Governing Board Newsletter September 2017 For the attention of all Derbyshire governors and clerks to governors This newsletter contains information to help you in your role as a school governor, trustee or clerk to governors. Please discuss the contents at your next governing board meeting. If you encounter any problems with links in this newsletter, please copy and paste into your browser. The information in this newsletter is correct at the time of publication. Academies – please also refer to your Articles of Association. Governing boards given power to remove elected members New regulations came into force on 1 September enabling governing boards to remove elected (i.e. staff or parent) governors in the same way as they can appointed governors. The power is given in the School Governance (Constitution and Federations) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 , which amend the 2012 Constitution Regulations and the 2012 Federation Regulations. The procedure is the same as has existed for removing appointed governors: 1. The proposal to remove someone must be included in the agenda of a meeting. 2. The person putting the proposal gives their reasons, and the governor in question has the chance to reply. 3. A vote is taken with the person concerned absent from the room. 4. If the resolution is passed by a majority of those present, the removal must be confirmed at a subsequent meeting not less than two weeks later, with the matter again as an agenda item. 5. If the decision is confirmed at the second meeting, by a simple majority vote, the dismissal is immediate. Anyone so removed will be barred from serving as a governor of any school for a period of five years from the date of their removal. Please also see updated statutory guidance which also includes details of the appeals procedure. – link below . UPDATED – constitution of The DfE has published the Competency Framework for Clerking - new governing bodies of maintained non-statutory guidance setting out the competencies required to schools: deliver professional clerking to school governing boards and multi Updated statutory guidance is now academy trusts. available which includes new powers to remove elected governors. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi Preparation for Inspection for Governing Boards cations/constitution-of-governing- The difference between section 5 and section 8 bodies-of-maintained-schools inspections – see appendix B. Generic email addresses SAFEGUARDING UPDATE If you have been allocated a chair@ or clerk@ school email address, please ensure it is activated and that you access your Advance notice that your school will shortly emails on a regular basis to avoid missing alerts and important be receiving guidance from the Child information form the Governor Support Service. protection Manager regarding the contents Please update Governor Support if you elect a and policies required in a safeguarding new chair or vice-chair portfolio and a model child protection and [email protected] safeguarding policy. or telephone 01629 535769 1 DOCUMENT RETENTION PERIOD FOR SCHOOLS The following guidance has been produced by Derbyshire County Council to assist schools in the management of their records. The guidelines outline the recommended retention periods for schools based on legislation and common practice. See full details at http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/ in Resources / Human Resource (Advisory) – useful information section. Description of Retention Action Trigger for Disposal Action Records retention/disposal action Principle set of signed Retain at school for 6 Date of meeting Transfer to Derbyshire Record minutes years Office Inspection copies of Retain for 3 years Date of Meeting Destroy minutes Agendas No retention required Conclusion of meeting Destroy Reports Retain at school for 6 Date of report Transfer to Derbyshire Record years Office Annual parents meeting Retain at school for 6 Date of meeting Transfer to Derbyshire Record papers years Office Instrument of Retain at school for the Closure of school Transfer to Derbyshire Record Government duration of its operation Office Trusts and Retain at school whilst End of operational use Transfer to Derbyshire Record Endowments operationally required Office Action Plans Retain for 3 years Expiration of action plan Destroy Policy documents Retain while policy is Expiration of policy Transfer to archives when policy is used operationally no longer operational Complaints files Retain for 6 years Resolution of complaint Review Annual reports required Retain at school for 10 End of the calendar Transfer to Derbyshire Record by central government years year that the record Office was created in TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Derbyshire Governor Strategic Briefings – Autumn 2017 Don’t forget to reserve your place on one of our 4 governor briefings around the County this autumn: Monday 2 October – Buxton Community School Wednesday 4 October – The William Allitt School Monday 9 October – Highfields School, Matlock (Lumsdale site) Wednesday 18 October – Parkside Community School, Chesterfield All sessions run from 6.30pm to approximately 8.30pm and are free of charge. Please ensure you book your place beforehand so that we can ensure adequate packs are available and we adhere to health & safety requirements. Please book your place either via Derbyshire S4S website in the training section or email [email protected] or telephone 01629 539279 2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SESSIONS – provides training and information for governors undertaking PM for headteachers and approving performance-related pay increases for all teaching staff: Venue Date Buxton Community School Tuesday 26 September County Hall, Matlock Thursday 28 September The William Allitt School Tuesday 17 October Please book your place either via Derbyshire S4S website in the training Section or email [email protected] and we will reserve your place subject to school approval. Specialist Online Safety Training for Governors This comprehensive training session will cover the following areas: The statutory responsibilities of the governing board in relation to online safety as described in KCSIE (2016) including policies and procedures, staff training, reporting functions, filtering and monitoring and school education Understanding Sexting including when to deal with it 'in house' and when your DSL should escalate to Starting Point or the police Understanding what HMI consider best practice when considering Online Safety especially within ‘Leadership and Management’ and ‘ Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare’ Ensuring you evidence best practice in preparation for Ofsted Training sessions for governors are planned at the following venues in the Autumn term: Morley Hayes Golf Club, Morley 21st November 2017 Casa Hotel, Chesterfield 23rd November 2017 Cost: £49 per delegate. All sessions will run from 18.30pm until 20.30pm For more information or to book a space please contact [email protected] or call Traci Good on 07837 806202. Training provider approved by Derby City and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board Further training and development information is available in our Autumn programme which is now available to view at http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1401 and also attached to this newsletter as Appendix A . All bookings can be made via our Derbyshire S4S website in the training section. Either search by course code or via the calendar on the right hand side of the screen. Select the appropriate course and make a booking. The booking will then be added to your school’s shopping basket (unless the course is free of charge, in which case the request will be checked out) and the appropriate person in school will alerted with a request to complete the checking out process. On completion of the checking out process, you will receive an email to confirm your place on the course. 3 Derbyshire School Governors’ Association Changes and updates to Governor (DSGA) Support website http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1218 The DSGA represents the views of Derbyshire School Governors and is open to all Derbyshire School Governing board self-evaluation and notes Governors. Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of Guidelines and pack for the election of parent the month (excluding July to September and December) and staff governors from 7-9pm at County Hall, Matlock. (located on the Guidance and Advice page) However, if your school is able to host a meeting, this Clerks’ Handbook would be a welcome opportunity to rotate the venue Autumn term model agenda and briefing notes around the county. If so, please contact the DSGA via Located on the main governor support resources page and their website http://www.dsga.org.uk/ updated Autumn 2017. Available to all Derbyshire maintained schools and other schools subscribing to the Derbyshire entitlement package. CONTACT US [email protected] 01629 535769 Website: http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1218 Please see over for: Appendix A - Training and Development programme Appendix B - Preparation for Inspection for Governing Board 4 PUBLIC Version 1.2: updated July 2017 APPENDIX A Governor Training Programme – Autumn 2017 The following training The following training opportunities may be available at a venue of your choice subject to minimum/maximum numbers. For all enquiries, please contact the Governor Support Service at [email protected] or telephone 01629 535769. This programme may