Annual Governance Statement 

The Governing Body at Bill Quay Primary School prides itself on its accessibility and committed relationship with the pupils, staff and children in School. We take an active role within the school where we support, advise and challenge the school when necessary.

The Governing Body

As a Governing Body we have made strategic decisions within the last 3 years that have impacted upon the school.

• We have made a strategic decision about the ARMS provision and its decommissioning within the school. This involved extra meetings with council representatives, union representatives, staff and parents and a review of current staffing structure is planned in line with financial situation of school.

• We have carried out a key skills audit ensuring that the people most suited to the roles within the Finance and Staffing committee and Pupils and Curriculum were members ensuring the effectiveness of these committees. We also appointed Chairs for both these committees to assist the Chair of the full Governing Body.

• Governing monitoring, involvement and feedback is ongoing to ensure standards are being met within the school

• Rigour in financial management is monitored within the finance committee with the guidance of the Budget Officer. This ensures value for money with the allocated budget given.

• In partnership with the school, governors support and monitor the new curriculum and its implications.

Terms of Reference

Below are the terms of reference that the Governing Body uses as a guide to effectively to discharge their duties.

Full Governing Body

• To determine the strategic direction of the school

• To monitor and evaluate the performance of the school by receiving reports from the head teacher.

• To agree constitutional matters, including procedures (Standing Orders) where the governing body has discretion

• To consider whether or not to exercise delegation of functions to individuals or committees

• To agree committees terms of reference and membership

• To receive reports and ratify recommendations from committees/individual governors

• To consider business provided by the LA and other sources

• To investigate financial irregularities (head suspected)

• To agree selection panel for head teacher and deputy head appointments and ratify the appointment

To suspend or end suspension of head teacher

To draw up the instrument of government and amendments thereafter

To elect or remove the chair and vice chair

To appoint/dismiss the clerk

• To hold at least 3 governing body meetings a year

• To set up a register of governors’ business interests and complete an annual return

• To recruit/appoint new governors

• To appoint the chair of any committee (if not delegated to the committee itself)

• To suspend a governor

• To manage the budget and consider proposed revisions

• To approve the school development plan

· To decide whether to delegate power to spend the delegated budget to the head teacher and if so establish financial limits of delegated authority

· To approve the first formal budget plan of the financial year

· To approve the Statement of Internal Control

· To ensure statutory policies are in place and there is an effective policy review cycle

· To review and agree the Governor Code of Conduct

Finance and Staffing Committee

• To manage and decide how to spend the delegated budget/income.

• To consider at least three budget monitoring reports each year

• To draft the first formal budget plan of the financial year

• To establish and maintain a three year financial plan

• To consider and agree SLA's and contracts and to monitor the effectiveness of services in consultation with appropriate committees

• To manage tendering processes and the awarding of contracts

• To implement pay policies

• To consider early retirement requests (with the exception of the head and deputy)

• To consider requests for disposal of obsolete stock

• To establish and review ordering and payments systems

• To consider use and impact of Pupil Premium & PE Sports Grant

• To consider termly budget position statements including approving virements and to report anomalies to the full governing body

• To respond to audit reports and monitor progress of any actions

• To ensure the school meets SFVS

• To annually consider whether to spend a proportion of the delegated budget on the provision of community facilities

• To ensure that the school operates within the Financial Regulations of Gateshead Council

• To monitor expenditure of all voluntary funds (School Fund) kept on behalf of the governing body and appoint auditors

• To make decisions on expenditure following recommendations from other committees

• To investigate irregularities (other than the head suspected)

• To consider future pupil rolls and income levels

• To approve the budget management policy

• To annually review benchmarking data

• To regularly complete governor competencies audit

• To review the Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme

• To review staffing structures

• To review salary for deputy head teacher

• To review Charging and Lettings Policy

• To determine lettings charges for other users of the school buildings and grounds

• To review the Pay Policy

• To annually review staff salaries

• To establish and review a Governor Allowance Policy

• To attend training were appropriate

• Additional items which individual governing bodies may wish to include

Disqualification – Any relevant person employed to work at the school other than as the head, when the subject for consideration is the pay or performance review of any person employed to work at the school

Curriculum & Pupils Committee

• To ensure provision of free school meals to those pupils meeting criteria

• To review home-school agreements/parental contracts

• To discharge duties in respect of pupils with special needs by appointing a “responsible person”

• To ensure the National Curriculum is taught to all pupils and to consider any disapplication

• To ensure provision of RE in line with school’s curriculum

• To review Pupil Premium/PE Sport Grant spending and impact (in consultation with F&S Committee)

• To plan strategies to collect and consider pupil voice

• To consider penalty notices

• To consider and approve admission arrangements

• To consider relevant SLAs and contracts

• To assist in the development of, monitor and review the School Improvement Plan

• To undertake the governing body self-review

• To monitor and review pupil and school performance, and attendance and exclusion

• To set attendance targets and monitor attendance/unauthorised absence data

• To participate in school self-evaluation

• To consider curriculum complaints

• To consider Nursery admissions

• To ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to

• To ensure policies for CLA are in line with guidance

• To ensure the school contributes to community cohesion

• To review extended school provision in terms of pupil learning, resources and premises

• To undertake an annual review of safeguarding

• To ensure statutory information is published online

• To review Behaviour, Exclusion and Discipline Policy

• To review Homework Policy

• To review Equalities Policy

• To review RE Policy

• To review Collective Worship Policy

• To review SEND Policy

• To review Gifted and Talented Pupils Policy

• To review Sex and Relationships Education Policy

• To review Community Cohesion Policy

• To review Early Years Foundation Stage Policy

• To review Use of Social Media and E Safety Policies

• To review Child Protection Policy

• To attend training as appropriate

• Additional items which individual governing bodies may wish to include

• Disqualification – None

Attendance

As a governing body, we do look at attendance as this can impact on our effectiveness as a governing body. Also this is something that Ofsted would take into consideration. A governor is a voluntary role but to fulfil the role to its full potential, there must be a level of commitment.

Attendance for the past year for the full governing body has been 90%

The attendance for the committees for the past year -

Finance Committee 86%

Pupils and Curriculum Committee 83%

Health and Safety Committee 75%

The Governing Body comprises of

Mrs Lisa Evans (Chair) (Co-opted)

Mrs Angela Topping (Vice Chair) (Parent Governor)

Mr Andrew McAdam (Co-opted)

Councillor Anne Wheeler (Local Authority)

Ms Rebecca Webb (Staff Governor)

Mrs Lesley Burrell (Co-opted Staff Governor)

Mrs Jane Kitson (Co-opted Staff Governor)

Mrs Katrina Clayton (Co-opted)

Dr Robin Stanaway (Co-opted)

Mrs T Hilton (Head Teacher)

Mr Jon Ward (Co-opted)

Mr David King (Parent Governor)