Governance

Responsibilities

To maintain an oversight of individual school educational performance, including the monitoring of attainment and progress.

To report any best practice or significant issues to the Education Performance Committee as a critical element of achieving the Trust’s charitable objectives

1. Terms of Reference

  1. Meet once every half term
  2. Review the School's compliance with, and performance against the Ofsted framework

    - Quality of Education
    - Behaviour and Attitudes
    - Personal Development
    - Leadership and Management
  3. Review the school's performance in respect of the following areas, including having a named Governor responsible for each:

    - Safeguarding;
    - Restricted funding (SEND, LAC Pupil Premium and any other ESFA or Local Authority restricted grant funding); and 
    - Staff well-being, development and career progression
  4. Support & promote positive engagement with the local community, students (through student councils etc.) and parents (through PTAs etc)
  5. Report into the Education Performance Committee any findings or concerns on at least a half termly basis.
  6. Consider any other matters where requested to do so by the Board of Trustees or any of its committees.
  7. Review the Terms of Reference at least annually and recommend any amendments to the Board of Trustees for approval
  8. Ensure challenge and action logs of all School Governance Team meetings are available for the 

2. Authority

  1. The School Governance Team is not a committee of the Board of Trustees and does not have any delegated authority but acts in an advisory and support capacity to the schools as well as providing an additional layer of independent oversight and challenge.

3. Composition

  1. The membership of the School Governance Team will comprise of 4 or more Governors, with the aim that this should be at least 6 Governors but not more than 10.
  2. The membership of the School Governance Team will be the responsibility of the School Governance Team from the Chair who shall be appointed by the Chief Executive Officer for a four year term, which will be reviewed annually.
  3. During the first meeting of the new academic and financial year, the School Governance Team will elect a Vice Chair from amongst the members of the School Governance Team who will act as Chair in the Chair's absence.
  4. There is no level of quorum for School Governance Team meetings.
  5. Neither the Trust's Executive Team nor the Trustees shall server as members of any School Governance Team. However, the Trust's Executive Team and Trustees may attend School Governance Team meetings from time to time, with the Director of Education and Head of Education and Head of Educational Improvement attending more regularly as part of their remit of improving educational outcomes.

4. Procedures

  1. No clerk will be appointed to the School Governance Team.
  2. A member of the School Governance Team or another appointed person shall maintain a log of challenges and actions arising at each meeting.
  3. The Chair, or a person appointed by the Chair, shall circulate an agenda not less that 7 days in advance.
  4. Papers for the School Governance Team, whether internally prepared by Trust personnel or external organisations, shall be provided to the Chair, or a person appointed by the Chair, to circulate not less than 7 days in advance of the meeting. Where papers cannot be circulated not less than 7 days in advance, the Chair should be notified that this is the case. Thereafter papers should be circulated as soon as they are available.
  5. As School Governance Teams have no delegated authority and act in an advisory and supporting capacity only there is no requirement for voting on decisions.
  6. Apologies shall, wherever possible, be given to the Chair, or a person appointed by the Chair, at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.

Boudica Schools Trust Governance

For more information on the Boudica Schools Trust Governance please visit their website.

How to become a Governor

Governors come from a wide range of backgrounds that reflect both the local community and parent voice.  If you are interested in being a Governor, please contact the Chair of Governors via this website to discuss what is involved and what you can offer to the Governing Body. Being a school Governor is rewarding, you need good common sense and an interest in the school and education as a whole – previous experience as a Governor, though welcomed is not necessary! 

A document produced by Governor Services ‘The Role of the School Governor in Norfolk’ summarises the role of a school governor. 

As Chair of Governors at Sprowston Community Academy I am proud of the Governing Body and the input the Governors have to the school, working closely with staff, students and other stakeholders to be a part of the great school we are.

Ofsted Reports

The school's latest Ofsted Report is available on the Policies & Statutory Information page. Whilst we acknowledge that the outcome of the report is that there is still room for improvement we are confident that the school is constantly moving forward and continually striving and improving.

Governor's Register of Business and Pecuniary Interests

Download Governors Register

Governing Body Minutes