Full Governing Board (FGB) - Terms of Reference & Remits

Administration and Governance

• Agreeing changes to the Instrument of Government, including terms of office and Governing body constitution
• To decide the arrangements and timetable for FGB meetings and additional meetings (legal minimum of 3 per year)
• To agree & regulate the procedures of FGB & Committee meetings, including code of conduct
• To consider whether or not to exercise delegation of functions to individuals or committees
• To publish proposals to alter, discontinue or change category of school
• To make decisions on whether to federate, academise, or form joint committees with other schools
• To agree school session times and make decisions on whether to offer additional activities
• To meet legal & statutory requirements for Governing bodies as defined in the latest Governance Handbook
• To ensure no more than 1/3 of the Governing body are staff members
• Any decisions taken will be determined by a majority of votes of Governors present at Full Governing Body meetings.  In the event of a tie the Chair (or vice chair if the Chair is absent) will have the casting vote.  The meeting must be quorate for any vote to take place.
• Meetings will be quorate if at least 50% of serving governors are present, no more than 1/3 of attending governors are staff members.

Membership

• To complete an annual skills audit and ensure appropriate training and recruitment of governors to fill identified gaps
• To appoint, suspend or remove governors
• To appoint, dismiss and fix the salary of the clerk to governors
• To appoint associate members (non-voting)
• To elect or remove the chair and vice chair on an annual basis
• To appoint statutory designated governors, for example safeguarding and SEND
• To agree and appoint link or non-statutory designated governors, for example Health & Safety, performance management and mental health
• Establish and agree membership and chairmanship of committees if used and their terms of reference & remits
• Establish and agree membership and terms of reference of sub-groups or working groups, including selection panels for head teacher and deputy head teacher recruitment.

Vision, Strategy, Policy & Self Review

• To participate in the school self-review process including the review of the governing board effectiveness and 360 review of the Chair of Governors
• Alongside school leaders, to review and approve the school vision, mission and strategy
• To approve the School Development Plan
• To comply with the requirements of the Ofsted Inspection Framework
• To consider in full any inspection report made by Ofsted, DfE or the LA and ensure they are incorporated in the SDP
• To receive school development information from the school, LA, consultants, and Ofsted
• To understand the school self-evaluation (SEF), which is completed by the Headteacher.
• To agree the delegations and review frequency of all school policies and ensure statutory policies are in place with the correct review frequency and delegation as outlined by DfE statutory guidance.
• To review and approve all policies delegated to governors in line with the approved policy planner.

Safeguarding, SEND and Equality

• To ensure all governors complete regular safeguarding training in line with the statutory guidance set out by the DfE
• To appoint a safeguarding link governor to cover safeguarding, LAC, and PLAC, and ensure they receive the necessary training to fulfil their role
• To appoint a SEND link governor and ensure they receive the necessary training to fulfil their role
• To review and understand the school equality statement, prepared by the Headteacher and SLT, and ensure this is publicised on the school website
• To ensure all governor statutory duties as outlined in DfE statutory guidance with regards to safeguarding, SEND and equality are understood and being delivered
• To ensure all statutory requirements as outlined in DfE statutory guidance with regards to safeguarding, SEND and equality are being delivered by school leaders.
• To consider safeguarding and equalities implications when undertaking all decisions and governing board functions

Data Protection

• To monitor GDPR compliance within the school and ensure any remedial actions required are progressed.
• To ensure that there are appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to reduce the risk of a cyber security attack

Staffing

• To ensure that the school is staffed sufficiently for the fulfilment of the school development plan and the effective operation of the school.
• To establish a Pay Policy for all categories of staff, review on an annual basis and ensure its implementation
• To establish and ensure implementation of the school's Appraisal Policy and consider and approve recommendations from the annual appraisal cycle on pay progression.
• To manage the annual appraisal of the Headteacher – this must be done by at least 2 Governors with the assistance of an appointed external advisor
• To ensure that staffing procedures (including recruitment procedures) follow equalities legislation and safeguarding guidelines
• To recruit and ratify the appointment of a new head teacher
• To recruit and ratify the appointment of a new deputy head teacher and staff on the Leadership team
• To approve the policies and arrangements for the appointment of all other staff, based upon recommendations from Derby City local authority.
• To agree changes to the staffing structure of the school.
• To approve staff pay level increases or one-off payments outside inflationary increases outlined in the adopted Derby City pay policy, ensuring any pay increase is in line with statutory guidance and budget constraints
• To ensure that sufficient funds are set aside for pay increments as set out in the Pay Policy and as recommended by the headteacher
• To determine dismissal payments/early retirement
• To suspend and dismiss the head teacher
• To end the suspension of the head teacher
• To agree the suspension and/or dismissal of all other staff
• To end the suspension of other staff
• In consultation with staff, and with HR guidance, to oversee any process leading to staff reductions.
• To establish the annual and longer-term salary budgets and other costs relating to personnel, e.g. training.

Finance & Premises

• To approve a written description of financial systems and procedures in line with the LAs scheme for financing schools
• To establish and maintain a three year financial plan, taking into account priorities of the School Improvement Plan, cohort size projection and signals from central government and the LA regarding future years’ budgets, within the constraints of available information
• To review and approve the annual school budget taking into account the priorities of the School Improvement Plan
• To monitor the income and expenditure at least 6 times per year of all delegated and devolved funds against the annual budget plan, using budget monitoring reports from the Schools Business Manager
• To approve changes to the financial limits of delegated authority to enter into commitments and to authorise payments in line with the approved delegations.
• To ensure an appropriate Asset Register is maintained and determine delegation rights for asset write-off/inventory disposal.
• To ensure Insurance arrangements are current and fit for purpose
• To establish the governors’ register of pecuniary and business interest and oversee its maintenance
• To review and approve the annual SFVS review submission and any remedial action identified as part of this, and monitor progress against these actions
• To receive and act upon any issues identified by a local authority audit
• To establish and monitor a governors expenses scheme
• To establish and keep under review an Accessibility Plan and a Building Development Plan
• To ensure all relevant premises inspections are undertaken and monitor these and ongoing maintenance issues using the report to governors by the School Business Manager.
• To review the outcomes of the annual Conditions Survey and agree budget allocations to deliver required works identified through this report
• To create a project committee where necessary to oversee any major developments
• To develop, adopt and monitor a Health and Safety policy
• To monitor the school’s systems and approach to risk assessments, Health & safety audits, first aid, and fire evacuation, ensuring these meet statutory requirements.
• To ensure that the governing body's responsibilities regarding litter, refuse and dog excrement are discharged according to Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, so far as is practicable
• To monitor and authorise the arrangement of 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 is expected to consult the committee chair at the earliest opportunity
• To approve the use of the premises by outside agencies, including setting and reviewing the rates for hire of the school facilities

Curriculum

• To ensure that the requirements of children with special needs are met, as laid out in the Code of Practice, and receive termly reports from the headteacher/SENCO.  An annual report from the SEND governor should be presented to the FGB
• To ensure the curriculum is ambitious and accessible for all children.

Standards

• To monitor and evaluate the impact of quality of teaching on rates of pupil progress and standards of achievement, including reviewing trends and benchmarking where possible
• 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 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 understand and review the assessment process and to ensure that this is operating effectively
• Monitor and review the arrangements for transition of children into the school and transition of children to their next school to ensure best outcomes for children

Engagement

• To actively and regularly engage with key stakeholders, including staff, parents, carers, and the Local Authority, to seek and understand their views and feedback.
• Ensure the views and feedback from key stakeholders is considered in all key decisions made by the governing board, including the development and review of the school vision and strategy.
• To monitor the school’s publicity, public presentation and relationships with the wider community.
• To identify and celebrate pupil and staff 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.  The review of website compliance will be completed by the SBM and presented to governors at least annually.

 

Approved by the Governing Body of Whitecross Nursery School on 2 July 2024.