Governing Body Committees

Composition and Duties of the Governing Body Committees

 COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

• Committee Structures will be reviewed annually
• Quorum for meetings will be three
• Committees appoint their own Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk
• Where possible meetings should be arranged so that minutes are available no later than TWO WEEKS before a GBM or the next committee meeting, whichever is sooner, and circulated to all Governors
• Apologies for absence MUST be submitted in advance of meetings
• All Governors are welcome as non-voting observers at any Committee meeting
• (except Appeals Committee)
• Meetings to be held in accordance with agreed schedule
• Interested parties may view Governing Body meeting minutes only after they have been approved by the full Governing Body.
  

ALL MEETINGS ARE CONFIDENTIAL UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED

 GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS

All Committee Meeting Minutes should be in school two weeks before the Governing Body meeting so that they can be sent to all Governors along with the Governing Body papers, prior to the meeting.

 Tabled papers will be avoided where possible.

Any Governor failing to attend Full Governing Body Meetings for a period of six months, without the consent of the Governing Body, will be automatically disqualified from membership.

LEARNING TOGETHER FOR LIFE COMMITTEE

meets termly

Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

Elect Chair (if delegated by full Governing Body).

Strategic direction and statutory areas

• Review, monitor and evaluate the curriculum offer.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of the:
  • SEF
  • School Improvement Plan
  • Targets for school improvement including SSG where appropriate
• Develop and review policies identified within the school’s policy review programme and in accordance with its delegated powers (e.g. RHSE and pupil discipline/behaviour).
• Ensure that the school’s policy on SEND is consistent with the Code of Practice and Equalities Act, most recent KCSIE updates and receive termly reports from the Headteacher/SENDCo and an annual report from the SEND Governor.
• Ensure the SEND Policy is monitored and reviewed regularly and that the policy is known to parents/carer
• Ensure the school complies with the provisions of the Equalities Act 2010.

 Curriculum and Improvement:

 Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of leadership and management in relation to curriculum design, implementation and impact.

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum design
• Monitor and evaluate the school’s own assessment of the impact of the curriculum for all groups of pupils to include Reading in all key stages
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of education and the impact of the curriculum including RSHE
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of continuing professional development on improving staff performance
• Monitor and evaluate provision for all groups of vulnerable children g. children looked after and children in need and ensure all their needs have been identified and addressed.
• Monitor and review impact of Pupil Premium, Sports Premium, Early Years Premium.
• Set priorities for improvement and monitor and evaluate the impact of improvement plans which relate to the committee’s area of operation.
• Receive reports from external sources and agree actions to address recommendations; monitor and evaluate progress made.
• Ensure all children have equality of opportunity
• Monitor pupils’ attitudes, values and development of other personal qualities within the school through the provision of RSHE.

 Behaviour, Development and Well-Being:

 Ensure the school is fulfilling its responsibilities regarding safeguarding and child protection and the requirements of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’

• Ensure Safeguarding policies are adhered to; monitor and review all safeguarding policies/procedures within school.
• Monitor and review data on behaviour, bullying, peer on peer abuse, attendance, suspensions and exclusion
• Ensure school is fulfilling its responsibilities with regards to pupils accessing alternative provision.
• Ensure that adequate provision is made for pupil transition.

 Engagement:

 Monitor the school’s publicity, public presentation and relationships with parents/carers and the wider community.

• Identify and celebrate pupil achievement
• Oversee and monitor arrangements for out of hours provision, extra-curricular activities and educational visits including overnight stays.
• Ensure all statutory requirements for reporting and publishing information are met.
• Review and monitor the school’s website to ensure that it is accessible and fully compliant with current DfE requirement
• Ensure the school works well with its community, parents and other schools.

Committee Membership

Chair              Mr A Lister

                        Mrs A Cox   

                        Dr W Gill                  

                        Mrs J Lowes     

  Mrs S McPhie 

  Mrs N Neal 

  Mr S Reed-Patchett            

                        Mrs A Thompson

                        Mr D Waters 

PERSONNEL COMMITTEE

Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

• Elect Chair (if delegated by full Governing Body).
• Carry out an annual review of the staffing structure in consultation with the Headteacher and Finance and Premises Committee.
• Ensure the school is sufficiently staffed to fulfil the effective operation of the school and the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
• Oversee the recruitment and selection procedures for all staff.
• Keep under review work/life balance, working conditions and well-being including monitoring attendance management.
• Ensure that regular monitoring of the Single Central Record is undertaken and that it is up to date and compliant with current statutory expectations.
• Ensure that the school’s policy on safeguarding and child protection is compliant with the most recent KCSIE guidance and DSCP expectations.

Committee Membership

Chair                Mr D Waters        

                         Dr A Brown

                         Mrs A Cox

                         Dr W Gill

                         Mrs J Hinde   

    Mrs J Lowes

 DELEGATION FOR APPOINTMENTS – when necessary

Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

• Local Authority C&AS to have advisory rights.
• Where possible an even number to be avoided.
• Ideally short-listing and interviewing to be conducted by the same people – this does not however preclude involvement in one or the other.
• Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher appointment needs ratification by the full Governing Body on the same day as the interview (if appointment delegated to a panel).
• Personnel Committee to select interviewing panel if full Governing Body not required.

Headteacher                                    Full Governing Body and LA

Deputy Headteacher                      Headteacher, at least four Governors and LA

Senior Leadership Team                Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, at least two Governors

Permanent Teacher                        Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, at least one Governor

Temporary Teacher                         Headteacher

Caretaker                                         Headteacher, at least one Governors

Admin Staff                                     Headteacher, at least one Governors

Support Staff                                   Headteacher

PAY REVIEW/FIRST COMMITTEE

meets Autumn Term

 Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

• Elect Chair (if delegated by full Governing Body).
• Annually agree the Teachers’ Pay Po
• Consider any requests made in accordance with HR policies e.g. leave of absence etc. (unless delegated to the Headteacher).
• Make any decisions under HR procedures adopted by the Governing Body e.g. disciplinary, grievance, ill-health, capability et (Unless delegated to the Headteacher).
• Deal with matters relating to staffing reductions, restructures and changes to the permanent school staffing structure.
• Act in accordance with the Teachers’ Pay Policy and School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) when carrying out the annual review of teachers’ salaries.
• Lifting of Headteacher’s suspension (lifting of all other staff suspensions delegated to the Chair of Governors).

DISQUALIFICATIONS: Headteacher; Chair of Governors (if have prior knowledge); where there may be a conflict of interest; any Governor whose spouse/partner is involved; staff (annual pay review and matters relating to staffing reductions).

Committee Membership

Chair                          Mr D Waters         

                                    Dr W Gill    

                                    Mrs S McPhie 

APPEALS COMMITTEE

meets when necessary

 Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

•  Elect Chair (if delegated by full Governing Body).
• Consider any appeal against a decision made under the HR policies adopted by the Governing Body.
• Consider any appeal against a decision made by the First/Pay Review Committee during the annual review of teachers’ salaries.
• Consider any appeal against selection for redundancy through a staffing reduction procedure.
• Consider complaint under Stage 2 of the school’s Complaints Procedure.

Pupil Discipline

•  Consider representations from parents/carers in the case of suspensions in line with statutory guidance.
• Consider the appropriateness of any permanent exclusion or any suspension where one or more suspensions total more than 15 school days in one term or where a pupil is denied the chance to take a public examination in line with statutory guidance.

Committee Membership NB—Must have no fewer members than or any members of the First Committee

Chair             Mrs J Lowes

                      Dr A Brown

                      Mrs S Foster

Mr A Lister

Mr S Reed-Patchett

DISQUALIFICATIONS: Headteacher; Chair of Governors (if have prior knowledge); any Governor involved in the original hearing; where there may be a conflict of interest; any Governor whose spouse/partner is involved; staff (appeals in relation to salary or staffing reduction decisions)

 FINANCE AND PREMISES COMMITTEE

meets termly

 Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

Finance: 

• Review and agree the first formal budget plan of the financial year for approval by the full Governing Board.
• Establish and maintain an up-to-date three-year budget plan, taking into account priorities in the School Improvement Plan, roll projection and signals from central Government and the LA regarding future years’ budget.
• Ensure that priorities detailed within the School Improvement Plan are appropriately costed and are reflected in the annual budget.
• Monitor the capital and revenue budget position statements to identify and address any anomalies from the anticipated position and report termly to the full Governing Boar
• Review and monitor outstanding debts and action taken.
• Review the Quarterly Written Report and Financial Report.
• Monitor and authorise expenditure including those over the Headteacher’s delegated limit.
• Consider and approve spending decisions where competitive quotations or tenders are required in accordance with the current Contract Procedures Rules.
• Ensure the school operates within the financial regulations of the Local Authority and the requirements of the DfE Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS).
• Monitor the implementation of any actions identified in the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS).
• Monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds held on behalf of the Governing Board and receive an audited annual statement of income and expenditure.
• Annually review the outcomes of the Asset Register stock check and approve the disposal of obsolete item
• Oversee use and monitor impact all additional grant funding e.g. Pupil Premium.
• Consider and promote income generation.
• Annually review income generated from lettings, fees and charges, funding raising activities and the sale of assets.
• Monitor Extended Care provision including review of annual income and expenditure statements where applicable.
• Ensure the school has appropriate insurance cover in place.
• Annually review and adopt the school’s Financial Procedures Manual and all other finance related policies.
• Annually review and make decisions in respect of service level agreements and other contracts and lettings.
• Make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committee
• Ensure as far as is practical that health and safety issues are appropriately funded in accordance with agreed prioritie
• Annually review financial benchmarking data.
• Monitor the implementation of actions arising from the Internal Audit report or of a financial nature from other inspection regime report
• Ensure any instances of fraud or financial irregularity are reported immediately to the Head of Education and Skills and Chief Internal Auditor and Corporate Fraud Manager.

Premises:

• Annually approve the Health and Safety Policy ensuring that the school meets health and safety requirements.
• Ensure actions are taken in respect of relevant health and safety legislation.
• Receive an annual Health and Safety Audit Report and monitor any arising actions.
• Ensure that premises and the learning environment are maintained and are fit for purpose.
• Provide support and guidance for the Headteacher and Governing Board on all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the premises and grounds, including health and safet
• Ensure that an annual inspection of the premises and grounds is undertaken and that priorities for maintenance and development are identified.
• Ensure professional surveys and emergency works are arranged as necessar
• Oversee the use of premises by outside users.
• Annually review the school’s Accessibility Plan and Asset Management/Building Development Plan.
• Receive and consider the recommendations from the annual Energy Report.
• Ensure appropriate Risk Assessments are carried out and reviewed on a regular basis.
• Ensure inspections of the school site, buildings and equipment take place annually and at appropriate intervals and that reports are shared.
• Monitor data on accidents and incidents.

Committee Membership

Chair                           Dr W Gill

                                    Mrs A Cox   

                                    Mrs S Foster 

                                    Mr A Lister

       Mr I Mason

       Mrs A Thompson

       Mr D Waters

   HEADTEACHER’S PERFORMANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE

meets termly

Terms of Reference/Areas of Responsibility

• Set, with the support of the External Advisor / Local Authority Adviser, the Headteacher’s annual performance objective
• Monitor throughout the year the performance of the Headteacher against agreed performance objectives and hold interim review meeting.
• Review, with the support of the External Advisor / Local Authority Adviser achievement of performance objectives.
• Make recommendations to the First/Pay Review Committee in respect of the Headteacher’s performance and annual pay progression (where eligible).

Membership

Lead Governor     Dr W Gill

  Mr A Lister

                        Mrs J Lowes