Governing Body Committee Model Terms of Reference

General Guidance – Terms of reference 2017-2018

Most governing bodies carry out much of their business through committees. The governing body decides the constitution, membership and terms of reference of all committees, and must review these annually. Common committees include premises, staffing, finance (often combined in one resources committee as per our template below) and curriculum (sometimes called progress and attainment or standards committee).

It is a good idea for new governors to attend a meeting of each committee so that they can get a good overall picture of how the governing body works.

Each committee must have a chair and a clerk – the governing body will decide whether to appoint the chair or whether the committee should do this. The headteacher cannot be the clerk to a committee but a governor can. However, NGA strongly recommends that it is better practice to have an independent, professional clerk.

The membership of a committee may include associate members, provided that a majority of members of the committee are governors. Even if they are not a member, the headteacher is entitled to attend all committee meetings.

Quorum

For committee meetings, the quorum is a minimum of three governors who are members of the committee. The governing body can however specify its own higher limit. If a governing body does specify a higher limit, it is important to not set this too high - this may result in an increased likelihood of meetings not being able to take place where quorum is not met.

Meetings

Governing bodies are free to determine how often their committees meet – this may be left to the discretion of the individual committees and may depend on the circumstances of the school at any given time. Committee meetings will not be open to the public but minutes shall be made available – attendees can be invited to attend a committee meeting where appropriate.

Information relating to a named person or any other matter that the committee considers confidential does not have to be made available for inspection. In the absence of the chair, the committee shall choose an acting chair for that meeting from among their number. In the absence of the clerk the committee shall choose a clerk for that meeting from among their number (someone who is not the headteacher).

The draft minutes of each meeting will be circulated with the agenda for the next ordinary meeting of the full governing body and will be presented at that meeting by the chair (or in his/her absence another member of the committee). Any decisions taken must be determined by a majority of votes of committee members present and voting – but no vote can be taken unless a majority of those present are governors.

Full Governing Body

To determine the vision and strategic direction for the school

To monitor and evaluate the performance of the school by receiving reports and information from the head teacher
To agree constitutional matters, including procedures (Standing Orders) where the governing body has discretion
To consider whether or not to exercise delegation of functions to individuals or committees
To agree committees terms of reference and membership
To receive reports and ratify recommendations from committees working parties or individual governors
To consider business provided by the LA and other sources
To investigate financial irregularities (head suspected)
To agree selection panel for head teacher and deputy head appointments and ratify the appointment
To suspend or end suspension of head teacher
To draw up the instrument of government and amendments thereafter
To elect or remove the chair and vice chair
To appoint/dismiss the clerk
To hold at least 3 governing body meetings a year
To set up a register of governors’ business interests
To recruit/appoint new governors
To appoint the chair of any committee (if not delegated to the committee itself)
To suspend or remove (where eligible) a governor
To manage the budget and consider proposed revisions
To approve the school development plan / school improvement plan
To receive updates and evaluate progress of School Development Plan
To decide whether to delegate power to spend the delegated budget to the head teacher and if so establish financial limits of delegated authority
To approve the first formal budget plan of the financial year
To ensure allstatutory policies are in place and there is an effective policy review cycle
To review and agree the Governor Code of Conduct
Make arrangements to undertake the governor self-review

Resources Committee(including staffing, finance and premises)

Finance

To review, adopt and monitor all financial policies, including charging and remissions policy
To consider at least three budget monitoring reports each year monitoring the income and expenditure against the annual budget plan
To draft and propose the first formal budget plan of the financial year to the governing body for approval
To establish and maintain a three year financial plan, taking into account priorities of the School Improvement Plan, roll projection and signals from central government and the LA regarding future years’ budgets
Make decisions in respect of service level agreements.
To annually review staff salaries
Review benchmarking information
To report back to each meeting of the full governing body and alert them of potential problems or significant anomalies at an early date
Determine lettings and charging policies for users of the school grounds and premises
Subject to the delegation scheme, approve spending
Review and complete the SFVS (Schools Financial Value Standard), undertake any remedial action identified as part of SFVS
Receive and act upon any issues identified by the local authority audit report
Consider future number of pupils on roll
Consider the use and impact of the Sports Premium, Pupil Premium, EY Premium and Year 7 Catch Up Premium
Review Pay Policy

Staffing

Review staffing structures
Ensure that the school is staffed sufficiently for the fulfilment of the School Improvement Plan and the effective operation of the school
Establish and oversee the operation of the school’s Appraisal Policy – including the arrangements and operation of the schools appraisal procedures for the Head Teacher
Establish and review the school’s Pay Policy for all categories of staff
Annually review procedures for dealing with staff discipline and grievance
To monitor approved procedures for staff discipline and grievance and ensure that staff are kept informed of these
In consultation with staff, to oversee any process leading to staff reduction
Review the Single Central Record
To consider pay discretions
To receive health and safety reports
To approve high risk educational visits
Conduct agreed arrangements for recruitment and selection
Receive reports and monitor levels of staff absence
Consider requests made in line with staffing policies (secondment, flexible working, leave of absence, compressed hours)
Approve Staff Code of Conduct

Review and approve annually the Appraisal Policy ensuring that all staff have been consulted

Premises

To establish, review and monitor the Health and Safety Policy
To provide support and guidance for the governing body and the Headteacher on all matters relating to the maintenance and development of the premises and grounds, including Health and Safety
To ensure that an annual inspection of the premises and grounds takes place and a report is received identifying any issues. To inform the governing body of the report and set out a proposed order of priorities for maintenance and development, for the approval of the governing body
To arrange professional surveys and emergency work as necessary

-The headteacher is authorised to commit expenditure without the prior approval of the committee in any emergency where delay would result in further damage or present a risk to the health and safety of pupils or staff. In this event the headteacher would normally be expected to consult the committee chair at the earliest opportunity

To create a project committee / working party where necessary to oversee any major developments
To establish and keep under review an Accessibility Plan and a Building Development Plan
To ensure that actions are taken in respect of relevant health and safety legislation

To make recommendations to the Finance and Staffing Committee on premises related expenditure

Curriculum and Standards Committee

Curriculum Planning and Delivery

To review, monitor and evaluate the curriculum offer
To recommend for approval to the full governing body:

Self-evaluation form

School Improvement Plan

Targets for school improvement

To review policies identified within the school’s policy review cycle and in accordance with delegated powers
To ensure that the requirements of children with special educational needs are met, as laid out in the Code of Practice, and receive termly reports from the head teacher / SENCO

Assessment and Improvement

Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of leadership and management
Monitor and evaluate the impact of quality of teaching on rates of pupil progress and standards of achievement
To monitor and evaluate rates of progress and standards of achievement by pupils, including any underachieving groups
To monitor and evaluate the impact of continuing professional development on improving staff performance
To set priorities for improvement, and monitor and evaluate the impact of improvement plans which relate to the committee’s area of operation
To monitor and evaluate provision for all groups of vulnerable children (e.g. looked after children) and ensure all their needs have been identified and addressed, and to evaluate their progress and achievement
To regularly review and develop the Assessment Policy and to ensure that the policy is operating effectively
To consider recommendations from external reviews of the school (e.g. Ofsted or local school improvement advisers), agree actions as a result of reviews and evaluate regularly the implementation of the plan
To ensure that all children have equal opportunities
To advise the resources committee on the relative funding priorities necessary to deliver the curriculum
Review pupil attendance and exclusion information
Review impact of Sports Premium, Pupil Premium, Early Years Premium and Year 7 Catch Up Premium
To ensure safeguarding policies are adhered to.
To review child protection policy
To monitor and review safeguarding practice within the school.
To consider changes in safeguarding personnel.
To attend training as required in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance.
To keep up to date with changing legislation in the areas of safeguarding and child protection

Engagement

To monitor the school’s publicity, public presentation and relationships with the wider community
To identify and celebrate pupil achievements
To oversee arrangements for educational visits, including the appointment of a named co-ordinator
To ensure all statutory requirements for reporting and publishing information are met and the school website content is fully compliant and presented in an accessible way.
Ensure the school website is reviewed and monitored and holds all of the necessary statutory information

Pupil Discipline Committee

Consider representations from parents in the case of fixed term exclusions, in line with statutory guidance
To consider the appropriateness of any permanent exclusion or any exclusion where one or more fixed period exclusions total more than 15 school days in one term or where a pupil is denied the chance to take a public examinationin line with statutory guidance
To attend training as required in line with guidance

Appeals & Complaints Committee

To consider appeals against the decision of the Headteacher or committees

(No fewer members than the original committee who made the decision being appealed against)

To consider any complaints against the school in accordance with the agreed Complaints Procedure
To approve a Complaints Policy / Procedure
To attend training as appropriate

Head Teacher Performance Management

To discuss and agree the annual head teacher’s performance management targets
To decide whether the targets have been met
To monitor through the year the performance of the head teacher against the targets
To make recommendations to the Finance & Staffing Committee in respect of pay awards for the successful meeting of targets in line with the Pay Policy
To attend training were appropriate

Admissions Committee (VA/VC Schools only)

To determine within statutory provisions and the Admissions Criteria whether any child should be admitted to the school
To review admissions arrangements and to make recommendations for changes to the governing body
To review Admissions Policy
To attend training were appropriate

DELEGATION PLANNER

Governing bodies are accountable in law for all major decisions about the school and its future. However, this does not mean that they are required to carry out all the work themselves. Many of the tasks can and should be delegated to individuals and committees. It is vital that the decision to delegate a task/responsibility to an individual is made by the full governing body and recorded – without such a formula, the individual/committee has no power to act.

The table below sets out the major areas of responsibility for governing bodies and who they can delegate each task to; it also records where the NGA does not think that, even if a task/responsibility can be delegated, this would be good practice.

There is also space for notes relevant to your governing body – for example, you should specify which committee or individual a particular task will be delegated to.

The governing body is responsible for the strategic direction of the school

Committees can be given delegated authority to make decisions, monitor, evaluate and review particular plans, policies and targets. The head and staff play the major role in formulating plans, policies and targets to bring to committees or to the governing body for discussion prior to adoption by the full governing body.

The head is responsible for internal organisation, management and control of the school and is accountable to the governing body.

Although decisions may be delegated, the governing body as a whole remains responsible for any decision made under delegation.

Level
Area / Function / FGB / Committee / Individual Governor / HT / In our school, this responsibility is delegated to:
Suggestions in italics
Budgets / To approve the first formal budget plan each financial year (whether this can be delegated to a committee of the governing body depends on your local authority’s scheme of financial delegation) /  /  / Full Governing Body
To agree annual action plans and monitor how school premiums are spent (i.e. PE and sports premium, Year 7 numeracy and maths catch up premium, service premium and the pupil premium) /  /  / X / X / Curriculum and Standards Committee
To monitor monthly expenditure /  /  / X /  / Resources Committee
To establish a charging and remissions policy /  /  / X / X / Resources Committee
To enter into contracts (GB should agree financial limits) /  /  / x /  / FGB / Resources committee
Staffing / Appoint selection panel for headteacher /  / Full Governing Body
Appoint selection panel for deputy head /  / Full Governing Body
Appoint selection panel for other members of the senior leadership team /  / x / x / x / Resources Committee
Ratify or reject decisions of appointed selection panels /  / Full Governing Body
Appoint other teachers / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
Appoint non-teaching staff / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
To put in place a pay policy /  /  / x / Resources Committee
To make pay decisions in line with the pay policy and legal requirements / x /  / x /  / Resources Committee
Dismissal of headteacher / x /  / x
Initial dismissal of other staff / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
Suspending head / x /  /  / Resources Committee / Chair
Suspending staff (except head) / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
Ending suspension(head) /  /  /  / As necessary
Ending suspension (except head) /  /  /  / As necessary
Setting the overall staffing structure /  /  / x / X / Resources Committee
Area / Function / FGB / Committee / Individual Governor / HT / In our school, this responsibility is delegated to:
Staffing / In voluntary and foundation schools to agree whether or not the Chief Education Officer/diocesan authority should have advisory rights /  /  / x / Resources committee
Determining dismissal payments/ early retirement /  /  / x / x / Resources committee
To produce and maintain a central record of recruitment and vetting checks / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
Establish and review procedures for addressing staff discipline, conduct and grievance /  / Full Governing Body
Curriculum / Ensure National Curriculum (NC) taught to all pupils /  /  / x /  / Standards and Curriculum committee
To consider any disapplication for pupil(s) / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
To decide which subject options should be taught having regard to resources, and implement provision for flexibility in the curriculum (including activities outside school day) /  /  / x / x / Curriculum and Standards Committee
Establish and review a sex and relationships education policy (including in primary schools where the GB must decide whether to teach sex education) and ensure that parents are informed of their right to withdraw their children / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher
Provide clear advice, informed by statutory guidance, on which a strategy for careers advice and guidance can be based / X / X / X /  / Curriculum and Standards Committee
Responsibility for ensuring that provision of religious education (RE) meets statutory requirements and/or the requirements of any trust deed /  /  / x /  / Head Teacher
Area / Function / FGB / Committee / Individual Governor / HT / In our school, this responsibility is delegated to:
To ensure that all pupils take part in a daily act of collective worship in line with statutory requirements /  / Head Teacher
Extra-curricular provision / To decide whether to offer additional activities and what form these should take place /  / x / x / x / Full Governing Body
To put into place the additional services provided / x / x / x /  / Head Teacher