Local Governing Body
Husthwaite and Sessay CE Federation are proud to be part of the educational vision for Elevate Multi Academy Trust whilst retaining our own strong identity. The Trustees have allowed its schools to retain the same composition for their local governing bodies, which is set out below.
The three core functions of the local governing board are:
To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
To hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the Federation and its children.
To oversee the financial performance of the Federation and make sure its money is well spent.
Chair of Governors: Stephen Brough
Contact: sbrough@sessayprimaryschool.org
Sessay CE Primary School, Sessay, Thirsk, YO7 3NA
Responsibilities
Together, the Governors are responsible for:
- Setting aims and targets for the Federation and checking the Federation’s progress towards attaining these.
- Monitoring how well the Federation’s policies and plans are working.
- Accounting for the performance of the Federation and the Governing Body.
- Working with the Head teacher to make sure that teaching at the Federation is effective and good quality and the children are making the best possible progress.
- Taking general responsibility for the Federation and its budgets.
- Challenging and supporting the senior management team and taking opportunities to show interest in and appreciation of staff and children.
- Promoting the interests of the Federation and its children in the wider community.
Types of Governors
There are several different types of Governor:
- Parent Governor
Elected from parents at each school by parents.
- Staff Governor
Elected from staff at both schools by staff at the Federation
- Co-opted Governors
Appointed by members of the Local Governing Body. They are intended to be representative of the local community and may add particular kinds of expertise.
- Foundation Governor
Foundation governors are representatives of the Church of England.
The local vicar is normally appointed as the 'ex-officio' foundation governor;
The other foundation governor will usually be appointed by either Leeds or York Diocese, following consultation with the local PCC.
Elevate Governance:
As a multi-academy trust, Elevate is a charitable company limited by guarantee. This means that Elevate is a single legal entity, but it has several Academies within its family. Currently, Elevate has 14 Primary Academies. These are mainly situated across North Yorkshire with 1 Academy in West Yorkshire.
Elevate and their Academies work in collaboration with a single shared vision. The governance structure is designed to reflect the overall responsibility of the Board of Trustees, the (operational) leadership of the CEO supported by the School Improvement Team for education and the Operational Team; for the day to day running of the Academies by the Executive Head Teachers (EHT) and Head teachers coupled with the value of local experience and understanding of the LGBs in assessing the performance of our Academy and their interaction with the local community.
Elevate has established 3 key layers of governance:
- Members
- Trustees
- Local Governors
Although Elevate’s Trustees are accountable for all of the schools within the Trust, it highly values the work undertaken by local governors in supporting, and challenging, our Academies and senior leadership teams to deliver high quality and inclusive education.
Elevate LGBs have a pivotal role in the overall framework of the Trust by having:
- An in-depth knowledge and understanding of their Academies;
- Sustaining uniqueness of their Academy whilst aligning with Elevate’s educational vision;
- Forging and maintaining links with their community;
- Providing the vital governance link between themselves and Trustees to enable the Trustees to carry out their responsibilities as leaders of the Trust.
The different responsibilities overseen by Trustees and Local Governors are set out in the Scheme of Delegation, which is reviewed on an annual basis.
The Governing Body also has the following statutory committees:
- Pupil Discipline Committee
- Staff Discipline Committee
- Staff Discipline Appeal Committee
- Complaints Appeal Committee.
Register of Business Interests:
It is important that governors and staff not only act impartially, but are also seen to act impartially. The governing body and federation staff have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business and personal interests and affairs and those of the federation. There is a legal duty on all governors to declare an interest likely to lead to questions of bias when considering any item of business at a meeting and for the governor concerned to withdraw, if necessary, whilst the matter is considered. To help put this duty into practice, a governing body is required to establish and maintain a register of pecuniary interests indicating, for all governors and the headteacher, any business interests. This should include, if appropriate, the company by whom they are employed, directorships, significant shareholdings or other appointments of influence within a business or other organisation which may have dealings with the federation. They should include their own interest and those of any member of their immediate family (including partners) or other individuals known to them who may exert influence. The register sheet should be signed by the governor. The register will enable governors to demonstrate that in spending public money they do not benefit personally from decisions that they make.
Our governor register of interests is available on request from the school office.
Financial Information:
No member of staff receives a salary over £100,000.
Governors’ Written Statement of Behaviour Principles
Under the Education and Inspections Act, 2006, the Governing body is charged with the duty to set the framework of the federation’s policy by providing a written statement of general principles relating to behaviour and discipline, taking into account the needs of all pupils. The purpose of this statement is to give guidance to the Headteacher in drawing up the behaviour policy by stating the principles which Governors expect to be followed. The policy aims to underpin the Governors’ duty of care to pupils and employees; promoting teaching and learning and high standards of attainment and preserve the reputation of the federation. The statement is available upon request from the school and can be viewed by opening the document below. This statement is informed by our mission statement, school Christian values and Federation vision.
Standing orders – information about terms of office and appointing bodies.
Please click here for Governors’ Membership & Attendance 2019-20
Please click here for Governors’ Membership & Attendance 2018-19
Annual Governance Statement 2019/20
Please click here for Governors’ Membership & Attendance 2017-18
Annual Governance Statement 2017/18
Annual Governance Statement 2016/17
Please click here for Governors’ Membership and Attendance 2016-17
Clerk to the governors, Lesley Barber, can be contacted on lesley.barber@northyorks.gov.uk
Please contact the school office for details of the dates of meetings and for governor meeting minutes.
