Local Governing Body

The following information from the trust’s governance handbook describes the structure and responsibilities of local governing boards:

Local governing boards

The White Hills Park Trust empowers local governing boards (or bodies) to play an important role in school governance. The Trust’s local governance tier is strong and influential, retaining many of the decision-making powers of maintained schools. The local governing board of each school meets at least three times a year to assure the highest quality provision, safeguarding and equality of opportunity for all pupils, and effective support and management of staff. Through formal reviews the local governing board robustly considers school performance.

Local governing boards (LGBs):

Consider the headteacher’s report and reviews examination results
Monitor the progress of all pupils, including disadvantaged groups and SEND pupils
Review spending of pupil premium and targeted funding streams
Approve school policies
Review the school’s budget and approve end of year finance results
Oversee self-evaluation against current OFSTED criteria and any other criteria set up the LGB or the trust
Monitor the impact of key actions from the school improvement / development plan
Oversee staff and pupil wellbeing
Consider local and contextualised issues.

Chairs of governors are responsible for the effective functioning of local governing boards. Chairs of governors across the trust are encouraged to share learning through termly meetings of the chairs of governors’ group. This group also provides chairs of governors with the opportunity to receive updates from the Trust’s CEO and raise any queries.

The board of trustees operates in partnership with and in support of its LGBs to improve outcomes. Link trustees are assigned to each of the Trust’s schools and allow trustees to connect with headteachers and chairs of governors informally so that all the Trust’s schools are known to the board of trustees. Link trustees pay termly visits to their assigned school. Trustees are responsible for ensuring that local governance is effective. Annual summary reports are prepared by the Trust Governance Manager and presented the board of trustees at the end of each academic year.

LGBs have delegated responsibility for recruiting and appointing governors. Parent and staff engagement in the Trust is encouraged through its local governing boards. Each local governing board has two staff governors and two parent governors. Governors are also co-opted from the local area to provide LGBs with the specific skills and knowledge they require.

Our Chair of Governors meet regularly with our Headteacher for strategic 'catch up' and corporate decision making. Additionally to this the Local Governing Body meets 3 times a year to assure the highest quality provision, safeguarding and equality of opportunity for all pupils, and effective support and management of staff.

Through formal reviews the Local Governing Body robustly considers school performance.

The Local Governing Body considers:

The Academy Principal’s Report – self-evaluation against current OFSTED criteria and any other criteria set by the Local Governing Body or the Trust.
Impact of key actions from the Academy Improvement Plan.
Monitoring activities undertaken by the academy.
Local and contextualised issues.
Direction from the Trust Board.

Documents

Contacting the Local Governing Body

The Local Governing Body can be contacted in writing:

Bill Howard
Chair of the Local Governing Body
c/o Springbank Academy
Peacock Drive
Eastwood
Nottinghamshire
NG16 3HW

Members of the Local Governing Body

Bill Howard (chair) - co-opted

Joanne Walker - Co-Opted Governor (WHPT Trustee)

Nicola Poxon – staff governor

Sara Dunn – staff governor

Jo Walton – parent governor

Adam Lumley - Head of School – Springbank Academy

Lucy Baxter - Head of School – Florence Nightingale Academy

The White Hills Park Trust

Springbank Academy is a member of The White Hills Park Trust.
More information about Trust governance can be found on its website.