Education Committee

The Academy Trustees has established (school level) education committees and delegated responsibility to them as per the scheme of delegation below.

Education committees are a full and formal part of the trust governance structure and can:

• support the effective operation of the trust and its policies
• provide support and challenge to the local (school level) executive (although trusts must be careful to make sure accountability is clear and not muddled through local reporting to the LGB and CEO)
• provide a vehicle for trust board engagement with the school, its parents and local community, to help ensure that the Academy Trustees stay connected.
• bring issues and risks to the attention of the trust board. It is important that the board listens and responds to concerns the LGBs may raise.
• provide constructive feedback to the board where a policy may not be effective in the local context, and suggest alternative approaches
• help ensure the trust works as one entity, in the interests of all its schools.

Members:

Local School Governors (Named for each School)

Purpose:

The Education Standards Committee ("the Committee") is established by the Board of Trustees ("the Board") of the Academy Trust ("the Trust") and have a delegated responsibility as per the Trusts Scheme of Delegation.

There should be a minimum of three meetings in each academic year.

There will be a minimum of 10 representatives on the Local Education Committee.

This is made up of:

Executive Headteacher/ CEO                                                Ex Officio

Head of School                                                                       Ex Officio

Staff Governors                                                                       x 2

Parent Governors                                                                   x 4      

Community Governors                                                            x 4

The Chair of the committee will be elected by the committee on an annual basis at the first meeting in the autumn term. In the absence of the Chair, the committee will elect a temporary replacement from among the governors present at the committee meeting.

The quorum is 6 members of the committee (or where greater any one third of the Governors holding office at the date of the meeting).

The clerk of the committee will circulate an agenda for each meeting and papers at least 7 days before the committee meeting

Attendance at each committee meeting, issues discussed and recommendations for decisions will be recorded. The written record will be included on the agenda and papers of the next meeting of the Board of Trustees.

In the event of a need to make genuinely urgent decisions between meetings on matters falling within the remit of the committee, the Chair of the Committee, in consultation with the CEO will take appropriate action on behalf of the committee

Responsibilities

• support the effective operation of the trust and its policies
• provide support and challenge to the local (school level) SLT
• provide a link for trust board engagement with the school, its parents and local community, to help ensure that the Academy Trustees stay connected.
• bring issues and risks to the attention of the trust board. It is important that the board listens and responds to concerns the Education Committees may raise.
• provide constructive feedback to the board where a policy may not be effective in the local context, and suggest alternative approaches
• Ensures the School works effectively with the Trust to ensure they work as one entity, in the interests of all its schools.

Authority

• Undertake duties/activities as identified in the Trust Scheme of Delegation.
• Seek any information it requires from any employee or external parties
• Obtain external professional advice as necessary
• Request the attendance of individuals at meetings as appropriate

Reporting

The education committee will:

• report back to the trust board regularly after each meeting
• The Chair of the Committee will meet the CEO / Chair of the Trust each term.
• The education committee will produce a termly report to parents detailing the work undertaken in school.

Coverage

The Education Committee will cover the following areas:

• Academic attainment and achievement
• Progress against agreed development targets
• Safeguarding
• Pupil Premium / PE premium spend
• Feedback from Trust / external reporting

Administrative Support

• The Trust governance professional shall provide secretariat support
• Minutes will be circulated to the Board and auditors as appropriate

Confidentiality

Members of the Education Committee shall treat all information relating to Committee business as confidential unless otherwise agreed by the Board.

Review

These terms of reference shall be reviewed annually by the Committee and approved by the Trust Board