Governing Body Roles & Responsibilities

What are School Governors and what do they do for Townfield Primary School?

As Townfield Primary is a Single Academy Trust, our equivalent to governors are called Trustees.  They essentially carry out the same role as a "governor", however have added responsibility to their roles. The Governing Body has a range of duties and powers and a general responsibility for the conduct of the academy with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement including, setting targets for pupil achievement, managing the academy finances, making sure the curriculum is balanced and broadly based, appointing staff and reviewing staff performance and pay.   

The Governing Body has considerable discretion as to how to discharge its responsibilities but is required to constitute itself in line with the regulations and to appoint a Chair and Vice Chair. The Governing Body may delegate certain of its responsibilities to certain Trustees, and as such these individuals form prt of sub committees which deal with specific aspects of school, e.g. Audit & Risk Management, Curriculum, Standards & Buildings, Finance & Staffing, etc.  

 

Responsibilities of the Governing Body 
Governing Body personnel are one of the country's largest voluntary groups with around 345,000 school governors contributing to strategic development and raising standards of achievement at over 30,000 schools. All the schools Members and Trustees work on a voluntary basis, sharing with us their invaluable skills and experience for the good of Townfield Primary School and wider community. 

 

Individual Trustees have no power or right to act on behalf of the governing body except where the whole governing body has delegated a specific function to that individual or where regulations specify that a function is to be exercised in a particular way.

 

Trustees re drawn from different parts of the community, such as parents, the wider community and other professional groups. This helps to ensure that the governing body has sufficient diversity of views and experience, but does not mean that Trustees of a particular category "represent" that group on the Governing Body.

 

For example, Parent Trustees do not act as a representative of the parents at the school and do not report back to them.   A Trustee with a child in the school may only bring their own considerations to the table to prevent conflict of interst and ensure they act in accordance with their own personal role and responsibility. 

 

As well as these important collective duties, Trustees also develop individual roles and interests.  For example, Trustees are appointed to work with staff and their curriculum area.  The Chair and Vice Chair of Governors have regular contact with school.  The work of the Chair is wide, varied and always stimulating, dealing with issues ranging from the formality of committee business to the pleasure contributing to ensuring an ever improving standard at Townfield for our children.  

 

The honest and completely transparent working relationship established with the Headteacher and staff is greatly valued by the Trustees and is considered an essential ingredient to be found in any successful school.

 

Governing Body Overview 

Townfield Primary is a Single Academy Trust (SAT).   The school converted to an academy in July 2014 and currently has capacity for 450 children, with a nursery school taking children from aged 3-4.  .   Townfield Primary is a Single Academy Trust (SAT).   The school converted to an academy in July 2014 and currently has capacity for 450 children, with a nursery school taking children from aged 3-4.  The school is well subscribed and from September 2020 is now a three-form entry school.

Governing Body Structure 

As Townfield Primary is a SAT, the Governing Body Structure is broken down in to 2 tiers; Members and Trustees.  Trustees are also part of specific Committees which have been set out to ensure those with beneficial skillsets are used appropriately and also to ensure internal scrutiny is maintained, as much as possible.   As per the advice of the National Governance Association (NGA) , the Governing Body does not overlap roles of Members and Trustees to prevent any potential conflicts of interests arising. 

 

Who is part of the Governing Body?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                              

Clerk to Governing Body 

The Members and Trustees are supported by the Clerk to Governing Body.   As well as providing administrative support they also assist and advise the Headteacher and Chair in relation to research, regulations/legislation, policies, Financial Handbook compliance, and governance requirements.  

 

Contact can be made with any member of the Governing Body via the Clerk to the Governing Body, Mrs McDowell

Telephone - 0151 652 8498 ext 304

Post - Townfield Lane, Prenton, Birkenhead CH43 2LH

Email - mcdowellb@townfield.wirral.sch.uk

 

Committees

In addition to termly meetings by Trustees, there are individual committees which are set up to deal with specific elements of school dealings.   Trustees are placed on committees which best suit their skillset, so they can use their knowledge and experience to the best possible advantage of school.  

 

Audit Commitee                 

Mr Nigel Court (RO) - Chair

Mr Iain Miles (external)

Vacancy - TBC

 

Curriculum & Standards Commitee                   

Vacancy - TBC -  Chair

Mrs Moira Loftus (AO)  

Mrs Andrea Shillinglaw 

 

Buildings, Finance & Staffing Committee                      

Mrs Andrea Shillinglaw  - Chair

Mrs Moira Loftus (AO) 

Mrs Caroline Prosser

 

 

Pay Committee

Admissions & Appeals Committe                     Committee members to be determined and agreed at next FGB meeting 

Investigations & Disciplinary Commitee 

 

 

Governance Records 

 

  Current Governing Body 

 

Name	Position	Date of Appointment	Term of Office	Appointing Body	Register of Business / Pecuniary Interests	Attendance Record (Trustees FGB) 2019/2020	Committee Meetings	Members AGM	Attendance Record (Trustees FGB) 2020/2020	Committee Meetings	Members AGM
Mr T Behan	Member	01/10/2014	4 years					1			-
Mrs J Roach	Member	24/03/2020	4 years		None			n/a			-
Mrs D Bostock	Member	24/03/2020	4 years		Headteacher  Our Lady’s Bishop Eton						-
Mrs C Prosser	Chair of Trustees	28/09/2020	4 years	Trustees	None	2/5	0		1	-
Mrs A Shillinglaw	Trustee	07/07/2018	4 years	Trustees	None	4/5	2		1	1
Mr C Hatton	Trustee	01/10/2018	4 years	Trustees	None	3/5	0		1	-
Mr N Court	Trustee	30/09/2020	4 years	Trustees	None	4/5	3		1	1
Mr P Natton	Trustee	07/07/2018	4 years	Trustees	None	4/5	2		1	-
Mrs L Collins	Trustee	29/04/2019	4 years	Trustees	None	1/5	0		1	-

 

 

Other Appointments

Name	Position	Date of Appointment	Register of Pecuniary Interests
Mrs M Loftus	Headteacher, Trustee & AO (Accounting Officer)	01/01/2020	None
Mrs J Murphy	CFO (Chief Financial Officer)	21/09/2019	None
Mrs B McDowell	Clerk to Governing Body & Company Secretary	01/01/2019	Governor BHSA (LGB)

 

 

Resignations (in last 12 months)

Name

Position

Date of Appointment

Term of Office

Appointing Body

Register of Business / Pecuniary Interests

Attendance Record (Trustees FGB) 2019/2020

Committee Meetings

Members AGM

Attendance Record (Trustees FGB) 2020/2020

Committee Meetings

Members AGM

Date of Resignation

Mr A Molyneux

Trustee

01/09/2019

4 years

Trustees

None

5/5

2

1

-

09/11/2020

Ms J Taylor

Trustee

07/07/2018

4 years

Trustees

None

1/5

1

1

-

06/11/2020

Mr T Behan

Trustee

07/07/2018

4 years

Trustees

None

5/5

1

1

1

-

27/09/2020

Mrs L Carroll

Trustee

19/01/2018

4 years

Trustees

None

2/2

1

1

-

6/11/2020

Mrs K Griffiths

Trustee

07/07/2018

4 years

Trustees

None

2/2

1

1

-

6/11/2020

 

 

 

Register of Intersts for Accounting Officer  

This will be published after our first Full Governing Body meeting of the academic year. 

 

 

Governing Body Scheme of Delegation 

Below is the Scheme of Delegation in relation to how the Governing Body deals with each element of governance and who responsibility rests with to oversee, scrutinise and approve. 

 

 

Key Governance Documents 

• Articles of Association 
• Funding Agrement 
• Financial Notice to Improve following ESFA Investigation Report October 2020 
• Audited Accounts

           - Financial Statements 2016-2017          

          -  Financial Statements 2017-2018

          -  Financial Statements 2018-2019