Brook Learning Trust Terms of Reference of Local Governing Bodies of Trust academies Circle or Monitoring Pairs Model Whole Governing Body Approach Outline The Local Governing Body (LGB) of each Trust academy will work as a single team, meeting five times per year without any separate committees. The agenda for each meeting will include some of the tasks which the LGB is required to consider; the annual agenda schedule will ensure that all tasks and areas of interest are covered in the course of a year. A quorum will consist of half the number of full governors, rounded up by one. The LGB as a whole will delegate monitoring activities to governors (working in groups, pairs or alone). In addition, the LGB may commission certain governors to undertake assignments or activities arising from the business of a meeting which will be recorded in the minutes and reported to a subsequent meeting. The Chair of Governors may decide to nominate governors with requisite skill sets to participate in a Project Group, meetings of which will be convened by the Chair of the Group on an ad hoc basis determined by need. Where a monitoring or other governance function has been delegated, there is a statutory duty on the part of those tasked with the responsibility to undertake and record monitoring and other assigned tasks, submitting a formal, written report on the template provided to the next meeting of the LGB or to a subsequent meeting as agreed. Table of Contents 1. Terms of Reference of the LGB 2. Areas of Responsibility delegated to Monitoring Groups/Pairs/Individuals 3. Membership of the LGB and Allocation of Monitoring Responsibilities 4. Terms of Reference for Groups, Monitoring Pairs or Individuals 5. Standing Order for Meetings of the LGB 6. The Role of the Chair of the LGB 7. Standing Order for the Election of Chair and Vice Chair of the LGB Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 1
1. Terms of Reference of the Local Governing Body The Local Governing Body (LGB) will conduct its routine business as a single unit and work without committees save for a Project Group should the need for such a body be determined by the Chair of Governors and the Principal. It is recognised that governance can only proceed from the informed position which follows effective monitoring. This will be carried out by governors, working in groups, pairs or as individuals, who have been assigned to specific areas of the school s operations; additional, non-routine tasks may be assigned to nominated governors by the LGB. Operational Responsibilities of the LGB (items marked with a * cannot be delegated) * To accept annually the BLT Terms of Reference and Standing Orders for LGBs * To appoint (or remove) a Chair and Vice Chair annually * To hold at least five LGB meetings per year To recruit new stakeholder governors as vacancies arise (parent and staff governors) To propose to the Trust Board recruits to appointed governor vacancies To arrange induction and mentoring for newly appointed or elected governors To organise and participate in appropriate training * To recommend to the BLT Board of Directors the suspension of a governor To ensure that a register of Governors Business and Family Interests is maintained To inform members of the LGB about the BLT Governors Allowances Scheme To assign monitoring responsibility for each of the agreed areas * To receive monitoring reports from governors * To consider whether any action by the LGB is necessary in response to a governor report * To receive informative reports from the Principal as agreed (generally at each meeting) * To receive reports on exclusions, attendance and racial incidents General Responsibilities of the LGB (items marked with a * cannot be delegated) * To regularly review the school s vision and values and ensure that these are shared with all stakeholders * To take an active role in School Self Evaluation (SEF), recognising success while identifying and monitoring areas requiring improvement * To review the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and ensure that it is updated regularly * To be aware of how the school is regarded by students and parents * To ensure the school has in place all necessary policies and keep these under regular review, consulting with representative stakeholders as appropriate To assess and approve all school trips involving an overnight stay away from home (This responsibility will be delegated when time is pressing to the Chair/ V i c e C h a i r of Governors and reported to the next meeting of the LGB) * To ensure that the school does not discriminate against students, job applicants or staff on the basis of race, religion, gender, age disability or sexual orientation * To ensure that parents are aware of the Trust Complaints Procedure * To ensure that the LGB complies with all duties delegated to it by the Trust Board Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 2
Specific Responsibilities of the LGB (this list is not exhaustive) Admissions To ensure compliance with the Admissions Policy set by the Trust Behaviour for Learning and Exclusions (Monitoring delegated to SEND/Inclusion and Teaching & Learning link Governors) To review regularly the Behaviour for Learning Policy To monitor the application of the Behaviour for Learning Policy To review the use of detentions and exclusions To review and decide whether or not to uphold permanent exclusions To review and decide whether or not to uphold fixed term exclusions where a student is either excluded for +15 days in a term or would lose the opportunity to sit a public exam Budget (Monitoring and reporting to the LGB delegated to Finance link Governors) To receive reports from the Finance governor/s who sit on the BLT Finance Committee To respond with comments from LGB level to the Trust Board via the Finance governors To understand the financial situation of the school Curriculum (Monitoring delegated to Curriculum & Achievement link Governors) To review and agree the curriculum To monitor delivery of agreed curriculum Health & Safety (Monitoring delegated to Health & Safety link Governors) To ensure that Health & Safety regulations are followed and appropriately prioritised To ensure that the school is compliant with the Trust Health & Safety Policy To meet with the Site Manager and the Trust Estates Manager To report three times a year to the Trust Audit & Risk Committee and to the LGB Safeguarding and Child Protection (Monitoring delegated to Safeguarding, Child Protection & e-safety link Governors) To ensure that the safety and protection of all students is prioritised To undertake regular visits to meet with school officials with safeguarding responsibility To report three times a year to the Trust Audit & Risk Committee and to the LGB School Organisation (Responsibility lies with LGB) To approve the time of the school sessions and the dates of school terms and holidays To review home/school agreements To be familiar with the content of the school and sixth form prospectus To ensure that the requisite information is published on the school website SEND, Pupil Premium and Gifted & Talented Students (Monitoring is delegated to SEND/Inclusion link Governors) To discharge responsibilities for all SEND students per latest directives & recommendations To monitor the relative achievement of Pupil Premium students towards closing all gaps To ensure that each student is encouraged to achieve to his/her maximum potential To check that all required information is published on the school website Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 3
Staff Appraisal (Monitoring delegated to a named Governor) To be familiar with the Trust Policy for Appraising Staff Performance To monitor compliance with the policy Staffing (Monitoring delegated to Teaching & Learning, Finance and Leadership & Management link Governors To be familiar with the staffing structure and its rationale To maintain a knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of current members of staff Target Setting and Achievement (Monitoring delegated to Curriculum & Achievement link Governors) To understand the annual targets for student achievement To monitor student achievement against published targets To hold the Principal and SLT to account for achievement of targets 2. Areas of Responsibility delegated to Monitoring Groups/Pairs/Individuals For details of delegation, see separate outlines for each area of responsibility: Careers & Sixth Form Community, Transition and PTFA Curriculum & Achievement with Teaching & Learning Finance Health & Safety Leadership & Management Safeguarding, Child Protection & e-safety with SEND & Inclusion 3. Membership of the LGB & Allocation of Monitoring Responsibilities See attached lists of LGB membership at each Trust academy See attached lists of responsibility allocations at each Trust academy 4. Terms of Reference for Groups, Monitoring Pairs or Individuals Any individual to whom responsibility for governance monitoring has been delegated is expected to work within the following terms of reference: To monitor an area of the school s activity as assigned and report to the LGB To do this in line with the relevant Trust protocol and scope distributed by the Clerk It is expected that a minimum of three monitoring visits will be made each year in line with the monitoring schedule published in July of each year All visits to the school will be arranged with the Principal s agreement and in accordance with the relevant Trust protocol and scope Linked governors will meet with the relevant lead professional in school to gain an understanding of the activities the school is conducting to achieve success in the relevant area Although preferable, a visit need not necessarily take place during the time when students are in school A meeting between governor/s and teacher/s or SLT members at the beginning or end of the school day may substitute for a conventional monitoring visit Other forms of communication between governor/s and school (such as telephone calls, emails, etc) may be substituted for one or more monitoring visit To submit a monitoring report to the Clerk within 2 weeks of the visit on the template supplied, not to exceed more than one side of A4 Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 4
Reports will be submitted for the perusal of the Principal and/or relevant lead professional within the school, and then be lodged with the clerk of governors for discussion at the next LGB meeting To undertake any necessary training (in or out of school) to enable effective monitoring of link responsibility and governance in general 5. Standing Order for Meetings of the Local Governing Body (LGB) Governors are expected to: Arrive in good time for the start of any meeting Read the paperwork distributed in advance and identify questions/challenges to raise Be familiar with the contents of the School Plans (SIP and SEF) Refrain from inappropriate personal criticism Participate in discussions, paying due attention to the views and comments of others Be brief and adhere to any time limits allocated to agenda items Follow up on action points between meetings The following persons have the right to attend any or all meetings of the LGB: Any governor The Principal Clerk/s to the LGB and Trust Board Associate Members The Chair of the Trust (will customarily attend by governors invitation) The CEO of the Trust (will customarily attend by governors invitation) The Finance Director of the Trust (will customarily attend by governors invitation) The following persons will attend meetings of the LGB by governors invitation: Members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Any prospective appointed governor in the course of recruitment Arrangements for meetings of the LGB: All governors meetings will be convened by the Clerk Any 3 members of the LGB may request an extraordinary meeting by giving written notice to the Clerk, to include a summary of the business proposed for discussion. The Clerk will then prepare an agenda and call a meeting The LGB will routinely meet five times each year The meeting will be quorate if attended by half of the number of governors, rounded up by one LGB meetings will generally commence at 6.00 pm unless otherwise agreed Meetings will be limited to two hours in duration. Where business has not been completed within the agreed time, those present may resolve to continue the meeting in order to complete the agenda. Any business not completed will form part of the agenda for the next meeting. An annual timetable of meeting and training dates will be prepared and circulated to governors in term 6 of the previous year Governors are asked to diary note published meeting and training dates An agenda for each meeting will be drawn up by the Clerk, in liaison with the Chair of Governors and the Principal Governors wishing to suggest items for consideration at a meeting should inform the Clerk in advance and provide a copy of any supporting papers Items proposed for consideration under Any Other Business should be communicated to the Clerk no later than one week prior to the meeting Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 5
Votes will normally be taken by a show of hands; however, the Chair of the meeting may call for a secret ballot where this has been requested by two or more governors or where he/she deems it preferable Governors and attendees will be invited to declare any interests they may have in relation to agenda items at the start of each meeting Governors with an interest in an agenda item will refrain from discussing it and voting Draft minutes of e a c h m e e t ing will be approved by the Chair of Governors for email circulation within two weeks of the meeting where possible Minutes of the previous meeting will be approved by governors at their next meeting 6. The Role of the Chair of the Local Governing Body (LGB) The Chair of the LGB agrees: To ensure that the business of the LGB is conducted properly in accordance with the delegation requirements of the Trust To ensure, as far as is possible, that the LGB is fully populated To ensure that LGB meetings are run effectively, prioritising business, making best use of the time available and ensuring that all governors have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision making To establish and foster an effective relationship with the Principal To establish and foster a professional relationship with the Clerk 7. Standing Order for the Election of Chair and Vice Chair of the LGB The LGB must elect a Chair and a Vice Chair by means of a fair, open and transparent process: The Chair and Vice Chair will be elected each year in Term 1 Nominations will be invited by the Clerk in advance of the meeting Candidates may self-nominate or be nominated by other governors Should a vote be necessary, nominees will withdraw from the meeting A secret ballot may be held when governors decide by a majority vote to adopt this process NB Governors who are paid to work at the school, eg the Principal and staff governors, are not eligible to be elected Chair or Vice Chair of the LGB. This version of the Terms of Reference of BLT Local Governing Bodies: Proposed by LGBs and agreed by Trust Board December 2015 This Review by Trust Clerk September 2016 (mention of monitoring schedule added; number of LGB meetings per annum reduced from six to five in line with current practice agreed by the Executive Team) Next Review September 2017 Document owned by the Trust Clerk, this version dated 24/09/2016 / page 6