Morpeth All Saints Church of England Aided First School

The Governing Body of the school is made up of 12 members and a list of Governor Interests and attendance at various meetings/visits to school are tabled in the documents below. 

Under our terms of reference a chair is appointed from governors sitting on the

Resources Committee or  Learning, Admissions and Safeguarding Committee. 

All school governors have an Enhanced DBS check and Section 128 check.

Dates of Full Governing Body Meetings 2018 / 2019

Autumn Term:       27 September 2018    

Spring Term:        27 February 2019

Summer Term:     16 May 2019

Copies of Full Governing Body Minutes are held in the main school office.

The Chair of Governors for Full Governing Body Meetings is:            Mr. B. Hedley

The Chair of Governors for the Resources Committee Meetings is:  Mr. B. Hedley

The Chair of Governors for the Learning, Safeguarding and Admissions is elected at each meeting.

At Morpeth All Saints CE Aided First School we have a team of governors that work as volunteers to support the school.   Their role is to support and challenge the Headteacher and to help set the vision and strategic direction of the school ensuring that our school is the very best it can be.  Governors have a wide range of duties and tasks, including:-

• Ensuring that the school meets its legal responsibilities

• Setting the school budget

• Making decisions about the school building and premises

• Setting school policies

• Appointing staff and making decisions about current staffing

• Looking at how well groups of pupils are performing and ensuring action is taken if there are any concerns

We have three Full Governing Body meetings each year held in the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms.  A range of subcommittee meetings also take place at least once per term.  During these meetings we look at a wide range of information to find out how well the school is performing.   Miss Halliday provides a detailed Headteacher’s report at these meetings but governors also look at data and independent reports so that we can make our own decisions about how well things are going. To support the work that goes on, governors also try to visit school as often as possible. We are proud to have a committed Governing Body that is made up of a team individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

Strategic:  The Governing Body sets the general direction of the school, looking at how it should best develop and improve.  This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, setting targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives.  Strategic thinking is not always linked with the curriculum and it does not mean just responding to weakness.

Critical Friend:  The Governing Body works with the Headteacher and creates a clear understanding of the challenges faced in managing the school. The governing body is able to question and challenge. A good working relationship is essential as a real critical friendship is only achieved where there is trust and mutual respect.

Accountability:  school is a business and its stakeholders are the learners. The Governing Body has a professional attitude and uses its collective skills to benefit the learners. It gathers views, ask questions and decides what is best for the school and the children. The governing body is answerable to the parents and the wider community.

Pecuniary Interest:

We hold a register of pecuniary interest for all governors.  It is vitally important for the school community that the school makes transparent judgements and decisions as they represent not just the parent and child body but take an oversight of the budget which is ultimately, public money.

Pecuniary Interests of Governors and Staff

BUSINESS AND PECUNIARY INTERESTS EXPLAINED

When visiting schools auditors are often asked the difference between business and pecuniary interests and exactly who should be making what declarations.

Business interests

A business interest is the involvement of an individual or their family members in any trade or professions, along with any direct interest they may have in any company providing goods or services to the school. For example, if a Governor runs their own building company or provides training courses for teaching staff. When making a decision about what or what not to declare, the individual should consider how they may be challenged about their decision not to disclose information.

All members of the Governing Body, the Headteacher and any staff who influence financial decisions, are expected to declare any business interests that they or any family member may have. A register of the business interests should be made available in the school and there should be an annual review of this register. In addition, where a Governor or no member of staff has no business interests, they should complete a form saying ‘No interests to declare’.  New Governors or members of staff, influencing financial decisions, should be asked to complete a form on joining the relevant Governing Body or school.

It is a common misconception that pecuniary interests are the same as business interests; however, pecuniary interests are a wider term. Pecuniary interests include personal financial interests, such as involvement in a trust fund or investment, as well as potential interests, for example, where a member of staff’s husband is applying for a vacancy in the school or where a teacher Governor is involved in the decision over the promotion of a colleague, and where they may be a potential candidate for the post made available.

Due to the nature of these interests, they cannot only be declared annually. All members of the Governing Body and all members of staff should be made aware at Governor and staff meetings of the need to declare these interests, as they arise. Declarations should be made in writing to the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors of the relevant board and these should be filed in a register of pecuniary interests.

Register of Business Interests

As you will appreciate, the Governing Body must ensure that Governors and staff are not involved in activities that might conflict with their role within the school.  It is especially important to demonstrate that individuals do not benefit personally from the decisions made by the Governors, unless such decisions are made openly and legitimately.

The Governing Body is not concerned with any hobbies from which no income is made, or even minor commercial interest that you might have. However, governors must declare any interest they have, or plans they, their spouse partner or a close family member might have, and that are related to or might be construes as being related to the school and its budget.