Section 6 - Calling a Meeting and Setting an Agenda

8/6/2019 Section 6 - Calling a Meeting and Setting an Agenda

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CALLING A MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BODY AND WRITING AN AGENDA

CLERKS' GUIDE December 2005 Page 1 of Section 6

6. Calling a meeting of the GoverningBody and writing an agenda

6.1 Meeting Schedule

The full governing body must hold a meeting at least once every term. Ameeting must also be held if any three members of a governing body ask forone.

It is the duty of the clerk to convene meetings in accordance with directions bythe governing body. The chair (or vice-chair in his or her absence) can alsodirect the clerk to arrange a meeting, but this must not conflict with anydirections given by the full governing body.

Meetings are to be convened by the clerk, giving 7 clear days written notice togovernors and the Governor Support Team of both the meeting date andagenda. The Governor Support Team welcome this by post, the Green Bag ore mail.

In exceptional circumstances meetings can be convened at shorter noticebecause "there are matters demanding urgent consideration" - DfES AGuide to the Law for School Governors Chapter 3 - 42.

Papers should be left at or sent to governors usual home addresses.Meetings will still be valid even if any of the usual recipients fail to receivecopies of the papers posted in good faith. Many governing bodies are nowusing e mail as a means of delivery.

6.2 Calling a meeting

It is the duty of the clerk to prepare and distribute the necessary paperwork inorder to convene a meeting of the governing body. Many clerks, heads andchairs meet together to discuss the content of the agenda for the meeting, aseach may have items to be included, and to decide which items may be

confidential and therefore in Part 2 of the meeting. There should be a clearprocedure in place for individual governors to put items on the agenda of anymeeting.

The agreed agenda must then be drawn up by the clerk and circulated withany relevant papers/letters in advance of the meeting.

A sample agenda is included on page 2 of this section.

In addition a short letter of invitation should be included, with a reminder ofthe date, time and venue of the meeting.


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Sample letter and agenda

Dear Governors

The next full meeting of Governors is scheduled for xxxxxxx at xpm. Theagenda is detailed below and supporting papers are enclosed, whereindicated.

If you are unable to attend the meeting please contact me so that yourapologies can be considered.

With kind regards

Agenda for Governors meeting to be held onxxxxxx 200x at xpm.

Procedural1. Apologies and Welcome2. Minutes of the last meeting held on xxxxxx3. Matters arising4. Chairs Urgent business

Monitoring and Accountability

5. Headteachers report enclosed6. Committee minutes (list committees e.g.)

CurriculumPremisesFinance and Personnel

7. Correspondence8. PANDA review/SATs results (when necessary)9. Policy reviews

School Development

10. School Development Plan update11. SEF update

Governing Body development

12. Governors training13. Governors visits14. Link Governors report15. Date of the next meeting - xxxx 200x

NB: any other business is not good practice


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Who has to have a copy of the agenda?

every governor

the headteacher

the Governor Support Team

It is a good idea to take one or two spare copies of any papers to the meeting.

Circulating papers at the meeting should be avoided it is not reasonable toexpect anyone to digest and understand documents at such short notice. If itis unavoidable, time for reading should be allowed at the meeting.

Other items which need to be discussed at least once per year

Autumn Term

election of chair and vice-chair (mandatory unless elected for morethan one year) appointment of Special Educational Needs(SEN), Race Equality,Literacy, Numeracy and Child Protection, Link governors (and ReligiousEducation(RE) in Voluntary Aided Schools) review of the committees and Terms of Reference including delegatedpowers review of results and target setting policy reviews

Spring Term

approval of next year's budget policy reviews

Summer Term

review of attendance - pupils and staff annual review of governors' work pay review policy reviews

6.3 Access to meetings

The headteacher, clerk and all members of the governing body have the rightto attend all meetings of the governing body except when the regulationsabout withdrawal apply. It is part of their conditions of employment thatheadteachers attend governors' meetings when asked to do so by thegoverning body.

The Director for Lifelong Learning, and in church schools, a representative ofthe Diocesan Authority, has rights to be represented at governing bodymeetings. Otherwise, the governing body decides whether anyone who is not


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a governor is to be present as an observer. Observers should be asked toleave before confidential items, unless they are needed for the discussion.Some governing bodies have a standing invitation to staff, pupil observersand parents. It is good practice to ask people who intend to come to let theclerk know in advance. If the governing body feels at any time that it would not

be appropriate to have observers or the clerk present, it can always ask themto withdraw.

6.4 Withdrawal from meetings

The chair or the clerk should remind governors that they must declare aparticular interest financial or other, in any of the items on the agenda at ameeting.

The governing body should maintain a register that lists for each member of

the governing body, any pecuniary interests held either personally or througha company or relative or partner. The clerk to the governors is responsible forthe maintenance of the register by effecting changes as notified, conductingan annual review of all entries and making the register available for inspectionby governors, staff, parents and the LA. A sample declaration form iscontained on page 5 of this section.

An 'interest' is a situation where a member of the governing body may beaffected personally or financially, directly or indirectly, or in some other way bya decision made at a meeting where the governor is present. The SchoolGovernment Regulations state, those members of the governing body with

any such interest must declare it as soon as possible at the meeting; must nottake part in the discussion, must not vote and should withdraw from themeeting. Their withdrawal and return should be minuted.

For further guidance on the rules and regulations regarding withdrawal frommeetings, please refer to the DfES A Guide to the Law for SchoolGovernors Chapter 3, 21-23 and 48-49.


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Annual Declaration of pecuniary interest for membersof governing bodies

Name of school/college....

Name of governor:

Members of the Governing Body are asked to record, any pecuniary interests held

either personally or through a company or relative or partner. An 'interest' is a

situation where a member of the governing body may be affected personally or

financially, directly or indirectly, or in some other way by a decision made at a

meeting where the governor is present.

The School Government Regulations state that members of the governing body with

any such interest must declare it as soon as possible at any meeting of the full

governing body or committee meeting, must not take part in the discussion, must not

vote and should withdraw from the meeting. Their withdrawal and return should beminuted. For further guidance on the rules and regulations regarding withdrawal from

meetings, please refer to the DfES "A Guide to the Law for School Governors"

Chapter 3, 21-23 48-49.

Please complete this form and return it to the Clerk to the Governing Body. If you

have nothing to declare please mark the form None.

I wish to record the following interest(s):

Nature of Interest

Signed: Date: ..

Governors are reminded that completion of this form does not remove the

requirement upon them to disclose orally any interest at any specific meeting and to

withdraw.

Section 6 - Calling a Meeting and Setting an Agenda

Documents

Transcript of Section 6 - Calling a Meeting and Setting an Agenda