Governors|Layton Primary School

Annual Governance Statement for the Governing Body for Layton Primary School

April 2017

In accordance with the Government’s requirement for all governing bodies, the 3 core strategic functions of the Layton Primary School Governing Body are

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

Governance arrangements

The Governing Body of Layton Primary School has recently reconstituted to fourteen members.

The full Governing Body meets once each term, and we also have a number of committees to consider different aspects of the school in detail. This includes a Curriculum & Standards committee, a Pay and Performance committee and a Finance & Resources committee. We also have committees that meet if required to consider pupil discipline and staffing matters.

Title	Info
Attendance record of governors	Governors have excellent attendance at meetings.
We work that we have done on our committees and in the governing body	The Governing Body has had a particularly busy year, focusing on developing the vision of the school, and ensuring we move forward to continually improve the quality of provision for our pupils, including maintaining our excellent Year 6 results. The full Governing Body have agreed the priorities for improvement set out in the school development plan for 2016/17. These include: - Continuing to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment Ensure outcomes for pupils continue to be excellent Improve the Quality of Assessment for Learning Improve behaviour of pupils in and around school Developing leaders at all levels within the school The Curriculum & Standards Committee has spent time considering the key data giving the results of pupil achievement and progress, so that we can be sure that the school is on track to fulfil its ambitious targets for all pupils. Part of the remit of this committee is ensuring quality provision for all groups of pupils, including the spending of pupil premium funding. In addition, the Curriculum & Standards Committee has overseen the planning, preparation and development of our school Curriculum, particularly Literacy, Numeracy and ICT The Finance and Resources Committee looks at the maintenance and development of the school premises, and makes decisions about how the school should use the budget. The school budget is currently healthy and governors approve budgets in line with school priorities. One of the roles for the governors is reviewing and agreeing school policies, and this year we have considered a number of key policies, including teaching and learning, focusing on h
Transparency	Minutes of Governing Body and Committee meetings are public documents. You can ask at the school office if you would like to see any of the minutes of our meetings. Some items remain confidential
Future plans for the governors	The governors are especially eager to secure vision and outcomes, and maintain and improve on our successes. We will be working with the head teacher to ensure the school development plan reflects that ambition. We are going to be working closely with the school to examine modes of ensuring sustainability around our recent academic success. As part of the improvements needed to be an outstanding school we are also going to be working hard to ensure that you as parents and carers are aware of all the opportunities available for your children at Layton Primary school by developing new ways of communication. The rolling programme of school refurbishment will continue as will the updating of the IT hardware in order to equip our children with the Technology for the new Computing Curriculum. The Governors have been especially keen to develop opportunities for children to access ICT both at school and home, resulting in the provision of ipads on a 1:1 basis for all children in KS2.
How you can contact the governing body	We always welcome suggestions, feedback and ideas from parents – contact details for Governors are available from the school office.

Register of Business Interests

All governing boards must set up and maintain a register of business interests, which must be published on the school/academy website:

Regulation 26 and Schedule 5 (15) of The School Finance (England) Regulations 2012 require that all Local Authority Schemes for financing schools include details about the setting up of a register of any business interests of the governors and the headteacher.
Academies must have regard to the academies financial handbook which requires that all members, trustees, local Governors (within a MAT) and senior employees complete a declaration of their business interests.

A regular review of entries should take place to ensure the register is kept up to date; this can either be completed as part of an annual review or at each meeting; dated nil returns and any notification of changes from governors, as appropriate, should be provided. However, governors are reminded that they should declare any changes as and when they occur.

Delegation

The governing board may delegate responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of the register of business interests to the clerk.

However, it is the responsibility of each individual governor or staff member present at any meeting to declare their interest; the register is not a substitute for declaring an interest at meetings.

Declaration of Interests

Governors and staff must act and be seen to act impartially, and have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business and personal interests and affairs and those of the school. As such, anyone present at a meeting should declare an interest likely to lead to questions of bias when considering any item of business at a meeting.

Disclosures of interests should include not only interests of individual governors and staff, but also interests of their relatives, personal associates or any other person known to the governor or member of staff who may exert influence. The following interests should be declared:

Employment, Office, Trade, Profession or Vocation

Individuals should list every employment that must be declared for income tax purposes, including the nature of job and employer

Contracts

A description of all contracts, which are not fully discharged: for example, contracts for the supply of goods, services or works to the school

Interests in Companies and Securities

All companies or other bodies that (to the persons knowledge) are active in the school’s area and in which they have a substantial interest (ie holds more than 20% of the share capital or is entitled to exercise more than 20% of the voting power at any general meeting at that company).

An individual has a substantial interest if they own (or have a beneficial interest in) shares or other securities in the company with a nominal value of £25,000 or more than one hundredth of the companies issued shares or securities.

A company or body is active in the school’s area if it has land or business in that area.

Any other interest that in the view of any reasonable person may influence decisions made by a governor or member of staff on behalf of the school.

If you are unsure it is usually better to declare, at the very least seek the advice of the clerk. Further information is also available for members of Academy Boards within the latest version of the Academies Financial Handbook.

It is good practice for governors to declare any interest relating to items on the agenda at the start of each meeting. Failure to declare an interest is a serious matter. It might be an oversight, but a deliberate failure would be cause to suspend the governor.

Where a governor or member of staff or related person has any interest, either pecuniary or non-pecuniary, in a matter to be discussed at a governors’ meeting the governor or member of staff must declare their interest and withdraw from that part of the meeting.

Withdrawal from Meetings (Having an Interest)

The general principle is that no-one should be involved in a decision where his or her personal interests may conflict with those of the governing board.

Title	Info
The requirements apply to all members of the governing board, the headteacher and any others in attendance at the meeting, though if a matter is to be voted upon, then only to the members of the governing board. The clerk to the governing board shall only be required to withdraw when the governing board is discussing the clerk's pay/contract or disciplinary action against the clerk. Governors have to withdraw when their own appointment, reappointment or removal as a member of the governing board or a committee is under consideration. Any person who is employed to work at the school (other than the headteacher), must withdraw from a meeting where the pay or performance appraisal of any particular person employed to work at the school is under discussion. The headteacher must withdraw from any meeting where his/her own pay or performance appraisal is under discussion. If a person has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect in any contract, proposed contract or any other matter under discussion at a meeting s/he shall at the meeting disclose the fact and: (a) withdraw from a meeting during the consideration or discussion of the meeting; (b) not vote on any question with respect to that matter.	A person has an indirect pecuniary interest if: (a) s/he, or any nominee of hers/his, is a member of a company or other body with which a contract is under consideration or has been made; (b) s/he is a partner in business or in the employment, of a person with whom the contract is made or under consideration. A person has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter if a relative (including a spouse) living with her/him, has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest. The headteacher (whether a governor or not), a governor who is a teacher or member of the non-teaching staff, or any teacher who is in attendance in an advisory capacity should not have an interest that is greater than the interest of the generality of teachers at the school. A person present at a meeting of a selection panel at which the subject for consideration is that person's appointment (or that of his/her relative or spouse) to a post as a teacher or otherwise at the school, a transfer or promotion or retirement or shall be a candidate for the resulting vacancy, s/he shall be deemed to have an interest.

Title

Info

The requirements apply to all members of the governing board, the headteacher and any others in attendance at the meeting, though if a matter is to be voted upon, then only to the members of the governing board.

The clerk to the governing board shall only be required to withdraw when the governing board is discussing the clerk's pay/contract or disciplinary action against the clerk.

Governors have to withdraw when their own appointment, reappointment or removal as a member of the governing board or a committee is under consideration.

Any person who is employed to work at the school (other than the headteacher), must withdraw from a meeting where the pay or performance appraisal of any particular person employed to work at the school is under discussion.

The headteacher must withdraw from any meeting where his/her own pay or performance appraisal is under discussion.

If a person has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect in any contract, proposed contract or any other matter under discussion at a meeting s/he shall at the meeting disclose the fact and:

(a) withdraw from a meeting during the consideration or discussion of the meeting;

(b) not vote on any question with respect to that matter.

A person has an indirect pecuniary interest if:

(a) s/he, or any nominee of hers/his, is a member of a company or other body with which a contract is under consideration or has been made;

(b) s/he is a partner in business or in the employment, of a person with whom the contract is made or under consideration.

A person has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter if a relative (including a spouse) living with her/him, has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest.

The headteacher (whether a governor or not), a governor who is a teacher or member of the non-teaching staff, or any teacher who is in attendance in an advisory capacity should not have an interest that is greater than the interest of the generality of teachers at the school.

A person present at a meeting of a selection panel at which the subject for consideration is that person's appointment (or that of his/her relative or spouse) to a post as a teacher or otherwise at the school, a transfer or promotion or retirement or shall be a candidate for the resulting vacancy, s/he shall be deemed to have an interest.

Register of Business Interests

Governor/ Director / Trustee (Must be published on the website)

Name	Name of Business	Nature of Business	Nature of Interest	Date of Appointment of Acquisition	Date of Entry/Review
Mr J Clucas	National Association of Headteachers	Union	Member		10.12.18
Mr R Fisher	Nothing to declare				16.11.16
Mr M Goldstone	Aspire Academy KJC Games Layton Bee Project	Education	Governorship at Aspire Owner/Director of KJC	15.11.17 for Aspire	27.11.2018
Mrs C Jones	Nothing to declare				27.11.18
Mr S Shaw	Blackpool Council Illuminations 5h Blackpool Scout Group Assistant Group Scout Leader		Employment at Illuminations and Charity Trustee of Scout Group		29.11.18
Cllr M Smith	Blackpool Council Blackpool Operating Company Growth Lancashire Global Renewable Capricorn Accountancy Limited BMA Accountants Ltd Blackpool Management Accountants Ltd Yes Hotels Limited Citizen’s Advice Credit Union	Local Government	Councillor		15.11.17
Mr C Webb	CWU Humanitarian Aid Mechanics Centre Trust Communications Worker Union Kay Webb		Trustee of CWU and Mechanics Centre and Member and North West Regional Secretary of CWU Kay Webb - Spouse works in school		13.09.19
Mr C Westhead	Nothing to declare				14.11.18
Mr A Scollay	Chubb Fire & Security	Fire & Security Service	Current employment (company provides services to school)	01.10.18	17.12.18
Cllr Mitchell	Blackpool Council	Local Government	Councillor		18.11.18

Senior Employee/Spouse/Immediate Family Member with a Business Interest

Name	Name of Business	Nature of Business	Nature of Interest	Date of Appointment of Acquisition	Date of Cessation of Interest	Date of Entry/Review
Mrs L Sheldon	Nothing to declare					16.11.16

STATUTORY COMMITTEES

Grievance and Complaints against Staff, Staff Discipline/ Appeals Committees

These committees to be dealt with by the first three available untainted Governors not employed at the school, using the terms of reference set out in the relevant policy document.

Governor’s Meeting Schedule and Attendance 2014-2017 is available from drop down menu

Governors:

J Clucas (voting Headteacher)
R Fisher (co-opted)
M Goldstone (parent Governor)
A Scollay (Parent Governor)
C Jones (co-opted)
M Mitchell (Local Authority Governor)
O Domics (Staff Governor)
S Shaw (parent Governor)
L Sheldon (observer)
Cllr M Smith (co-opted)
C Webb (associate member)
C Westhead (co-opted)
VACANCY
VACANCY
VACANCY

Governors