Local Governing Board

Governance is the process by which any organisation or group organises in order to be able to make decisions. In schools, this includes the governing board, who are responsible for scrutiny of decisions made in school and for driving improvement, and the processes and policies which allows the school to work effectively and appropriately.

As a member school within a multi-academy trust, responsibility for the governance of John Port Spencer Academy ultimately derives to the Board of Trustees appointed to the Spencer Academies Trust. In common with all Spencer schools, John Port Spencer Academy has a Local Governing Board (LGB), which is technically defined as a committee of the Trust Board.

The powers defining the legal relationship between John Port Spencer Academy and The Spencer Academies Trust, together with the delegation of general powers within the trust, are set out in a document called the Scheme of Delegation.

Further Details about the Spencer Academies Trust Governance Structure

LGB

• The LGB operates as a scrutiny sub-committee of the Board of Directors and plays an important role in supporting the work of the trust through their responsibility for scrutiny and improvement.
• The LGB has a distinct role in ensuring that the school is effective in responding to the needs of the community, and acting as a champion for children and their families.
• The LGB acts as a critical friend to the academy Senior Team to ensure that delivery in school is of a high standard, and delivers against agreed goals.

The LGB is responsible for

• local oversight of safeguarding (including ensuring compliance with the SAT safeguarding policy, safer recruitment and ensuring a culture in which pupils feel safe);
• the monitoring of standards (pupil achievement, quality of teaching, determining the curriculum, use of assessment, behaviour, attendance, personal development, preparing learners for life in Modern Britain)
• admissions process (not arrangements);
• consideration of exclusions;
• complaints (prior to any referral to the Trust for resolution).

Board of Trustees and SAT Executive

• The Board and the SAT Executive are accountable for the overall educational and financial performance of the Trust including all aspects of legal/statutory compliance. They are responsible for budget setting; staffing appointments; disciplinary and grievance; Principal’s performance management, and The Board also retains overall responsibility for safeguarding.

Local Governing Board Details

Attendance and information – 2021/2022

Due to COVID and the impact this has had on succession planning and governance opportunities, many of our governors requested reappointment at the February 2022 LGB meeting. This was granted, on the understanding that succession planning would be put back in place (following the COVID pandemic) by June 2022.