Highcliffe Primary School

Governors

Governors are volunteers who commit to working alongside the senior leadership team of the college to offer support and challenge. They come with skills and experiences which complement those of the staff in college and bring additional perspectives. They have a strategic, big picture role.
Highcliffe Primary School has academy status, and is a member of Lionheart Academies Trust. Governors form a Local Governing Body within the Trust organisation, with some delegated responsibilities to complement the top level responsibilities held by the Lionheart Trust Executive Board. Contact the governing body via the Chair of Governors, Bernard Saunders on Bernard.saunders@highcliffe.org.uk.

For more information on Lionheart Academies Trust, visit the website.

Governing Body Organisation

The Governing Body currently has three committees: Data, Resources and Health and Safety but is evolving, following review, to operate simply as one full governing body meeting twice each term with a focus on Quality, Teaching and Learning,

The Trust operates under a Scheme of Delegation agreed by the Trust Board.

You can find out more about the day to day tasks of governance.

You can contact the governing body via the Chair of Governors, Bernard Saunders, by email here or by sending a letter via the school office.

Trust Board Vision and ethos \| Strategic direction \| Risks and Opportunities \| Overall responsibility
Hub Governing Bodies (HGB) Finance \| HR \| Estates \| IT \| Education \| Marketing & Business \| Complaints & Hearings
North Hub	South & Central Hub
Cedars Academy: 11-19 Hallam Fields Primary: 4-11 Highcliffe Primary: 4-11 Martin High: 11-16 Riverside Primary: 4-11 (Humphrey Perkins to join 2019-20)	Beauchamp College: 11-19 Judgemeadow College: 11-16 Sir Jonathan North College 11-16 (Beauchamp City Sixth Form to join 2019-20 in pre-opening)
Local Governing Bodies (LGB) Teaching & Learning \| Pupil & Parent & Staff experience \| Safeguarding \| Business & Community links

The Trust Board has overall responsibility for all governance in the trust and carries the final accountability for this. The focus of the Board is on the big picture, working with the trust Executive Team to set the overall vision for the trust, lead strategically and identify and respond to risks and opportunities.

The schools are grouped into geographical governance hubs, which hold the schools to account and take a strategic lead on the back room services, which support the schools within their cluster. They also consider the marketing strategies of the group of schools and plan for developing effective partnerships with local businesses. They take a lead on complaints and hearings, with governors and trustees from across all 3 layers supporting panel meetings as needed.

Each school has a Local Governing Body, which holds the school to account for the quality of teaching and learning, the experience of pupils, parents and staff, the processes to ensure safeguarding, and informal links with the local community and businesses. LGBs ensure that school leaders are mindful of the school’s context and work within the overall vision of Lionheart Academies Trust.

The Members of a trust are not involved in the practical running of the organisation and do not take part in governing body or Board meetings, except as occasional observers.

Their role is to ensure that the Board keeps its core priorities at the centre of its work – providing education for children and young people – and retains its stated ethos and values.

Members appoint some of the trustees and, in exceptional circumstances, can remove trustees who they have appointed.

Where a sponsored school is in significant difficulty across all areas – teaching and learning, as well as operations – the school will not belong to a hub and the LGB will meet 5-6 times per year, with additional working groups as necessary to support the drive to improve operational aspects of the work.

Staff in the trust leadership (Chief Operations Officer, Director of Estates, etc.) will lead on strategic developments in these areas and will report to the LGB as well as directly to the Board. Discussions in the LGB and in working groups will influence the decisions that are taken at Board level.

The key focus for LGBs in this situation will always be teaching and learning, supporting the school and holding senior leaders to account as they drive up standards as rapidly as possible.

Once the school’s position is more stable, by 2019-20, the school will join the North Hub.

Local Governing Body: Roles and Responsibilities of LGB Governors

Membership	Meetings	Key roles	Attending
2 Parent Governors 1 Staff governor Head Executive Head (where appropriate) 5-8 community governors	LGB meetings 4 meetings per year in line with data snapshots No committees Working parties as needed Trust Finance meetings 3 per year, attended by Finance Governor, Head and business manager, CEO and COO (or their representative). Staff Health & Safety meeting – attended by one governor in secondary schools.	British Values & SMSC Business links & careers Community Links Education Finance & grants - Sports Premium, Year 7 catch up Parent Voice Pupil Premium Pupil Voice Safeguarding SEND & Looked After Children Wellbeing – staff and pupils EYFS (Primary) 6^th form (if relevant)	Senior leadership team Where appropriate: Hub Lead, Hub Chair, CEO, trustees
			Performance Management & Pay
			Pay Committee – agree pay on recommendation from Head following moderation by trust leadership – one autumn meeting Performance management of Head by Hub Lead, LGB Chair and CEO/external advisor
Holding the school to account for standards:	Pupil, Parent & Community	Compliance	Ambassadors & Vision
Receive reports on: Development Plan updates End of year results analysis Data snapshots & KPIs including vulnerable groups, more able etc. Information comparing school to national data External quality assurance reports Pupil Premium impact reports Primary Sports Funding impact reports Year 7 catch up funding impact reports Attendance Behaviour Wellbeing support First hand knowledge: Learning walks linked to Development Plan priorities, mainly as part of trust reviews Annual learning walk to audit safeguarding Annual SEND learning walk Governor links to key subjects Ofsted: Meet with Ofsted to discuss governance in this school	Stakeholder voice: Parent forums & PTAs School Council Community networking Pupil experience: Curriculum offer – consulted on significant changes Enrichment – curriculum and before/after school and holidays Support school in ensuring curriculum and pupil offer match the context of the school’s community Parents as co-educators – hold school to account for: Communication with parents Parent workshops re. curriculum, esafety, etc. Wellbeing support Complaints: Carry out Stage 3 complaints process (meeting with Chair or another governor)	Risk: Review risk register Escalate concerns to Hub Compliance – hold school to account for: Safeguarding & Prevent British Values Equality Health & safety – fire practice reports, near misses, RIDDOR, accidents, Health & Safety audit updates Exclusions: Monitor exclusions, behaviour partnership arrangements, managed moves Receive representations from parents in relation to exclusions of 5 days or more (Hub GB deals with 15 days in a term/permanent exclusions) Local policies: Agree local policies Monitor implementation of trust/hub policies	Ambassadors: Hold school to account for PR, marketing, pupil recruitment Act as ambassadors for the school Act as ambassadors for the Trust Build positive relationship with PTA Build networks with stakeholders and alumni to benefit the school and build a benevolent community Build networks with businesses & useful community/education providers Encourage school to engage in appropriate fundraising activities and enterprise Vision & ethos: Ensure the vision for the school matches the community context, within the wider Trust vision Holding the school to account for a positive, aspirational ethos

Membership	Meetings	Key roles	Attending
Trustees appointed by Members based on skills Primary representative (appointed based on skills) Secondary representative (appointed based on skills) Additional co-opted trustees as necessary to ensure robust skill set, appointed by trustees	Full meetings – at least 4 x per year with teaching & learning / standards focus Full meetings – at least 3 x per year as Finance & Risk Committee – attended by all trustees, plus one Audit meeting per year Risk Committee – one per term Remuneration & Pay Committee – agreeing pay for Executive Team and Heads of School / Executive Heads. At least 1x per year. Vision/Strategy meeting – annual vision and strategy workshop	Business, Community & Marketing Education Estates Finance HR IT Pupil Premium Risk & Compliance Safeguarding	COO Deputy CEO Director of Teaching Resource Director Estates Additional Exec Team / senior leaders by invitation
Vision, Policy, Risk	Education & standards	Finance	Estates, IT, H&S	HR
Agree trust vision and strategy including growth strategy Ensure vision and ethos are effectively shared with staff, parents, pupils, community, business Agree partnerships, memorandums of understanding etc. Receive stakeholder voice and factor this into trust decision making Hold the trust to account for PR, marketing, business links, community links Agree governance model for the trust and review regularly to ensure effectiveness. Policy Agree Trust-wide policies, hold CEO / COO to account for implementation Agree Admissions Policies for each school Agree Scheme of Delegation	Hold trust to account for standards using: Data snapshots highlighting red flags and causes for celebration Data snapshots of groups (PP, EAL, LAC, disadvantaged, more able etc) highlighting red flags and causes for celebration KPIs of barriers to learning (safeguarding issues, behaviour, attendance, etc.) highlighting red flags and causes for celebration	Agree consolidated budget Agree core charge and services provided within the charge Agree major extraordinary spends as outlined in the Finance Policy Agree major shared procurements and leases as outlined in the Finance Policy, ensuring best value Monitor the asset registers and inventories through updates from Hub Governing Bodies Risk Review trust risk register Monitor effectiveness of risk register processes across the schools and hubs Receive red flag reports from schools and hubs	Estates Agree 3-5 year Estates plans Agree major works as outlined in Finance Policy IT Agree 3-5 year IT plans Agree major contracts and leases as outlined in the Finance Policy Health & Safety Top-level monitoring of health and safety compliance, lessons learned etc.	Agree major restructuring and redundancies following approval by CEO Monitor effectiveness of performance management processes across the trust Performance Management of the CEO and COO by Chair, at least one other trustee and external advisor. Agree changes to trust-wide HR policy, ensuring consultation as appropriate Join Hub HR panels – appeal, grievance, disciplinary, etc. where necessary

Membership

Meetings

Key roles

Attending

Trustees appointed by Members based on skills
Primary representative (appointed based on skills)
Secondary representative (appointed based on skills)
Additional co-opted trustees as necessary to ensure robust skill set, appointed by trustees

Full meetings – at least 4 x per year with teaching & learning / standards focus
Full meetings – at least 3 x per year as Finance & Risk Committee – attended by all trustees, plus one Audit meeting per year
Risk Committee – one per term
Remuneration & Pay Committee – agreeing pay for Executive Team and Heads of School / Executive Heads. At least 1x per year.
Vision/Strategy meeting – annual vision and strategy workshop

Business, Community & Marketing
Education
Estates
Finance
HR
IT
Pupil Premium
Risk & Compliance
Safeguarding

COO
Deputy CEO
Director of Teaching Resource
Director Estates
Additional Exec Team / senior leaders by invitation

Vision, Policy, Risk

Education & standards

Finance

Estates, IT, H&S

Agree trust vision and strategy including growth strategy
Ensure vision and ethos are effectively shared with staff, parents, pupils, community, business
Agree partnerships, memorandums of understanding etc.
Receive stakeholder voice and factor this into trust decision making
Hold the trust to account for PR, marketing, business links, community links
Agree governance model for the trust and review regularly to ensure effectiveness.

Policy

Agree Trust-wide policies, hold CEO / COO to account for implementation
Agree Admissions Policies for each school
Agree Scheme of Delegation

Hold trust to account for standards using:

Data snapshots highlighting red flags and causes for celebration
Data snapshots of groups (PP, EAL, LAC, disadvantaged, more able etc) highlighting red flags and causes for celebration
KPIs of barriers to learning (safeguarding issues, behaviour, attendance, etc.) highlighting red flags and causes for celebration

Agree consolidated budget
Agree core charge and services provided within the charge
Agree major extraordinary spends as outlined in the Finance Policy
Agree major shared procurements and leases as outlined in the Finance Policy, ensuring best value
Monitor the asset registers and inventories through updates from Hub Governing Bodies

Risk

Review trust risk register
Monitor effectiveness of risk register processes across the schools and hubs
Receive red flag reports from schools and hubs

Estates

Agree 3-5 year Estates plans
Agree major works as outlined in Finance Policy

Agree 3-5 year IT plans
Agree major contracts and leases as outlined in the Finance Policy

Health & Safety

Top-level monitoring of health and safety compliance, lessons learned etc.

Agree major restructuring and redundancies following approval by CEO
Monitor effectiveness of performance management processes across the trust
Performance Management of the CEO and COO by Chair, at least one other trustee and external advisor.
Agree changes to trust-wide HR policy, ensuring consultation as appropriate
Join Hub HR panels – appeal, grievance, disciplinary, etc. where necessary

Membership	Meetings		Key roles	Attending
Governors from Local Governing Bodies of Hub schools, appointed based on skills 1 trustee Co-opted governors bringing specific skills as needed	Full meetings 3 per year & additional where necessary		Education Estates and IT Finance Health & Safety HR Marketing Risk Safeguarding & Prevent	CEO, Deputy CEO, Director of Teaching Resource COO Senior leaders from schools, as invited by CEO Director of Estates Directors IT, HR & Business managers as invited by COO
	Marketing
	Monitor and contribute to the marketing strategy for the Hub
Vision, Policy, Risk	Education & standards	Finance & Risk	Estates & IT	HR
Interpret the trust vision for the hub context Agree shared staffing Agree shared educational / curriculum developments, PR, enrichment activities, etc. Network as a hub with other trusts, businesses, community organisations, the LA, teaching schools etc. Review effectiveness of governance annually. Take account of stakeholder voice and the concerns and aspirations of Hub schools Policies Agree policies specific to Hub Risk Receive risk reports from Hub schools, identify collective risks, red flag key risks to the Board Exclusions: Monitor exclusions, behaviour partnership arrangements, managed moves Oversee exclusion panels, drawing on expertise from LGBs and trustees as necessary	Agree strategic development of curriculum across Hub schools, in line with whole trust strategy Monitor data red flags Monitor KPIs attendance, exclusions, SEND changes etc. across the group which red flag issues Complaints Overseeing and running complaints at Panel stage	Agree budgets of Hub schools on recommendation of Hub Lead, CEO and COO Monitor budgets Agree grant applications and spending within Finance Policy limits Sign off best value where cheapest quote is not used Agree major shared procurements where these are not covered at trust level Monitor that insurance is in place across the Hub schools Monitor cashflow Monitor the asset registers and inventories Monitor audit action plans	Estates Recommend to Board 3 year estates plans for Hub schools, as recommended by Director Estates Agree medium sized works as outlined in Finance Policy and 3 year plan Monitor progress against health and safety audits IT Recommend to Board 3-5 year plans for Hub schools Agree medium sized contracts and leases as outlined in the Finance Policy and 3 year plan.	Agree medium staff restructuring and redundancies following approval by CEO Monitor effectiveness of performance management processes in Hub schools Oversee Hub HR panels – appeal, grievance, disciplinary, drawing on governors from school and trustees as necessary

How Can You Contact Us?

If you have a concern about an aspect of life at the school, the best first point of contact is always the class teacher, or the headteacher if it’s a concern about the structures and systems of the school (or if it’s a child protection issue). Staff are very keen to know when things aren’t going smoothly for your child and calling in for a chat or to book an appointment to meet is always the best first step.

Governors look at the big picture, and at procedures and policies that affect large numbers of children. So if you’re concerned about something that just affects your child, speak to the class teacher. If it’s about how we do things in school on a bigger scale, talking it over with a governor can be helpful.

You can contact the chair of governors by email at highcliffegovernors@gmail.com
Some governors are usually in school on parents’ evenings and we attend the parent forum meetings.
Parent Governors are often at school dropping off and collecting their own children.
Feel free to chat with one of them if there’s something you’d like them to know.
Or send a note into school with your child labelled ‘Governors’.

A Note About Complaints

If, at any time, a member of the school community has a concern about an aspect of life at the school, the concern will be dealt with by the school as quickly, sympathetically and effectively as possible. It is hoped that most concerns will be settled amicably at this stage.

However, if there is a continuing concern, this can be directed through the formal stages as outlined in the school’s complaints procedure.

I’m interested In Becoming A Governor

All governors are elected for 4 years. When Parent Governor or Staff Governor vacancies become available they are advertised within the parent or staff body and nominations can be made.

Community Governors are appointed by the Governing Body when vacancies arise. If you know of someone with skills which you feel may be valuable to the school, and who you think may be willing to offer the time and commitment required, please contact us.