Administration and Governance

1. Agreeing changes to the Instrument of Government, including terms of office and Governing body constitution
2. To decide the arrangements and timetable for FGB meetings and additional meetings (legal minimum of 3 per year)
3. To agree & regulate the procedures of FGB & Committee meetings, including code of conduct
4. To consider whether or not to exercise delegation of functions to individuals or committees
5. To publish proposals to alter, discontinue or change category of school
6. To make decisions on whether to federate, academise or form joint committees with other schools
7. To agree school session times and make decisions on whether to offer additional activities
8. To meet legal & statutory requirements for Governing bodies as defined in the latest Governance Handbook
9. To ensure no more than 1/3 of the Governing body are staff members
10. 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.

Membership

1. To complete an annual skills audit and ensure appropriate training and recruitment of governors to fill identified gaps
2. To appoint, suspend or remove governors
3. To appoint, dismiss and fix the salary of the clerk to governors
4. To appoint associate members ( non-voting )
5. To elect or remove the chair and vice chair on an annual basis
6. To appoint statutory designated governors, for example safeguarding and SEND
7. To agree and appoint link or non-statutory designated governors, for example Health & Safety
8. Establish and agree membership and chairmanship of committees and their terms of
9. reference & remits
10. 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

Safeguarding, SEND and Equality

1. To ensure all governors complete regular safeguarding training in line with the statutory guidance set out by the DfE
2. To appoint a safeguarding link governor each year to cover safeguarding, LAC, and PLAC, and ensure they receive the necessary training to fulfil their role
3. To appoint a SEND link governor each year and ensure they receive the necessary training to fulfil their role
4. To review and understand the school equality statement, prepared by the Headteacher and SLT, and ensure this is publicised on the school website
5. To appoint a Governor responsible for ensuring that the filtering and monitoring standards are met in regard to the school’s IT system, ensuring there are processes in place to filter and monitor risk, and to regularly review their effectiveness.
6. To consider safeguarding and equalities implications when undertaking all decisions and governing board functions

Staffing

1. To recruit and ratify the appointment of a new head teacher
2. To recruit and ratify the appointment of a new deputy head teacher and staff on the Leadership team
3. To approve the policies and arrangements for the appointment of all other staff, based upon recommendations from the Resources committee
4. To agree changes to the staffing structure of the school, based upon recommendations from the Resources committee
5. To ratify the appointment of all other staff
6. To determine dismissal payments/early retirement
7. To suspend and dismiss the head teacher
8. To end the suspension of the head teacher
9. To agree the suspension and/or dismissal of all other staff
10. To end the suspension of other staff
11. In consultation with staff, to oversee any process leading to staff reductions.
12. To establish the annual and longer-term salary budgets and other costs relating to personnel, e.g. training.

Finance & Premises

1. 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
2. To review and approve the annual school budget taking into account the priorities of the School Improvement Plan.
3.  To approve changes to the financial limits of delegated authority to enter into commitments and to authorise payments, as recommended by the resources committee
4. To establish the governors’ register of pecuniary and business interest and oversee its maintenance
5. To be aware of the outcomes of the SFVS review and any remedial action identified as part of this, as informed by the resources committee
6. To establish and monitor a governors expenses scheme
7. To establish and keep under review an Accessibility Plan and a Building Development Plan
8. To create a project committee where necessary to oversee any major developments
9. To develop, adopt and monitor a Health and Safety policy
10. To monitor the school’s systems and approach to risk assessments, Health & safety audits, first aid, and fire evacuation and provide an update on Health & Safety to the FGB once per term
11. 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
12. To approve the use of the premises by outside agencies, including setting and reviewing the rates for hire of the school facilities

Standards

1. To participate in the school self-review process including the review of the governing board effectiveness and 360 review of the COG
2. To review and approve the school vision, mission and strategy
3. To approve the School Improvement Plan
4. To comply with the requirements of the Ofsted Inspection Framework
5. To consider in full any inspection report made by Ofsted, DfE or the LA and ensure they are incorporated in the SIP
6. To receive school improvement information from the school, LA, consultants, and Ofsted
7. To review and understand the school self-evaluation, which is completed by the Headteacher.
8. To ratify targets for pupil progress

Engagement

1. To actively and regularly engage with key stakeholders, including staff, parents, carers, and the Local Authority, to seek and understand their views and feedback.
2. 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.
3. To monitor the school’s publicity, public presentation and relationships with the wider community.
4. To identify and celebrate pupil and staff achievements
5. To oversee arrangements for educational visits, including the appointment of a named co-ordinator.
6. 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 Standards committee and SBM.

Approved by the Governing Body of Whitecross Nursery School on 5 July 2023.