Transcript Academy Governance “key responsibilities academy goveners

Academy Governance
“key responsibilities for academy governors”
Emma Swann
Education Solicitor
www.parissmith.co.uk
Role of governing body
• Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted – have
both recently emphasised the importance of the role of
governing bodies
• Key areas for academies to consider?
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Functional
• A new governors handbook was published by the DfE
in September 2014
• Sets out 3 strategic functions for governing bodies:
1) Setting the academy’s vision and ethos
2) Holding the head teacher to account on school
performance; and
3) Overseeing financial performance
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Vision and Ethos
•
Role of the governing body is to set the academy’s
vision, ethos and strategic framework
•
Governing body should sign off policies, plans and
targets to achieve strategic priorities
•
Governing body responsible for reviewing progress
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Educational Performance
• Governing body should hold the senior leadership
team to account for school performance
• Questions?
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Receiving Data
• Governors must at least once a year see
objective data from external sources to evaluate
the school’s performance
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Sources of data
• Ofsted reports
• Schools and Colleges performance tables
• RAISE online
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Financial Performance
• Governing body is responsible for ensuring their
schools money is well spent
• Questions?
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Academy Trust
• An academy trust is a company ltd by guarantee
• Exempt charity
• Duties as company directors and charity trustees
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Duties of Company Directors
• Directors duties are set out in the Companies Act 2006.
Duties include:
• To act within powers
• To promote the success of the company
• To exercise independent judgement
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Duties of Company Directors
• To exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
• To avoid conflicts of interest
• To declare interests in proposed transactions
• Not to accept benefits from third parties
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Duties of Charity Trustees
• To comply with the law
• To act in the best interest of the charity
• To use reasonable care and skill
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Duties of Charity Trustees
• To safeguard assets
• To act personally
• Not to profit
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Practical Tips
Governors should:
• Regularly attend meetings
• Receive appropriate training
• Be familiar with the Articles of Association, Funding
Agreement and Academies Financial Handbook
• Monitor and review compliance with policies
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Emma Swann
Education Solicitor
Paris Smith
Tel: 07502 357235
Email: [email protected]
www.parissmith.co.uk