‘Support through challenge’
Belleville Wix Academy opened in August 2017 as part of the Quality First Education (Q1E) Trust. There is a Board of Trustees which oversees all of the schools in the Trust. The Trust Scheme of Delegation sets out how certain roles and responsibilities are delegated to the local governors of each school.
In January 2018 we established a Local Governing Body (LGB) for Belleville Wix Academy, to whom the Trustees delegate certain roles and powers. The LGB is currently delegated responsibility for curriculum & standards and safeguarding. This includes attendance, pupil welfare and health and safety. Finance and staffing is currently the direct responsibility of the Trust.
The LGB includes local staff governors (elected by the school staff), local parent governors (elected by the school's parent body) and co-opted local governors (appointed by the local governing body and/or the Trustees, because they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school). The headteacher also sits on the local governing body. We currently have one vacancy for an additional co-opted local governor and hope to make an appointment shortly
We meet twice a term to discuss the progress being made by the school on its school improvement journey. At these meetings the senior leadership team provide us with reports and data. It is our job as governors to use our skills and training to demonstrate our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses which the school is dealing with. To ensure that the LGB can do this properly each governor takes a special link responsibility for one aspect of our statutory responsibility or school improvement priority. We make it a priority to visit the school and find out more from experts in the school and the Trust about our link area. Governors are also required to read around their link area and attend training sessions. Our aim is to be able to ask challenging questions which come from a place of secure, valid, up to date and relevant understanding of the key issues facing our school. Our role as governors is thus designed to provide ‘support through challenge’
Contacting the LGB
If you would like to contact the Local Governing Board, you can write to us, care of the school office. Please contact the school reception, bring or send your letter to the school, marked for the attention of James Waller, Chair of the Local Governing Board, or email us through the school admin email. Please be aware that concerns should be managed in accordance with the school concerns and complaints policy, which means that local governors will not act unilaterally and may refer issues back to the school.
Declaration of interests
It is important that all those involved in governance act impartially. All those involved in school governance have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business and personal interests and affairs, and those of the school and the Trust. We keep a register of business interests for the LGB and maintain signed individual statements. In addition, individuals have a duty to declare any interest that could lead to questions of bias, when considering any item of business at a meeting and to withdraw, if necessary, whilst the matter is considered.
The register of interests for our Members and Trustees can be found on the Q1E Trust website.
