Our Governors
Who are the Governors?
The Governing Body was reconstituted in September 2003 following amalgamation and parental ballots in the school. Governors can be contacted via the school. The composition of the present Governing Body is as follows.
Clerk to the Governors – Children, Families and Learning, Vancouver House, Middlesbrough.
Chair of Governors – Mr. M Pottinger – can be contacted via the school.
Governing Body Meeting Attendance.
Finance and Staffing Committee Meeting Attendance.
Raising Achievement Committee Meeting Attendance.
Governing Body Membership and Vacancies.
Register of Business Interests.
Concerns/Appeals Committee – Pool Membership (all governors except those employed in school in any capacity).
The Governing Body recognises its responsibility to be the final arbiter on all policy matters and decisions concerning the management of the school.
It is the Governing Body’s intention to delegate responsibilities adequately to a number of Committees and to the Head and staff so as to ensure the most efficient and effective delivery of policy.
The Chair of the Committees with the Head Teacher to agree the agenda and send to members 1 week prior to the meeting.
The minutes of Committees will be presented to all Governors at the next full Governing Body meeting. Major decisions may be referred to the full Governing Body where full consultation is felt advisable.
The Governing Body has also established Working Parties without delegated powers to consider key issues with a view to recommending to full Governors a course of action.
FINANCE AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE REMIT – Quorum: 3
- To consider the budget allocation from the LA and approve a budget for the financial year.
- To vire between budget headings during the course of year.
- Day to day management be delegated to the Head Teacher.
- To vire between budget headings during the course of the year:
Spending Limits in line with school financial procedures
- To the Head Teacher: Delegated powers up to a ceiling of £5,000 on any single item purchased, without reference to the Finance Committee (unless these purchases have already been agreed by governors within the reported School/Premises or ICT Development Plans). Any emergency expenditure of more than £5,000 on maintenance of the site will be reported to the committee.
- Committee Level: expenditure up to £15,000.
- Any expenditure over that will be submitted for approval to the full Governing body with the recommendation of the Committee.
- To monitor spending and examine outturn figures during the financial year.
- To follow the LA’s guidelines when entering into contractual agreements.
- To determine charges for lettings.
- To liaise with the Raising Achievement members and the full Governing Body over matters relating to School Development Plans.
- To determine the staffing levels and annual teaching staff establishment and recruit in line with Safer Recruitment Guidelines.
- Ensure up to date and relevant training regarding safeguarding procedures are in place and monitor the effectiveness of policies and practices.
- To determine the grades for non-teaching staff in accordance with LA Job Evaluation.
- To advise the Governing Body of and approve the School Charging Policy.
- Implement, review and approve finance policy on an annual basis.
- Review and approve the School Pay policy on an annual basis.
- To monitor and evaluate staff absences in line with the Staff Absence Management Policy.
- To implement the governing Body’s Pay Policy for all staff (teaching and non-teaching) including the annual review of teachers’ salaries, Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teachers as required by law.
- To advise on matters relating to competitive tendering.
- To consider and report to the Governing Body on aspects of building and premises including monitoring the (DDA) Disability Discrimination Action Plan and Equal Opportunities compliance.
- To determine the number and deployment of posts above the basic level.
- To ensure that arrangements for Performance Management/Threshold Payments are implemented.
SCHOOL FINANCIAL VALUE STANDARDS (SFVS) REMIT
To consider annually the Schools Financial Value Standards (SFVS).
- To approve and sign off SIC (Statement of Internal Control) after considering the latest Audit Report, Self Evaluation of Internal Control Systems and pre- certification checklist for governors.
- To consider benchmarking data annually in order to plan and manage the budget, identify areas and set targets for improved use of resources, achieve value for money and improve effectiveness to improve performance, delivering educational services to a defined standard.
BUILDING AND SITES REMIT
- To consider and report to the Governing Body on aspects of building and premises, including monitoring the (DDA) Disability Discrimination Action Plan.
- To review the Health and Safety Policy on an annual basis.
- To review Health and Safety Training Needs.
- To maintain a high standard of Health and Safety for all.
- To consider and prioritise future developments relating to the building/premises.
- To produce an annual report of building related issues for Governors/staff/parents.
- To meet termly or as required.
RAISING ACHIEVEMENT (STRATEGIC PLANNING) COMMITTEE REMIT – Quorum 3
- To monitor/evaluate progress against the OFSTED Action Plan (where applicable) or the LA CAT Plan
- To advise the Governing Body in establishing a curriculum policy statement.
- To consider and have delegated power to respond to the LA with regard to their, Children, Families & Learning Plan.
- In liaison with the Head Teacher, to agree statutory (KS2) and non-statutory targets aimed at raising standards of pupil performance.
- To approve policies for sex education, religious education, collective worship SEN, Inclusion and other as deemed necessary and advise the Governing Body accordingly.
- To monitor and evaluate pupil performance including targeted groups: i.e. Ability Groups and Vulnerable groups eg Looked After Children, Ethnic Minority/English as an Additional Language, SEN, Travellers, Refugees/Asylum Seekers, excluded pupils termly using comparative data from the RAISEonline PIVATS and school pupil tracking systems.
- To advise the Governing Body on curriculum organisation.
- To liaise with the Head Teacher over the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of School Improvement Plans.
- To contribute, monitor and evaluate the School Self Evaluation Form.
- Monitor the effects of pupil attendance, fixed term and permanent exclusions on pupil attainment through the Head Teacher’s report.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the way school promotes Community Cohesion/Extended Schools.
- To consider any requests from the school for residential educational visits and journeys relating to the curriculum. The named governor for Health and Safety to monitor risk assessment and report annually to the full governing body.
APPRAISERS REMIT
Performance management/appraisal regulations require governing bodies to appoint two or three governors to appraise the Head Teacher. The appointed governors must undertake the performance review with the External Adviser ensuring that clear objectives are set and monitored. Clear assessment should be made of performance overall and in particular the extent to which the Head Teacher has achieved his/her objectives. They must prepare a written statement recording the main points made by the appraiser, the Head Teacher’s response and the conclusions reached.
The recommendation for deciding whether or not to award a performance point on the pay spine is delegated to the governors conducting the performance review who must be mindful of the School’s Pay Policy.
Any alteration to the school ISR (Individual School Range) must be made with the approval of the delegated committee.
- To agree objectives with the Head Teacher and external Adviser in respect of performance management.
- To monitor objectives with the External Adviser half yearly.
- To meet at least twice a year.
COMPLAINTS/CONCERNS AND APPEALS COMMITTEES – Quorum 3
Chair of Complaints: To be appointed at time of meeting.
Chair of Appeals Committee: To be appointed at time of meeting.
Clerk: Pool Membership for Complaints and Appeals Committees (excluding staff).
A Governor who serves on a Complaints Committee may not serve on an Appeals Committee.
(Gender balance of governors should sit on each Committee if possible subject to availability of respective governors)
COMPLAINTS/CONCERNS COMMITTEE REMIT
- To consider matters relating to pupil behaviour.
- To determine matters relating to the reinstatement of a permanently excluded pupil.
- To receive and act on any complaint from parents according to school policy.
- To discuss the need for staff reduction, and, if necessary set the criteria for nominating a member of staff as redundant.
- To determine which member(s) of staff will be nominated for dismissal/redundancy by applying the criteria established.
- To liaise and carry out formal consultation with representatives of recognised Trade Unions prior to the meeting of the nominating Committee.
- To consider any issue relating to capability, disciplinary or grievance.
- To consider appeals following Performance Management reviews to meet within 10 working days of receipt of an employee’s notification of appeal.
- Confirm decision following Performance Management appeal within 10 days of the date in which it met and made the decision.
- To meet when required.
APPEALS COMMITTEE REMIT
- To hear an appeal from a member of staff regarding the decision to dismiss that member of staff, and determine, in the light of the appeal, whether the decision to dismiss should be upheld.
- To consider any appeal against grading from a member of the non-teaching staff and decide whether the appeal can be upheld.
- To hear appeals in respect of capability, disciplinary or grievance.
- To consider any appeal against salary assessment/grading from members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) and determine whether the appeal can be upheld.
- To hear pay appeal following decision of original Performance Management appeal.
Election of Parent Governors
When a vacancy occurs, parents are invited to submit nominations to the Head teacher using a prescribed form, which is delivered to parents by pupils.
