless Part II) and all governors can attend all committees (but can only vote on those on which they sit). By delegating work to committees the Governing Body will still remain accountable for any

7 decisions taken, and can express additional views. However, committees are delegated to make decisions and must be free to do the business they have been delegated to complete without constant referral after every meeting. It is important though that governors are aware of agendas where possible (perhaps through an annual planner) and any governor with a specific interest can then express their views or attend. Community Governors Q. Who are Community governors? A. Community governors are appointed by the Governing Body to represent community interests. They are usually people who live or work in the community served by the school although they can be people who do not live or work close to the school but are committed to good governance and success. A pupil at the school, anyone eligible to be a staff governor or an elected member of the LA cannot be a Community governor. Q. Can Community governors vote for the appointment of other Community governors? A. Yes, all governors can appoint Community governors. Electing a Chair or Vice Chair Q. What is the procedure for electing a Chair? A. There are no specific regulations, it is up to the Governing Body to decide how to organise this. There are 2 main options: 1) Seek nominations prior to the meeting by way of notice on the agenda 2) Seek nominations at the meeting It is normal practice for governors to nominate themselves. A seconder is not required. Those standing for election should withdraw whilst the vote is taken and a paper ballot is preferable. Governors paid to work at the school the Headteacher, staff and pupils cannot be elected as Chair or Vice Chair. The term of office is 1 to 4 years and the Governing Body must define this before a vote. The term will end before if a governor s term of office finishes earlier. When the office of Chair or Vice Chair becomes vacant the Governing Body must try to elect a new Chair at the next meeting.

8 Q. What happens if there are no nominations? A. If no-one puts themselves forward for the role of Chair the best thing will be to choose an Acting Chair for that meeting and then move the election of Chair to an agenda item for the next meeting. Q. Is it possible to remove a Chair or Vice Chair? A. The motion to remove must be an agenda item and this must be circulated 7 days in advance of the governors meeting to all parties. The governors making the proposal to remove must state the reasons at the meeting and the Chair or Vice Chair must be given the opportunity to make a statement in response before withdrawing from the meeting and allowing the Governing Body to vote on the proposal to remove. Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees Q. Can the Chair of Governors also be the Chair of a committee? A. It is best practice that the Chair of Governors is not the Chair of any committee in order to spread responsibilities across the Governing Body. This is best practice rather than a statutory requirement. Vice Chairs for committees should also be appointed to ensure everyone has a role to play and encourage succession planning. Environmental Policy Q. Environmental policy is there an agreed model? A. There isn't really.every school is different but, in general the principles stay they same. Plymouth is working on a revised Corporate Environmental Policy for the City Council so, in time, schools will be consulted but, in the meantime, the very best guide comes from the EcoSchools scheme We have 25 registered schools in Plymouth - so there is a local network of support - and this scheme is recognised nationally.

9 First Committee Q. What is a first and second committee? A. 3 or 5 governors chosen from the personnel committee. We would recommend 3 because you have to have the same number of governors on the second (Appeals) committee which again can have 3 or 5 governors drawn from any committee. Governor Responsibilities Q. What are the statutory governor responsibilities which Governing Bodies need to allocate? A. There are no statutory governor responsibility positions and nor are there any statutory committees (except for panels for complaints, grievances etc). However the Governing Body has the responsibility of ensuring that certain areas are covered and most Governing Bodies delegate this responsibility to a named governor who reports back to the full Governing Body. The key areas are Literacy, Numeracy, Looked After Children (Children in Public Care), Child Protection, SEN, and Equalities (covering race, gender and faith). Headteacher Performance Management Q. I have noticed that best practice guidance suggests that the Chair of Governors should not be on the Headteacher's Performance Management panel. Is this not advisable? A. It is best practice advice that the Chair is not a part of any Headteacher's Performance Management because the Chair should have an open and frank relationship with the headteacher and not have to worry that any information will then be part of any subsequent Performance Management process. The Chair of Governors should be the Review Officer - the person the headteacher speaks to if they have concerns about the process.

10 Again this guidance encourages all governors to have key roles within the Governing Body and reduces the pressure of the Chair of Governors. Q. Does a Finance and Personnel Committee have the power to delegate the approval of the proposed increases that come out of the Performance Management to the Chair of the committee or Chair of Governors or would there need to be another meeting of the committee? A. I would get agreement from the meeting that should the Performance Management governors agree a point that funding would be made available. Q. Can a governor carry out Headteacher Performance Management if they have not yet had training as long as they are guided by at least one other governor who is experienced and the School Improvement Partner (SIP)? A. It is always preferable for a governor to have prior training but this is not always possible. The role of the SIP is also to support the governors so on the spot advice will be available. It is always wise for governors to access the training whether they are current Performance Management governors or not. Q. Can the Performance Management governors agree a pay award or does their recommendation have to be taken to the full Governing Body for approval? A. The three governors should be delegated to make an award of one or two (in exceptional cases) incremental points. It is not a full Governing Body decision. Q. What happens if one of the three nominated governors drops out and there is no trained replacement available to take his/her place? A. It can be completed by two governors but in order to reduce any risk of governors not being able to form a majority decision three are recommended. Q. Can the Chairs of Personnel and Premises and Finance committees be Performance Management governors? A. Yes Q. When does the Headteacher s Performance Management have to be completed? A. 31 December

11 Headteacher Recruitment Q. Can staff governors attend headteacher recruitment training? A. Yes they should attend the Governor Development Team training course it is generic and is about the process generally. Once governors start talking about salary setting and their vision for a new leader any staff governors who might later express an interest in the post should not be present. Q. Can ASMs be involved in the headteacher recruitment process? A. There is nothing that specifically prohibits them from taking part in the headteacher s appointment but the law says "The Governing Body must set up a selection panel of at least 3 governors". As Associate Members are not governors they, by definition, cannot be a part of the final selection panel. Q. Although you have to call a meeting to ratify Headteachers and Deputy Headteacher appointments do you have to call a similar meeting for an Assistant Headteacher post? A. No Insurance Q. Should schools investigate possible insurance cover quotes or does the Diocese or LA provide suitable cover? A. All governors whose schools subscribe to PCC insurance cover have automatic cover for their Governing Body. Meetings Q. How many meetings must governors have? A. Governors must have a minimum of 3 meetings per school year. It is up to the Governing Body to decide how many more are necessary. Meetings are convened by the Clerk taking directions from the Governing Body and Chair.

12 Any 3 members of the Governing Body can request a meeting by giving written notice to the Clerk that summarises the business to be conducted. The Clerk should give each governor, ASM and headteacher written notice of a meeting, a copy of the agenda and any relevant papers at least 7 days before the meeting. Attendance at meetings Q. Can a governor nominate someone else to attend in his/her place? A. This is not permitted. The governor should make every effort to attend and whilst anyone may attend Governing Body meetings governors cannot name a substitute and their non attendance needs to be recorded as either having sent apologies or not being present. Minutes Q. Who can see the minutes? A. The Clerk must ensure minutes are drawn up, approved by the Governing Body and signed by the Chair at the next meeting. The School Governance (Procedures) Regulations 2003 provide that the Governing Body must make available for inspection to any interested person, a copy of the agenda, signed minutes and reports or papers considered at the meeting as soon as is reasonably practical and that information relating to a named person or any other matter that the Governing Body considers confidential does not have to be made available for inspection. From January 2005 Governing Bodies are obliged to make minutes available under a Freedom of Information request, and this can include draft minutes and even the Clerk s notes. Q. How should minutes be circulated? A. Minutes should be produced by the Clerk and sent to the Chair to agree their circulation to other governors. These draft minutes must be available within 10 days of any meeting for public viewing. The draft minutes are draft until they are signed at the next meeting but may be requested under Freedom of Information powers. An example might be useful:- Full Governors' meeting March 3rd - Minutes to Chair between March 4th and say March 12th - Chair agrees as a correct record Minutes then circulated to all governors - marked draft Draft minutes to Governor Development Team Draft minutes available from school by March 17th Minutes are signed at the next full governors' meeting.

13 The reason for circulating draft minutes quickly is that governors can point out any major inaccuracies before the next meeting. It also reminds governors of any pledges to complete certain tasks. Of course there is the danger that governors will then forget to bring them to the next governors meeting - some clerks reissue them with the next agenda - some have a few extra copies. Names Q. Should governors names and addresses be kept confidential? A. Governors names (and possibly photos) can be displayed in the foyer of the school or included in the prospectus or website but personal addresses should always remain confidential. The school should be used as a contact address. Governors usually however agree to circulate within the Governing Body a confidential list of contact information for governors personal use. Nominations for Parent Governors Q. How many parent nomination forms are sent out? A. One form to each parent or named carer (not one per family). Non attendance at meetings Q. What is the procedure if a governor consistently misses meetings? A. A governor who, without the consent of the Governing Body, has failed to attend meetings for a continuous period of six months beginning on the date of the first such meeting he/she failed to attend is, on the expiry of that period, disqualified from office. When governors submit apologies these must be considered by the Governing Body and either accepted or not. The minutes should record apologies submitted and approved.. Tendering apologies does not automatically mean the apologies are accepted. If the governors choose not to accept the apologies or apologies are not submitted then the 6 month clock starts ticking. If the governor then attends the next meeting the process can only start again from the next meeting when apologies are not tendered or accepted.

14 Q. What happens if a governor consistently sends apologies but continues to miss meetings? A. When apologies are submitted they do not have to be accepted. Once they are not accepted or not submitted the 6 month disqualification rule commences (see above). However, it would be appropriate for the Chair of Governors to write to the governor along the lines of "We note that you have not attended a meeting of the Governing Body since xxxx and have regularly submitted your apologies. I am writing to enquire whether it is your intention to continue as a governor of the school, or whether, as is understandable, a change in your personal situation means you are no longer able to devote time to being a school governor. The work of the Governing Body is continually increasing and we do need to be able to share the workload evenly across the Governing Body. Perhaps you might let me know whether you will be able to commence a more active role shortly? Ofsted Q. What are the Ofsted categories? A. 1 outstanding 2 good 3 satisfactory 4 inadequate Schools causing concern requiring special measures and requiring significant improvement. Q. What are the main things which need to be in place for Ofsted? A. The main things that need to be in place are:- Minutes up to date and in school for inspection; Statutory policies in place; Safeguarding records fully in place; Visit books/forms available for viewing; The Self Evaluation Form (SEF) has been 'adopted' at some time in the previous 12 months.

15 Open or closed meetings? Q. Is it a good idea to hold open governor meetings and can visitors participate? A. It is entirely up to Governing Bodies to decide whether to hold open or closed meetings but as the minutes are public documents most decide to have open meetings - why preclude someone when they can then get the minutes anyway? However it is for each Governing Body to decide and it can be argued that it can restrict 'free speech' in some cases - the decisions being minuted but the body of the discussion not. As far as participation no, the public can only spectate! If there was a contentious issue the best way is to have an open meeting when the parents or public can be invited to ask questions or perhaps just give their views. The Governing Body can then meet to discuss the feedback received. Parent Governor vacancies Q. Who can nominate themselves for a parent governor position? A. Regulation 4 - schedule 1 7(3) states that... Every person who is known to the school to be a parent of a registered pupil is informed of the vacancy and can stand for election. Guide to the Law - Section 2 (6) - parents (including carers) of registered pupils at the school are eligible stand for election Schools will need to check who is on the register as parents and carers - certainly from our experience it is not unusual to have 4 'parents' on a register when both mother and father separate but have new partners. DISQUALIFIED IF: they are elected members of the LA or if they work at school 500+ hrs in a school year (more than a third of hours of a full time equivalent) at the time of the election. A Parent governor is NOT disqualified from continuing to hold the position when his/her child leaves the school.

16 Q. What can we do if no parent nominations are put forward? A. If you cannot fill a parent space you can appoint a parent of a school aged child from any area in Plymouth. A Governing Body can appoint a parent governor who is a: -Parent of a registered pupil at the school -Parent of a former pupil of the school -Parent of a child of or under compulsory school age If you have sent out nomination forms and have not had a response the Governing Body can appoint at the next Governing Body meeting. Providing nomination papers have been sent out in one term governors have the opportunity to fill any remaining unfilled places without need for a further election. For example in the autumn providing the nomination papers were sent since September you have until December to fill the vacancy without need for a further formal process. If a parent has since come forward you can gladly accept them! Parent elections late nominations Q. I have been handed another nomination via a student, she passed it to me late at 13:32 when the close for return was at noon today. When I told the student it was late she apologised and said she forgot to hand it in earlier, it had been in her school bag all morning. Can I accept this nomination from her father as it was in school before 12 noon? If not is there a standard letter I can send to her father explaining the situation of not being able to accept the application. (This parent did nominate himself during our last Parent Governor election but was unfortunately unsuccessful). A. A difficult one - but if the forms state a closing time the election must retain its credibility and the form must be handed to the returning officer by the due date and time. I would suggest a letter along the lines you suggested stating that the nomination regretfully arrived later than the closing time but expressing hope that the parent does apply again when the next vacancy occurs. Q. What happens if ballot papers are found in school after the deadline has passed? A. Providing the ballot box was opened after the time declared as being the count, and providing the count was witnessed, then the only papers that can be counted are those in the box at that time. If papers are subsequently found they cannot be included. However, there is an important lesson to be learned here - because the parents sent in their ballot forms with the express intention of their vote being

17 counted. Staff must therefore be advised that on the day of the election any ballot envelopes must reach the box by the stated time. Q. Whose job is it to photocopy the ballot papers and put them into envelopes? The Clerk's or the school administrator's? A. The Clerk's role is to prepare the original paper for the Headteacher to sign and send out. Clerks are sometimes given additional hours to copy but in most cases it is just another letter home from school and the administrator will arrange the copying and distribution. Q. Is it compulsory to put 2 letters into each child's envelope when there may be only one parent in the household? The school may not know about there only being one parent and then that parent may fill in two forms falsely recording an extra vote which could effect the election. There is no way of marking the papers to avoid this is there? A. No there isn't - each known parent or carer is entitled to nominate or vote and each school needs to find the most effective way of doing this. Q. In relation to the Parent governor election, would we be allowed to send out to parents a 1 page letter advising them of the election process and inviting them to access the full 4 page document and nomination details on our school website? The school is trying to save time, money and resources and wondered if this would be legally possible? In the letter, we would add that hard copies would be available to anybody who required them. A. Yes this is fine as long as the letter goes to all parents and carers and all parents can access the papers. It is also an opportunity to advise parents of some of the skills the governing body would value. Policies Q. Is there a LA model policy for 'Employment Equality Age Regulations'? A. The information you need is under the heading Guidance notes on the introduction of the Employment (Age) regulations for managers and employees. It is on the School Room web pages under model policies Q. How often does the Grievance Policy have to be reviewed? A. Annually - staffing policies should be reviewed even if changes are not made.

18 Q. Is there such a thing as a Multicultural Policy? A. We do not have a specific model 'Multicultural Policy', This should be picked up in a number of ways: The school must have a Race Equality policy and scheme which should outline how the school seeks to promote race equality, a part of this will be positive attitudes towards peoples cultures. Guidance can be found on the Commission for Race Equality website. The school should also address this through their Curriculum policy, identifying how curriculum areas support the principles of the Race Equality policy through promoting diversity in the curriculum. There is a significant amount of detail on diversity in the curriculum within the Teachernet area of the DCSF website and QCA curriculum guidance. Key within this will be the place of global education within the Citizenship and PSHE curriculum. Staff policies should also reflect the schools' commitment to maintaining a diverse school community, complying with duties under the Race Relations (amendment) Act; ensuring that there are clear definitions and policies relating to racial harassment, reporting of incidents, etc. In all, multicultural education is a broad area that needs to be woven through a range of policies and strategies within the school. Parent Support Advisers (PSAs) Q. Can a PSA stand and vote in staff elections? A. Yes they are paid by school and can legally stand, however the Parent Partnership stress the need for PSAs to be impartial and so we suggest the role of Associate Member is more appropriate and every Governing Body is encouraged to offer their PSA an Associate membership. Q. Are there any instructions as to the role of the Parent Support Adviser with regards to the governors and governors meetings? A. No, not as such. The PSA will bring a wealth of knowledge of the views of parents and can therefore be a vital conduit between governors and the parents. Their impartiality will allow the parents, governors and the PSA to benefit from the relationship. PSA and child protection Q. Can a PSA be the Child Protection Governor would there be a conflict of interest? A. This could compromise the role of the PSA.

19 Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) potential conflict of interest? Q. Our Chair of Governors audits the PTA accounts. As he is a governor and his wife works in school as a TA and is on the PTA is there a conflict of interest? Should he still carry on auditing the PTA accounts? A. It would not be seen as appropriate that a husband of someone on the PTA audited the accounts if the wife had financial input - i.e. a signatory etc. However it is up to the PTA to make a decision on this. Q. What is needed from the PTA to be looked at by the Finance and Staffing committee? A. It would be good practice for the PTA to offer copies of meeting minutes to the Governing Body but there is no statutory requirement. Governors who sit on the PTA would however need to declare that interest on the pecuniary interest forms. Pecuniary Interest Q. The governors have completed their pecuniary interest forms. I cannot find a register in school. Is there a special form to be completed? A. No the register is just the forms kept together. Don t forget to ask new governors to complete a form. Quorum Q. What is the quorum for a full Governing Body meeting? A. For any Governing Body meeting and vote it must be half (rounded up to a whole number) of the complete membership of the Governing Body excluding vacancies (e.g. if full membership is 15 and there are 4 vacancies the quorum is 6).

20 Rescheduling meetings Q. A full GB meeting has been set but both the Chair and Vice Chair are unable to attend and would like to change the date is this possible and if so what is the procedure? A. The meeting date can be changed and the Clerk should inform the governors of the new date. However there is no specific need for this action and governors could elect a Chair for that one meeting only. If a majority can still attend a change of date might be inappropriate. Secondment Q. Can staff who go on secondment remain on the Governing Body? A. Staff governors on secondment are still eligible to remain on the Governing Body and attend meetings. However they should consider whether they can still make that commitment and feed back to their staff colleagues. Temporary staff (e.g. deputy headteacher for 2 terms) can stand as staff governor if no-one else is nominated. Staff Appointments and potential conflicts of interest Q. A newly appointed staff governor is applying for an internal post and another staff governor will be on the interviewing panel. Is there any conflict of interest or any other reason why a fellow governor could not be on the interview panel? A. No there is no conflict of interest just because they are both staff governors. It is really down to the staff governor on the interview panel to decide whether she/he is able to perform the role free of any bias. If in addition to being a fellow governor they are close personal friends I think it would be wise to declare this and offer to stand down from the panel on this occasion. Staff Governors Q. Who is eligible to be a staff governor? A. Both teaching and support staff paid to work at the school are eligible.

21 They are elected by the school staff and must be paid to work at the school (not volunteers). If more nominees than spaces are put forward there should be an election. When a staff governor ceases to work at the school he or she is disqualified from holding that position. At least one staff governor (in addition to the headteacher) must be a teacher, but if no teacher stands for election a member of support staff can be elected to take that place. If the Governing Body has 3+ staff governor places at least one staff governor must be a member of support staff but if no member of support staff stands for election a teacher can be elected to take that place. The headteacher is a member of the Governing Body by virtue of office and counts as a member of staff. The place remains reserved and cannot be taken by anyone else if the headteacher decides not to become a governor. If a staff governor is unable to attend a governors meeting they cannot have a stand in. If the absence is long term apologies must be lodged or if the governor resigns, another is appointed. Staff governors on committees Q. Can a Staff governor sit on the Finance and Personnel Committee? Is this recommended practice? If yes, please could you clarify what happens if sensitive staffing issues are being discussed? Are there situations where Staff governors are precluded from parts of meetings and if so could you please give examples. Would it be advisable for Staff governors not to join this committee if it is not necessary? A. A member of staff is equal to any other governor and must be treated as such. Staff governors do NOT have to withdraw from a meeting for this reason. Any governor (including a Staff governor) must withdraw from a meeting if they have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the matter being discussed, but not because the matter is confidential. No governor can be asked to leave a meeting solely because an item is "confidential". All governors are there to hear and consider confidential matters when they arise. They can sit on any committee and will bring a staff voice to discussions which will be very valuable. The law is clear that all governors who are members of a committee are entitled to attend the whole meeting unless there is a specific legal basis to require them to leave. The "default position" is that Staff governors do not have to justify why they stay, the Chair must justify asking them to leave. The law is in The School Governance (Procedures) (England) Regulations 2003.

22 Time off Q. Are governors eligible for time off for governor duties? A. Some local and national companies give time off for governors duties, but most do not. No governor is able to claim loss of earnings. Whilst some governors are unable to get into school during the day they can still maintain a link with a co-ordinator by phone or . They might also make visits to school events, parent evenings etc. Voting - Abstaining Q. If I abstain from a vote over a particular issue can I then be deemed as having agreed to the issue? A. The majority of Governing Body decisions are taken on a simple majority basis with the number of abstentions or votes against the proposal also recorded. However you can ask for your name to be specifically recorded as having disagreed or having abstained. However, you would have to publically accept the Governing Body s majority decision Q. If I abstain and there is later a problem with something to do with the issue voted on, do I still have corporate responsibility along with those governors who voted it in? A. The Governing Body has the corporate liability not individuals. Provided governors act honestly, reasonably and in good faith, any liability will fall on the governing body and not individual members even if the Governing Body has exceeded its powers.