Atam Academy
Posted - Oct 2020
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School Governors
Local Advisory Boards (LABs)
Local Advisory Boards are vitally important in ensuring the good governance of each academy and are constituted to provide local scrutiny and challenge for Head Teachers and Principals within the individual academies.
According to the NGA latest report here, the general trend in MATs is that the traditional local governing bodies are changing to local advisory boards as a result of the role of MAT Trustees. The functions of the local board are focused on the importance of monitoring educational standards and school life as well as community engagement and accountability to stakeholders. “A number of trusts are moving the local tier into a specific community or stakeholder engagement role. This is a valid move, as those at academy level often have a strong connection to their individual school and are part of the local community. As such, they volunteer at school level because they want to put something back into the community and help improve education for local children”, NGA June 2019
The LAB exercises the powers and responsibilities delegated to them by the Trust Board. Details of these powers and responsibilities are set out in the Scheme of Delegation and other key policies.
Responsibilities of the Local Advisory Board
Governors of the LABs will have the following duties:
- Ensuring good governance of the academy, using the agreed level of delegation and reporting accordingly
- Representing the school vision and aims in accordance with the KAT vision and principles whilst ensuring individual schools aims and objectives are relevant to local needs
- Supporting the Head Teacher/ Principal and senior leadership of the Academy whilst being a critical friend
- Monitoring the achievement, quality of teaching & learning and behaviour within the Academy
- Engagement with the Academy’s key stakeholders e.g. parents/carers, pupils, staff and the wider community.
- Establishing and reviewing academy level policies and procedures, reflecting Bradgate Education Partnership expectations and bringing them to the attention of the CEO if any doubt exists
- Working within the expectations of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between KAT & LAB
2.4 LAB Governors will monitor:
- Educational offering, inc the compliance of the academy website
- Have oversight of the School Development Plan (SDP) and Self Evaluation Form (SEF)
- Have oversight of the Attainment and progress reports, including pupil premium and sports premium, challenging where needed
- Local community activities and relationships with all local stakeholders
- Other locally co-ordinated activities and forums
Skills and Characteristics of Members of the LAB
The Trust Board requires all appointed LAB governors to have:
- Commitment and a willingness to support the aims of Trust as a whole.
- The skills required to contribute to effective governance and the success of the Academy
- A strong commitment to the values of the Trust and the individual academy
- The inquisitiveness to question, analyse and challenge
- A willingness to learn
- The ability to listen and reflect
- A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the Academy’s business including reading papers, attending meetings, attending training sessions and other relevant events
- An understanding and acceptance of the duties and responsibilities set out in the Scheme of Delegation and Trust policies
- Effective communication skills and a willingness to ensure effective communication between the LAB and the Trust Board
- An ability to hold others to account for their professional practice
- Good independent judgement
- Experience of schools (as a former governor, a parent, or a member of staff) or the relevant skill set from the local or wider community
- Governors of a LAB need to take a full and active role in fulfilling the role assigned to them by the Trust Board. This will include regular visits to the Academy
Further details of the LAB can be found on the following page:
