Mapledown School Governing Body

FULL GOVERNING BODY (FGB)

Membership - as per the Instrument of Government dated 17 November 2014 and reviewed annually:

• Four Parent Governors
• One LA Governor
• One Staff Governor
• One Headteacher
• Four Co-opted Governors

The total number of governors is 11. The Governing Body aimed to ensure that a teaching and non-teaching member of staff was represented on the Governing Body. 

Quorum: Four governors including the Headteacher, Chair or Vice Chair.

Frequency of Meetings: Three per year and otherwise as required.

The role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body has three strategic core functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

In exercising their functions, the Governing Body will:

• Act with integrity, objectivity and in the best interest of the school;
• Be open about the decisions they make and the actions they take, and be prepared to explain their decisions and actions to interested parties.

The Governing Body will:

• Hold at least 3 meetings per year
• Appoint or remove the clerk
• Elect a Chair and Vice Chair
• Advise all parents of any parent governor vacancies, all staff or staff governor vacancies 
• Appoint co-opted governors
• Set dates of meetings for the year ahead
• Receive Headteacher's reports
• Receive Committee reports and updates from the committees: School Improvement; Finance, Pay and Staffing; Premises and Health and Safety. 
• Annually review policies in conjunction with the relevant committees
• Review, adopt and monitor policies as required
• If required, consider the suspension of a governor
• Review, adopt and monitor the procedures for dealing with complaints from parents/carers
• Ensure at least 2 governors are appointed to complete the Headteacher's performance management
• Review annually the delegation of functions and committee structure
• Encourage training for governors
• Ensure compliance with GDPR

The Role of the Chair of the Governing Body:

• To ensure the business of the Governing Body is conducted properly, in accordance with legal and London Borough of Barnet delegation requirements.
• To ensure meetings are run effectively, focusing on priorities and making the best use of time available, and to ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision-making.
• To establish and foster an effective relationship with the Headteacher based on trust and mutual respect for each other’s roles. The Chair has an important role in ensuring that the Governing Body acts as a sounding board to the Headteacher and provides strategic direction.
• Disqualification – the Headteacher, Staff Governors, Pupils, Staff Members.

The Role of the Clerk to the Governing Body & Committees

• To work effectively with the Chair of Governors, the other Governors and the Headteacher to support the Governing Body
• To advise the Governing Body on constitutional and procedural matters, duties and powers
• To convene meetings of the Governing Body and committees
• To attend meetings of the Governing Body and ensure minutes are taken, and actions recorded
• To maintain a register of members of the Governing Body and report vacancies to the Governing Body
• To maintain a Register of Interests (pecuniary and personal) to ensure that potential conflicts of interest with the school are avoided
• To maintain an annual record of Governors’ attendance at meetings
• To give and receive notices in accordance with relevant regulations
• To perform such other functions as may be determined by the Governing Body from time to time
• Disqualification – Governors, Associate Members, the Headteacher

The Role of the Chair of a Committee

• To ensure the business of the Committee is conducted properly, in accordance with legal requirements
• To ensure meetings are run effectively, focusing on priorities and making the best use of time available, and to ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision-making
• Disqualification – none

The Governing Body needs to take a strategic role, act as a critical friend to the School and be accountable for its decisions. It should set aims and objectives and agree, monitor and review policies, targets and priorities. Governing Body meetings will be open to the public with Minutes available except for matters considered confidential. In the event of a tied vote, the Chair or Acting Chair/Vice Chair will have a second or casting vote.

***see Terms and References