Meadowhead School’s Governing Body

TRUSTEES

Meadowhead School is a Single Academy Trust. The trustees of the academy trust are both charity trustees and company directors. The term “trustee” is interchangeable with the term governor.

The following is extracted from the Academies financial handbook 2019 Trustees

The trustees should focus on three core functions of governance:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• Overseeing and ensuring effective financial performance

The trustees must apply the highest standards of governance and ensure robust governance, as these are critical for effective finance management. They must comply with the trust’s charitable objectives, with company and charity law, and with their funding agreement. The duties of company directors are described in sections 170-181 of the Companies Act 2006 but in summary are to:

• Act within their powers
• Promote the success of the company
• Exercise independent judgement
• Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Not to accept benefits from third parties
• Declare interest in proposed transaction arrangements.

The trustees must ensure regularity and propriety in the use of the trust’s funds and achieve economy, efficiency and effectiveness – the three key elements of value for money.

The chair of trustees is responsible for ensuring the effective functioning of the board and setting professional standards of governance.

The remainder of this document refers to trustees as governors.

The Governing Body

The Governing Body of Meadowhead School consists of elected Parent Governors, elected Staff Governors, Community Governors appointed by the Governing Body, and Foundation/Trust Governors who are appointed by the Meadowhead Community Learning Trust (MCLT).  

Members of the Senior Leadership Team attend meetings as Associates; they have no rights to vote.

It is a democratic body that meets once each term as a full governing body and much of the operational work is done via the three smaller committees: Pupil, Teaching & Achievement, and Finance & Resources.

Governors are committed to supporting the school in its attempts to consistently improve the quality of the education offered to Meadowhead students and raise standards of student performance. This is done by providing strategic direction, acting as a critical friend and accepting accountability for the performance of the school.

To Contact a Governor

Governors can be contacted via Sue Hays (Clerk to Governors) at:
hayss@meadowhead.sheffield.sch.uk

Instrument of Government

The number of Governors shall be not less than three but shall not be subject to any maximum.

1. The name of the school is Meadowhead School Academy Trust
2. The school is an academy
3. The name of the Governing Body is “the Governing Body of Meadowhead School Academy Trust”
4. The Governing Body shall consist of :
   1. up to 1 Governor appointed by the Members
   2. up to 7 Community Governors;
   3. 7 Parent Governors;
   4. up to 2 Foundation Governors appointed by the MCLT;
   5. up to 3 Staff Governors;
   6. Up to 3 Co-opted Governors appointed by Governors who have not themselves been so appointed.
5. The term of office for all Governors is four years
6. The Instrument of Government came into effect on 1 September 2012.
7. A copy of the Instrument of Government must be supplied to every member of the Governing Body.

The Governors