Committee Terms of Reference - including current members – 2023/2024

Resources Committee

Members: Elaine Barnes (Chair), Graham Parkin, Michelle Clark, Rosie Collin & Jo Collier

Membership: Membership shall consist of no fewer than four Governors including the Headteacher. The committee should meet at least three times a year. The Committee must elect a chair at the first meeting of the academic year. A quorum is a minimum of three members of the committee.

Terms of Reference:

Finance:

• To ensure that the school operates within the Financial Regulations of the Local Authority.
• In consultation with the headteacher, to draft the formal budget plan of the financial year.
• To establish and maintain a three-year Financial Plan.
• To consider the budget position at least termly and to report significant variances from the anticipated position to the Governing Body.
• To monitor any non-public funds maintained on behalf of the Governing Body.
• To monitor and review appropriate policies.
• To oversee Service Level Agreements.
• To consider and ratify any Pay Progression recommended by the headteacher following Performance Management.
• To consider and ratify any Pay Progression for the headteacher following Performance Management.
• To consider any appeal made against a decision on Pay Grading or Pay Progression.

Staffing:

• In consultation with the headteacher, to draft and keep under review the Staffing Establishment.
• To oversee the appointment procedure for all staff.
• To oversee any process leading to staff reductions.
• To keep under review staff well-being, including the monitoring of absence.

Buildings and grounds:

• To advise the Governing Body on the maintenance and development of the school’s premises, having regard for all Health and Safety matters.
• To oversee arrangements for repairs and maintenance.
• In consultation with the headteacher, to oversee premises-related funding bids.
• To oversee arrangements for the use of school premises by outside users, subject to governing body policy.
• To monitor and review appropriate policies.
• To review and audit the School Asset Register annually.

Responsibilities Delegated to the Committee:

• To approve budget requirements (excluding amounts relating to Employee costs) within the budget set for the financial year.
• To enter into contracts up to the value (the ‘value’ being the total value over the period of the contract) of £4000
• To determine the level of financial delegation to the Headteacher/ SSBM.
• To consider and approve the longer-term financial plan recommended by the Headteacher.
• To review on an annual basis the following policies and procedures:
• Financial procedures manual.
• Best Value statement.
• Charging and Remissions policy.

Responsibilities Delegated to the Headteacher:

• The Headteacher has the delegated authority to make the following decisions without referral to the Resources Committee or Governing Body, but must report to the Resources Committee each meeting any decisions taken.
• To hire within the current budget up to £2000. 
• To enter into contracts up to a value (the” value” being total value over the period of the contract) of £2000, within the budget available.
• To review & monitor all payments made for salaries, goods and services on behalf of the Governing Body.
• The Headteacher (or nominated staff) must provide a report to the Resources Committee at each meeting on the financial position of the school.
• The Headteacher must investigate and report to the Governing Body any suspected irregularities.
• Ensure that the school has in place procedures which follow best value principles in relation to the contracting for goods and services. 
• The appointment of all non-teaching staff vacancies.
• The production, review and amendment of non-teaching staff job descriptions.
• The implementation of the performance management policy of the school.

Responsibilities delegated to the Small School business manager (SSBM):

• The SSBM has the authority to use the County Council charge card in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof.
• The SSBM can use the charge card for transactions up to £500 without prior authorisation from the Headteacher.

Curriculum & Pupil Progress Committee

Members: Jackie Smart (Chair), Denise Frisby, Carole Cozens, Lee Clark, Michelle Clark & Jack Davis

Terms of Reference:

• To review, monitor and evaluate the curriculum.
• To develop and recommend for approval to the full governing body elements of the:
  • Self-evaluation Form (SEF);
  • School Improvement Plan (SIP).
• To monitor and evaluate rates of progress and standards of achievement by pupils.
• To monitor and review appropriate policies.
• To review the provision for all groups of vulnerable children and ensure all their needs have been identified and addressed.
• To ensure that the requirements of children with special needs are met, as laid out in the Code of Practice, and receive termly reports from the head teacher/SENCO and an annual report from the SEN governor.
• To ensure that all children have equal opportunities.
• To advise the Resources committee on the relative funding priorities necessary to deliver the curriculum.
• To celebrate pupil achievements.
• To oversee arrangements for educational visits, including the appointment of a named co-ordinator.

Child Protection Committee

Members: Densie Frisby (Chair), Michelle Clark, Jack Davis, Lee Clark and Carole Cozens

Safeguarding Governor: Densie Frisby

Terms of Reference: 

• Meet as and when necessary. 
• Ensure the school’s policies and procedures safeguard and promote the welfare of the children at the school, and that appropriate training is undertaken. 
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. 
• Report to the main Governing Body relevant safeguarding issues. 
• Annually review the school’s safeguarding policy. 
• To conduct the annual safeguarding audit.
• Annually review equality objectives.

Headteacher Performance Management Committee

Members: Carole Cozens & Elaine Barnes

Terms of Reference:

On a yearly cycle to agree and set performance targets for the headteacher, to monitor performance against those targets and at the end of the yearly cycle to determine what targets have been met. The procedure shall be as follows:

• The Panel will meet in the autumn term of academic year, before 31^st December,  to decide what targets (if any) from the previous year have been met.  At the same meeting the Panel will agree and set performance targets for that academic.
• The Panel will meet six months after the above meeting to monitor the performance of the headteacher to date against the agreed targets.
• The Panel will also decide what Pay Progression recommendations to make to the Resources Committee.