somerset road education trust scheme of delegation road education trust scheme of delegation...
Post on 01-May-2018
219 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Somerset Road Education Trust
Scheme of Delegation
Somerset Road Education Trust (SRET) is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) made up from three academies:
1. Exeter House Special School
2. St Mark’s C.E. Junior School
3. Wyndham Park Infants School.
Changing lives
We believe in the extraordinary in everyone
We believe that everyone is a valuable part of society, no matter what their needs or difficulties
We believe that everyone should be valued and has the right to feel fulfilled and challenged
We believe that education is a key to change and that change is both important and necessary
Introduction The SRET Board of Trustees (BoT or board) is accountable in law for all decisions about its academies. However, this does not mean that the board is required to make all the decisions itself. Many decisions are delegated including to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), board committees and Local Governing Committees (LGCs). The decision to delegate a function is made by the board and is recorded. Without this formal delegation, the individual or committee has no power to act.
The purpose of the Scheme of Delegation The Scheme of Delegation (SoD) defines which functions have been delegated and to whom. It ensures Members, Trustees, committees (including LGCs), executive leadership and individual academy Headteachers are clear about who has responsibility for making which decisions in the trust. As SRET matures and grows the workings of the MAT, both in terms of governance and management are likely to change. Therefore the SoD will be reviewed annually, with revisions made as the context changes, if necessary each year. This is done in recognition of the need to be responsive to changing circumstances and to adapt accordingly.
Proposed structure:
Members – 5
(One Member to be on the board)
Directors – change the name to Trustees to come into line with what is used nationally and advised by a whole range of
governance advisory bodies
Make- up: 8-12 Trustees + CEO (CEO is operational lead for the trust but only an associate trustee – so that accountability of
the CEO to the trustee board is not muddied by them also being a trustee – CEO is directly accountable to the board of
Trustees The Trustees needs specific link roles: Chair of Trustees (elected by the Trustees , Finance, H&S, safeguarding, 2x
Diocese (not necessarily separate from other identified roles), standards (education lead), Chairs for each Local Governing
Committee (3).
Committees suggested: Resources (to include: finance, HR, health and safety, buildings), Standards (to include safeguarding),
Audit, Local Governing Committees (what were previously LGBs)
Executive Management Team (EMT) – chaired by CEO to include the two other Headteachers - both of whom have
responsibility at trust level as delegated by the CEO/ Trustees
Local Governing
Committee
Local Governing
Committee
Local Governing
Committee
Where HT is CEO –
Deputy Headteacher
or Head of Standards
will fulfil this role
CEO (also substantive HT of
one of the academies)
HT HT
Governance structure and lines of accountability
The BoT delegate responsibility for delivery of the vision and strategy to the CEO. The board hold the CEO to account for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust. The CEO in turn holds other senior executives to account by line managing them. Within SRET an EMT is used so that there is an appropriate delegation of responsibilities and a clear mechanism through which action, support and challenge can take place on a day to day basis.
In this SoD the board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the CEO. However, specific responsibilities concerning the performance of each academy are delegated to the LGC. These responsibilities will include:
monitoring whether the school is working within the agreed policies
whether standards are being met
if the money is being well spent
The LGC will use its detailed knowledge and engagement with stakeholders to ensure that their academy is being well served by the trust and the EMT and as a board committee has direct access to the BoT if there are concerns.
This means that as the CEO is accountable to the board for the performance of the trust as a whole and will report to the BoT on the performance of the trust including on the performance of individual academies, although this is supported by individual Headteacher reports and other monitoring reports from the LGCs.
The CEO is performance managed by the BoT. The CEO performance manages the academy Headteachers with input from the LGC chair.
Roles and responsibilities
The role of the Members
The Members of the SRET have a different status to the Trustees. Originally they will have been the signatories to the Memorandum of Association (MoA) and will have agreed the trust’s first Articles of Association (AoA - a document which outlines the governance structure and how the trust will operate). The AoA describe how Members are recruited and replaced, and how many of the Trustees the Members can appoint to the BoT. The Members appoint Trustees to ensure that the trust’s charitable object is carried out and so must be able to remove Trustees if they fail to fulfil this responsibility. Accordingly, the BoT submits an annual report on the performance of the trust to the Members. Members are also responsible for approving any amendments made to the AoA. The Members are, in essence, the shareholders of the company. This is currently a group of five people, appointed by the Members itself, which always includes the Chair of the Board (CoB). The Members have three functions:
Approve the accounts and appoint the auditors. Appoint / remove Trustees.
This group holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and audit meetings.
Within SRET, although the CoB is a Member, this is done in order to retain a degree of separation of powers between the Members and the BoT, and in line with DfE expectations, no other Members are Trustees. Members are also not permitted to be employees of SRET.
The role of the Trustees
The Trustees of SRET are the charity Trustees (within the terms of section 177(1) of the Charities Act 2011) and are responsible for the general control and management of the administration of the trust in accordance with the provisions set out in the MoA and the AoA. The BoT is the accountable body for the performance of all academies within the SRET and as such:
Ensures clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holds the CEO to account for the educational performance of the academies and their pupils, and the performance management of staff
Oversees the financial performance of the trust and make sure its money is well spent
The BoT delegates to the CEO responsibility for the day to day operations of the trust. The Trustees also determine whether and what other governance functions they delegate. The BoT has the right to review and adapt its governance structure at any time which includes removing delegation. The BoT also maintains ultimate responsibility for all budgets, salaries and safeguarding.
Apart from ensuring good governance, the board’s primary objectives are to assist the CEO and EMT in delivering the best possible outcomes for all students, and to hold the CEO to account for the ways in which this is carried out.
In addition to delegating responsibilities to LGCs the BoT delegates responsibility to two committees who consider issues across the trust – the Standards Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee.
The role of committees
The Trustees have established committees with delegated authority to make decisions and for the purpose of providing advice and support, informing the overall work of the BoT. However these committees are not legally responsible or accountable for statutory functions – BoT retains overall accountability and responsibility. The responsibilities of committees are set out in their terms of reference (ToR); the responsibilities of LGCs are set out in the SoD. The BoT appoints committee members/participants and committee chairs.
Trustee committees (see separate ToR for each committee)
Committee
Purpose Membership Frequency of meeting (tbc)
Audit
To be populated 3 x a year
Resources (finance, HR, health and safety, buildings)
3 x a year
Standards
3 x a year
Local Governing Committees (LGCs)
6 x a year
Executive Management Team (EMT)
Weekly
The role of the Local Governing Committee (LGC)
The BoT will establish LGCs, appoint the chair, ensure two parents are elected and will determine what will be delegated. As a committee of the board, delegation can be removed at any time. The LGCs are responsible for the day-to-day management and governance of the academies under their jurisdiction. The majority of the leadership and management is delegated to the Headteacher of each academy. The chairperson of each LGC is also a Trustee. This is done to ensure that there is a direct link to the BoT as a committee of the board and also ensures greater consistency of governance across each of the academies. Each LGC has a minimum of two governors within it who are expected to make regular visits to their academies during each academic year. This enables each Governing Committee to understand and review the work and progress of their academy. Governors submit reports following their visits for consideration at the relevant Governing Committee.
The LGCs through their delegated responsibilities hold the Headteachers of the individual academies to account for their performance and progress. Where the CEO is also the substantive Headteacher of an academy the LGCs hold the Deputy Headteacher/Head of Standards/Head of School to account (as delegated by the CEO) and the CEO is held to direct account by the BoT for standards in both their school and across the trust.
The role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The CEO has the delegated responsibility for the operation of SRET, including the performance of the trust’s academies and so the CEO performance manages the academy Headteachers. This role is carried out alongside the LGC chair. The CEO is the de facto Accounting Officer (AO) so has overall responsibility for:
the operation of the academy trust’s financial responsibilities
must ensure that the organisation is run with financial effectiveness and stability
avoiding waste and securing value for money.
The CEO also leads the EMT, which includes the other two Headteachers. The CEO delegates executive management functions to the members in the EMT and is accountable to the BoT for the performance of the EMT.
Defining the CEO role within the trust (and possible delegated elements for the Executive Management Team)
Accountability, compliance and organisational delivery
School Improvement and Development Safeguarding and pupil welfare (part of standards)
Accounting Officer
Leading a vision for development, improvement and growth within the trust
Develop a model for strategic oversight and improvement in the trust
Be accountable for standards and outcomes across the trust
Take overall operational responsibility for safeguarding and health and safety within the trust
GDPR identified lead
Undertake and maintain the trust’s Risk Management Plan
Lead on the writing and maintenance of the Trust development plan
Lead on the Executive Management Team
Line manage those employed across the
Responsible for developing and leading the process for improvement across the trust, providing quality assurance and accountability;
Provide strategic direction and leadership for Teaching and Learning across the academies
Lead a trust-wide school improvement function that will ensure that the requirements in each academy’s performance are identified and analysed, appropriately costed and prioritised solutions are developed and secured. This could include the commissioning of internal resources through academy-to-academy support and/or external support from a range of providers or individuals who meet
Operational responsibility for leading and developing safeguarding
Development of a strategy to ensure highly effective approach to and oversight of safeguarding and enhancement of pupil welfare
Develop strategies for the support and improvement of parental engagement etc
Contribute to the writing and maintenance of the TDP
trust (where employment is not specific to individual schools)
Ensure rigorous systems for recognising, intervening in and supporting / holding to account where underperformance has been recognised
agreed criteria for quality, including evidence of effectiveness and impact.
Contribute to the writing and maintenance of the Trust Development Plan (TDP)
The Executive Management Team
This is a central mechanism through which the CEO both delegates responsibility for ensuring that the organisation is run effectively and also tracks, monitors and evaluates progress and effectiveness within the organisation.
The role of the Headteacher
The Headteacher is responsible for the day to day management of their academy and is line-managed by the CEO but reports to the LGC on matters which have been delegated to the LGC.
Area
Decision Delegation
Members Trust Board
CEO LGC Academy
Headteacher
Governance framework
People
Members: Appoint/Remove
Trustees: Appoint/Remove
Role descriptions for members
Role descriptions for Trustees/chair/ specific roles/committee members: agree
<A
Parent trustee/committee member: elected
Committee chairs: appoint and remove <A
LGC chairs: appoint and remove <A
Clerk to board: appoint and remove
Clerk to LGC: appoint and remove
Systems and
structures
Articles of association: agree and review <A <A
Governance structure (committees) for the trust: establish and review annually
<A
Terms of reference for trust committees (including audit if required, and scheme for school committees): agree annually
<A
Terms of reference for LGC/local committees: agree and review annually
<A
Skills audit: complete and recruit to fill gaps <A> A
Annual self-review of trust board and committee performance: complete annually
Area
Decision Delegation
Members Trust Board
CEO LGC Academy Headteacher
Systems
and structures
Annual self-review of LGC performance: complete annually
Chair’s performance: carry out 360 review periodically
Trustee / committee member contribution: review annually
Succession: plan <A> A
Annual schedule of business for trust board: agree <A
Annual schedule of business for LGC: agree A> A
Reporting
Reporting
Trust governance details on trust and academies' websites: ensure <A
Academy governance details on academy website: ensure <A
Register of all interests, business, pecuniary, loyalty for members/Trustees/committee members: establish and publish
<A
Annual report on performance of the trust: submit to members and publish
<A
Annual report and accounts including accounting policies, signed statement on regularity, propriety and compliance, incorporating governance statement demonstrating value for money: submit
<A
Annual report work of LGC: submit to trust and publish A
Area
Decision Delegation
Members Trust Board
CEO LGC Academy Headteacher
Being Strategic
Being Strategic
Determine trust wide policies which reflect the trust's ethos and values (facilitating discussions with unions where appropriate) including: admissions; charging and remissions; complaints; expenses; health and safety, premises management; data protection and FOI; staffing policies including capability, discipline, conduct and grievance: approve
<A
Determine school level policies which reflect the school's ethos and values to include e.g. admissions; SEND; safeguarding and child protection; curriculum; behaviour: approve
A>
A
Central spend / top slice: agree <A
Management of risk: establish register, review and monitor <A> A
Engagement with stakeholders
Trust's vision and strategy, agreeing key priorities and key performance indicators (KPIs) against which progress towards achieving the vision can be measured: determine
<A
Schools vision and strategy, agreeing key priorities and key performance indicators (KPIs) against which progress towards achieving the vision can be measured: determine
A>
A
Chief Executive Officer: Appoint and dismiss
Academy Headteacher : Appoint and dismiss
Area
Decision Delegation
Members Trust Board
CEO LGC Academy Headteacher
Being
Strategic
Budget plan to support delivery of trust key priorities: agree <A
Budget plan to support delivery of school key priorities: agree
A>
A
Trust's staffing structure: agree <A
School staffing structure: agree A> A
Holding to account
Holding to
account
Auditing and reporting arrangements for matters of compliance (eg
safeguarding, H&S, employment): agree
<A> A
Reporting arrangements for progress on key priorities: agree <A> A
Performance management of the Chief Executive Officer: undertake
Performance management of academy headteacher : undertake
A
Trustee monitoring: agree arrangements <A
LGC member monitoring: agree arrangements
A
Area
Decision Delegation
Members Trust Board
CEO LGC Academy
Headteacher
Ensuring financial probity
Ensuring financial probity
Chief financial officer for delivery of trusts detailed accounting
processes: appoint
<A
Trust's scheme of financial delegation: establish and review <A
School's scheme of financial delegation: establish and review <A
External auditors' report: receive and respond <A A
CEO pay award: agree
Academy headteacher pay award: agree A
Staff appraisal procedure and pay progression: monitor and agree A> A
Benchmarking and trust wide value for money: ensure robustness <A
Benchmarking and academy value for money: ensure robustness A
Develop trust wide procurement strategies and efficiency savings
programme
Roles and Responsibilities matrix (details tbc)
Type of activity CEO
(responsible for trust wide performance and improvement within the MAT)
Headteachers
(delivers on performance and operations at school level)
LGC (monitors and challenges individual schools)
Executive Management Team
(approves and actions key issues that go across schools/ supports school to improve outcomes and strategic interchange)
Trustees
(ultimately accountable and approves statutory policies and finance)
Members
(Approve the Trust accounts and appoint the auditors, appoint Trustees, appoint the Chief Executive)
School Improvement
Be responsible for developing and leading the process for improvement across the Trust, providing quality assurance and accountability
Provide strategic direction and leadership for Teaching and Learning across the academies
Lead a Trust-wide improvement function that will
Develop school strategy, culture & ethos
Develop and then propose academy priorities and academy development and improvement plan (ADIP), including suggesting targets
Delivers performance as per ADIP and targets
Develop and then propose curriculum model
Support and challenge and input into the development of the ADIP and SEF
Support the Headteacher to develop and implement local school culture and ethos
Support and challenge, and input into the school curriculum model
Monitor school performance
Support schools on multiple aspects including: implementing ADIP; improving teaching quality; managing assessment processes; analysing school data Monitor school performance
Monitors school performance
Responds to requested support from individual
Sets overall vision and mission for the trust
Holds CEO, Executive leads, LGCs to account on school improvement and performance and all operational areas
Approves: School culture ðos, School targets, ADIP and school priorities, curriculum model and behaviour
ensure that the requirements in each academy’s performance are identified and analysed, appropriately costed and prioritised solutions are developed and secured.
Commission use of internal resources through academy-to-academy support and/or external support from a range of providers or individuals who meet agreed criteria for quality, including evidence of effectiveness and impact.
Manage assessment processes
Improve teaching quality through performance management, CPD, etc
against ADIP and targets, through reviewing and challenging headteacher updates and data analysis.
HTs/LGBs
Responds to support schools as directed by directors
policy
HR/Recruitment and appraisal (inc. HT recruitment and appraisal)
Leads on recruitment strategy across the trust (supported at director level)
Leads on appraisal at trust level –
Leads on recruitment and recruitment strategy at school level (recruitment strategy supported at HT board level
LGB chair on HT recruitment panel
With HT responsibility for recruitment and appointment of school specific
Evaluates staffing needs and recommends recruitment strategy to directors
Carries out
Accountable for all HR compliance
Approve all HR policies
Conduct Headteacher recruitment
including ensuring the consistency of approach and process across all trust schools
Liaise with Unions for trust level development
Develop strategy for maximising staffing efficiency, effectiveness and utilisation across the trust
and ratified at director level)
Leads on appraisal at school level
Ensure HR policies and processes are implemented in line with policy, including: performance appraisals and pay reviews,
Develop and propose staff restructure proposals
Liaise with local level unions
Develop and retain great staff in schools
staff
Holds individual schools accountable for conducting appropriate and rigorous performance management process
Monitors implementation of key HR policies esp. pay and performance
operational management of recruitment / staffing strategies for the trust
Ensures consistency of appraisal strategy across the schools
Evaluates approach to appraisal and recommends strategy development to directors
Conduct appraisals of HT with LGC Chair
Conduct recruitment and appointment of trust level staffing
Oversees recruitment across the trust
Ratifies pay decisions – though pay panels and hears appeals
Oversees development and changes in appraisal policy
Set HR and recruitment policies at MAT level
Approve significant staff restructures
Support schools with ongoing HR guidance
Responsible for additional HR activities inc: Supplying representation for
hearings; Liaising with national level unions (e.g. pay policy)
Finance Deliver budget and financial targets
Prepare and propose budget and 3 year forecasting
Prepare monthly and end of year school finance documents
Find and implement local school procurement opportunities
Support and challenge on the development of, and input into the budget (and where relevant) plans for using school reserves
Monitor and challenge school finances, particularly vs. school target and budget, and use of resources vs. education plans
Approve reserves in inter-school loan process Monitor & challenge locally led procurement
Appoint finance link governor
Find and implement MAT procurement opportunities
Manage delivery of IT contract locally
Accountable for ensuring financial compliance and sustainability
Approve: Network budget and holdback Financial targets for schools; Use of capital endowments; Running school deficit; Financial statement
Set financial policies
Responsible for all MAT finance
Find, implement and manage MAT procurement opportunities
Approve:
School budgets & forecasts
Use of reserves & endowments
School finance targets to Support principals with school finances
Safeguarding, health and safety (inc. other compliance)
Ensure compliance with statutory obligations and mandatory SRET policies, including: H&S, safeguarding, SEN, admissions and exclusions
Provide information for FOI requests
Respond to all school level complaints
Monitor school implementation of statutory compliance & risk management
Appoint link governors for Safeguarding and SEND (mandatory)
Coordinate support for individual school compliance
Set statutory and SRET mandatory policies
Approve all statutory policies
Lead on all complaints against Headteachers
Support schools as needed, e.g. admissions, safeguarding, health & safety, etc
Responsible for additional activities, inc: Lead admissions appeals; Coordinate response to FOI requests
Accountable for all compliance
Communications Deliver on school communications strategy and school visual identity Manage parent, community, local
Support parent communications and community engagement
Act as ambassadors to community and
Advocate and deliver a visual identity for SRET
Support schools through: developing communication toolkit & guidance; managing crisis communications
Approve any changes to the overall MAT
stakeholder and school media engagement
Lead on LA communications at school level
engage with LAs as needed
Support Principals with LAs as needed
Develop SRET brand & school guidelines for supporting this
Lead on marketing for SRET as a MAT
Buildings Lead proposal development for significant building projects and refurbishments
Lead on project delivery
Support and challenge, and input into the development of school building / refurbishment proposals
Engage in procurement process for significant projects
Monitor school building projects
Look at and recommend use of buildings for cross school use and need
Approve significant building projects and smaller refurbishments if >£25K or in deficit
Support significant building project delivery
Compliance specific breakdown
Type of activity CEO Headteachers
(delivers on performance and operations at school level)
LGC
(monitors and challenges individual schools)
Executive Management Team
(approves and actions key issues that go across schools/ supports school to improve outcomes and strategic interchange)
Trustees
(ultimately accountable and approves statutory policies and finance)
Members
(Approve the Trust accounts and appoint the auditors, appoint Trustees, appoint the CEO)
Health and Safety Responsible for local implementation of policies, including development of school procedures and internal reporting on statutory requirements
Monitors school compliance with H&S policies and statutory obligations as well as challenging schools to ensure best practice is followed
Accountable for ensuring a safe and healthy environment for staff, pupils and other persons on network premises
Approve H&S policy
Sets SRET H&S policies
Monitors school H&S by arranging inspections / audits
Supports schools with implementation,
as needed
Safeguarding Adds to SRET policy to create school safeguarding policy
Appoints Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Manages all safeguarding complaints engagement
Responsible for referrals for children at risk, outside school environment
Signs off school safeguarding policy
Monitors implementation of safeguarding through reports from DSL on the measures being taking to ensure compliance
Monitors implementation of the Safeguarding policy
Accountable for legal responsibilities relating to safeguarding
Approve SRET safeguarding policy
Sets SRET Safeguarding policy
Responsible for dealing with any complaint against Headteacher
Consulted in responding to any complaint against a staff member
SEND Sets school specific SEN policy (in line with SRET policy) Appoints qualified SENCO
Responsible for implementation in line with statutory requirements
Monitors and challenge implementation of SEND policy and performance of SEND students
Accountable for legal responsibilities relating to SEND
Approve SRET SEND policy
Sets SRET SEND policy
Supports schools and monitors implementation
Admissions Responsible for implementation of admissions in line with SRET policy
Participates and negotiates with LA over local fair access/in year placements protocols – and then implements
Kept informed of major aspects such as policy and appeals
Monitor fair access in line with guiding principles
Accountable for all legal responsibilities
Approve admissions policy framework
Set mandatory admissions policy
Set guiding principles for fair access/ in year placements protocols
Exclusions Responsible for issuing an exclusion, informing all relevant parties and managing any appeal processes
Informed of every exclusion and monitors frequency and trends
Makes final decision if governors panel needed
Provides supports to help manage exclusions
Accountable for all legal responsibilities
Approve exclusions policy
Sets mandatory exclusions policy
Manage exclusions
appeals (esp. for independent review panel)
FOI requests Provides information needed to respond to FOI requests
Engaged as needed to respond accurately to requests
Coordinates all FOI requests
Accountable for ensuring SRET fulfils FOI/Data Protection statutory obligations
School Improvement Model suggestions
Agreed evaluation and trends – pupil outcomes
Attendance and exclusions: agree information that is important (and to identify trends) see appendix C for examples
End of Key Stage results (including phonics) – attainment and progress (including for groups) – benchmark against national and similar schools (use RAG rating for this) – see appendix C for examples
Other year groups (including for groups)
Impact of pupil premium funding (see separate model – linked to action plan)
Impact of Y7 catch-up funding (EH only)
Target setting for external scrutiny: see milestones document (appendix C) – shared with LGB – agreed by directors
Quality of teaching and learning – see appendix C for model tracking documents
Evaluation of previous SDP – how is this done and scrutinised for impact?
Writing of SEF – agree format
Writing of new SDP – against 4 priority areas – shared with LGC – ratified by directors
top related