ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL (A Company Limited by Guarantee)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL (A company limited by guarantee) ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 August 2014 Company Registration No. 08165744 ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS GOVERNORS AND ACADEMY TRUSTEES Miss E M Ball (Headteacher and Accounting Officer) Mr M E Calway Mr A A Dunlop (Appointed 3 December 2013) Mr A Gladstone (Appointed 24 September 2013) Ms N E Gouldstone Ms T Harding (Vice-Chair) Mr M P Hopkins Mr M A R Jarche Mrs I M Kosch Mr L N Mann Mrs A C Parker Mr J M Riglin Mr R J Shepherd Mr A C Shoebridge Mrs D J Simmons Mrs A E Swift Sir D W Tanner CBE Mr D S F Trigg (Chair) More details of each Governor’s background and areas of interest are available on the school’s website. COMPANY SECRETARY Mr J C Matthews LEADERSHIP TEAM: − DEPUTY HEADTEACHER Ms L Howarth − DEPUTY HEADTEACHER Mr C Weightman − SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGER Mr J C Matthews PRINCIPLE AND REGISTERED OFFICE Richmond Road Twickenham Middlesex TW1 3BB COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER 08165744 (England and Wales) INDEPENDENT AUDITOR Baker Tilly UK Audit LLP Davidson House Forbury Square Reading Berkshire RG1 3EU BANKERS Co-Operative Bank 17 High Street Kingston upon Thames KT1 1LP 1 ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL GOVERNORS’ REPORT The Governors present their Annual Report together with the financial statements and auditor’s report of the Charitable Company for the year ended 31 August 2014. 1. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Status and History Orleans Park School is an exempt charity and a company limited by guarantee, not having share capital. The current members of the charitable company are included in the Reference and Administrative Details on page 1. The principal activity of the Academy is to run a senior school (11 – 16) for boys and girls located in Twickenham Middlesex. Orleans Park School was originally a local authority operated school in Twickenham, Middlesex that was founded in 1973 and converted to academy status on 1 September 2012. The charitable company was incorporated on 2 August 2012. Orleans Park School is governed by the rules and regulations set down in its company Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 2 August 2012. Constitution The Governors act as trustees for charitable activities of Orleans Park School and are also the directors of the Charitable Company for the purposes of company law. Details of the Governors who served throughout the year except as noted are included in the Reference and Administrative Details on page 1. Members’ liability Each member of the Charitable Company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Charitable Company in the event of it being wound up while they are a member, or within one year after they cease to be a member, such amount as may be required, not exceeding £10, for the debts and liabilities contracted before they ceased to be a member. Principal activities The charitable objectives for which the charitable company was established are set down in the governing document as follows: To provide exceptional learning opportunities for our students by providing: • Outstanding teaching and learning. The school aims to provide outstanding teaching to promote intellectual challenge and the highest possible achievement for all students. • Care for the individual. The structures and ethos of the school ensure care for the individual and support the learning of each student. • A fit place to learn. The school aims to provide an inspirational and well run environment in which students can learn and grow. • Aspirational leadership. Every leader in the school keeps their area of responsibility under review and strives to be the best. In our school, pupils: 1. Respect themselves, each other and the staff who work with them. 2. Develop independent learning skills and share responsibility for their progress and learning. 3. Seek and embrace every opportunity to be the best that they can be; striving for excellence. 4. Take responsibility for and have pride in themselves and their school. All members of staff, Governors and parents/carers work together to: 1. Foster a community where everyone feels welcome, supported, valued and treated with respect. 2. Provide high quality teaching and learning opportunities for everyone. 3. Guide and support every pupil to be their very best in every way. 4. Take pride in the successes and achievements of every member of the school community. 2 ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL GOVERNORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED) Method of Recruitment and Appointment or Election of Governors The Governors have set up procedures that will enable regular reviews of the mix of skills that should be available to the board. New governors will then be sought with these skills, either as additional governors or replacements when existing governors stand down. It is anticipated that the great majority of new governors will be drawn from the local community being either parents or guardians of pupils at the school or others that have shown an interest in the future well-being of the school and its pupils. Recruitment is therefore likely to be through a combination of approaches to individuals with known skills and by wider communications to those within Twickenham, Middlesex. To ensure a proper representation of parents, elections are held for parent governors and these positions are limited to those having children who currently attend the school. The Local Authority has the ability to nominate one governor. New governors will be appointed to the board by the existing governors until the date of the next Annual General Meeting, at which time they are eligible for re-election for a period of 4 years. At the end of a 4 year term, retiring governors are eligible for re-election for a further term. New governors receive information packs and meet with the Chair of Governors to discuss the role of governors and the requirements of Orleans Park School. Individual Governors attend training courses and conferences organised by appropriate bodies in order to ensure their knowledge and understanding is fully up to date. Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of Governors Upon conversion, the Governing Body agreed to adopt the policies and procedures drafted by the Governance Committee of the previous Governing Body in March 2011. To supplement this, the School has a service level agreement with the local authority to provide support for governors. Governors sign the National Governors’ Association “Code of Practice” which incorporates Nolan’s “Seven Principles of Public Life”. Risk and Corporate Governance Matters Risk is managed actively and indeed pro-actively, by identifying risk areas and avoiding them. Governor committees have the responsibility for monitoring the Academy’s exposure to individual risks that are assigned to them within the following categories, and reporting them to the Full Governing Body: • Strategic and Reputational risks (Curriculum & Achievement and Pupil & Community) • Operational risks (Premises) • Compliance risks (Finance & Governance) • Financial risks (Finance and Pay & Personnel) All risks are assessed and awarded grades that indicate “likelihood” and “potential impact”. Steps to mitigate risks are also well documented. Insurance The school has taken out a combined insurance policy that includes buildings and contents, and liability insurance covering employees, (including teaching and administrative staff and Governors), and third party cover arising from negligent acts errors and omissions where the school has a legal liability. The limit of indemnity for the main liability covers is £30m and for Governors Indemnity £5m. Other cover included in the policy is for personal accident, travel, and engineering plant and equipment. The total premium cost is £72,870. 3 ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL GOVERNORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED) Organisational Structure The Governors have responsibility for setting and monitoring the overall strategic direction of the charitable company, approving decisions reserved to Governors and appointing key members of staff. The Governors meet as a board six times each year. All decisions referred to the Governors are taken by the board as a whole. Board committees meet at least six times each year to consider detailed matters and recommend decisions to the full board. There are 6 Board committees: 1) Governance (meets six times per year) • Monitors and evaluates the strategic role, procedures, performance and composition of the Governing Body, and to make recommendations to the Governing Body concerning such matters. • Monitors and keeps under review: o the strategic role of the Governing Body. o the functioning of the Committees in support of that role. • The workload of the Governing Body and Committees with regard to approval and review of policies, procedures and the updating of the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF), and the procedures, standing orders and workings of the Governing Body. Formulates procedures for reviewing the performance of the Governing Body, to oversee and undertake such performance reviews and individual governor self-assessment as required, and to liaise with the Governing Body and its other Committees as required concerning such matters. • Ensures that the annual schedule of meetings of the Governing Body and Committees, and the agendas for such meetings, reflect the needs and priorities of School business (and to receive related feedback from the Headteacher as required). • Keeps under review the composition of the Governing Body, the recruitment, appointment and re-appointment of governors, and the balance of interests represented. • Monitors and co-ordinates the induction and mentoring of new governors. • Monitors: (i) the range of skills and experience required on the Governing Body, and to carry out a skills audit from time to time; (ii) the continuing professional development (CPD) of governors; and (iii) individual governors’ attendance. • Negotiates and reviews with the Headteacher the framework and protocol for governors’ visits to the School, in order to ensure that the Governing Body’s monitoring of the SEF and the School Development Plan (SDP) is systematically planned through by an appropriate programme of visits by a range of governors.