Bexton Local Governing Board Terms of Reference 2024-5

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR BEXTON LOCAL GOVERNING BOARD

1. 1. SUMMARY ACCOUNTABILITY LEVELS

Cheshire Academies Trust has Finance and Standards committees, and Local Governing Boards (LGB) for each of the academies for which it is responsible. The Trust Board delegates the appointment of Governors to the LGB and decides what other powers to delegate to them. The LGB has the authority to delegate their functions to sub-committees, run a flat structure or in certain circumstances an individual Governor or Principal.  In addition, where the Board has decided that a significant level of support is required in improving outcomes an Academy Monitoring Board may be established in individual academies to address this criterion.

1. 2. The Trust, through the Central team, will retain responsibility for:
      1. Budget setting for all Academies within the Trust (this will be undertaken in consultation with the Principal and LGB).
      2. Planning the Capital Expenditure programme
      3. Setting whole academy financial targets in line with Trust priorities
      4. Establishing Trust wide policies applicable to each Academy
      5. Setting attainment and progress targets for each Academy (where progress is under 0 for any aspect including reading, writing and mathematics)
      6. Undertaking CEO, Principal (along with LGB members) and Central Trust staff appraisal. It will remain the responsibility of the CEO to make the final decision regarding Principal appraisal.

• 3. Working on behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is the responsibility of the LGB to:
     1. Set the vision, ethos and direction of the academy in partnership with other stakeholders.
     2. Provide effective support and challenge to Academy leaders.
     3. Approve the strategic areas and targets for inclusion in the Academy Development Plan.
     4. In conjunction with the CEO and Principal, approve educational targets for the academy as a whole and for identified groups with regard to local and national standards.
     5. Monitor progress against the agreed educational targets in the Academy Development Plan.
     6. Recommend the budget, including the 3-year plan, and staffing structure, for approval to the Trust Board.  
     7. Review and challenge the 3-year budget on a termly basis.
     8. Identify current and future financial risks and accrue/plan accordingly via maintenance of the academy risk register and report on such to the LGB
     9. Approve or reject any and all non-budgeted expenditure that arises throughout the Academy year that is over and above £10,000 
     10. Contribute to the consultation process for Trust policies.
     11. Review quotes (2 minimum) and approve expenditure for all items over and above £2,000.
     12. Review the annual audited financial statements for CAT and action any recommendations for their academy contained therein.
     13. Contribute to Trust Board consultations.
     14. Ensure effective policies are in place for matters not covered by central Trust policies.
     15. Ensure the implementation of Trust policies and review the effectiveness and impact of them in accordance with the annual agenda plan.
     16. Arrange for the preparation of termly reports, in line with approved templates, for presentation to the Trust Board.
     17. Monitor the performance of the academy in accordance with the annual agenda plan and report to the Trust Board on a termly basis (APPENDIX 9)highlighting any areas of concern under the six headings of:
• Vision and strategy
• Educational performance
• Financial performance
• Safeguarding
• Compliance
• Governance

9. LOCAL GOVERNING BOARD PROTOCOLS
   1. LGBs who can demonstrate appropriate levels of control may have in place a sub-committee structure if deemed appropriate. The terms of reference of each LGB sub-committee must be based on the Trust’s model and approved by the LGB each year. The membership of each sub-committee will be agreed on an annual basis at the first meeting of the Local Governing Board in the autumn term.
   2. Structure and Administration:
      1. Chair, Vice Chair and Chair of Committees will be elected on an annual basis in the autumn term. No governor employed at the Academy will act as Chair to the LGB or a sub-committee. In the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair the committee will elect a temporary replacement from among the Governors present at the committee meeting.
      2. The clerk for all LGB meetings will be employed by the Trust Board. No meetings of the LGB should take place without the clerk present, unless in exceptional circumstances in which a member of the LGB (other than the chair or staff governor) will take notes or record the meeting.
      3. The LGB will meet as often as is necessary to fulfil its responsibilities and at least once each term. Each sub-committee/panel shall meet as often as necessary to fulfil its responsibilities (The Pay Review panel will meet at least once in each academic year).
      4. The clerk to the committee/panel will circulate the agenda for each meeting and papers normally at least a week before the committee meeting.
      5. Attendance at each meeting, pecuniary interests, issues discussed and recommendations for decisions will be recorded.
      6. The minutes of meetings will be forwarded by the clerk of the Governing Board in sufficient time for its inclusion on the agenda and papers of the next meeting of the full Governing Board in order to ratify decisions and recommendations.
      7. The chair of the meeting will be responsible for giving an oral summary of the meeting’s deliberations if necessary at meetings of the full Governing Board.
      8. Each sub-committee is authorised to invite attendance at its meetings from persons to assist or advise on a particular matter or range of issues, including parents and members of the Academy or Trust staff who are not Governors.
      9. Governors may vote at meetings. Where necessary, the elected chair may have a second or casting vote.
      10. Declarations of direct or indirect interest in specific agenda items must be made. Guidance will be given on when withdrawal from the meeting and non-participation in discussion will be required.
      11. In the event of a need to make genuinely urgent decision the Chair of Governors, in consultation with the CEO, Principal and/or Chair of sub-committee (as appropriate), will take appropriate action on behalf of the LGB. The decisions taken and the reasons for urgency will be explained fully and minuted at the next meeting of the Local Governing Board.
   3. The agenda planners for LGBs are listed in APPENDIX 2.

Please see below for the 'Cheshire Academies Trust Scheme of Delegation'

More information can be found in the governance section of the Cheshire Academies Trust web page http://www.cheshireacademiestrust.co.uk