Somerset Road Education Trust

Scheme of Delegation

Somerset Road Education Trust (SRET) is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) made up from three academies:

1. Exeter House Special School

2. St Mark’s C.E. Junior School

3. Wyndham Park Infants School.

Changing lives

We believe in the extraordinary in everyone

We believe that everyone is a valuable part of society, no matter what their needs or difficulties

We believe that everyone should be valued and has the right to feel fulfilled and challenged

We believe that education is a key to change and that change is both important and necessary

Introduction The SRET Board of Trustees (BoT or board) is accountable in law for all decisions about its academies. However, this does not mean that the board is required to make all the decisions itself. Many decisions are delegated including to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), board committees and Local Governing Committees (LGCs). The decision to delegate a function is made by the board and is recorded. Without this formal delegation, the individual or committee has no power to act.

The purpose of the Scheme of Delegation The Scheme of Delegation (SoD) defines which functions have been delegated and to whom. It ensures Members, Trustees, committees (including LGCs), executive leadership and individual academy Headteachers are clear about who has responsibility for making which decisions in the trust. As SRET matures and grows the workings of the MAT, both in terms of governance and management are likely to change. Therefore the SoD will be reviewed annually, with revisions made as the context changes, if necessary each year. This is done in recognition of the need to be responsive to changing circumstances and to adapt accordingly.

Proposed structure:

Members – 5

(One Member to be on the board)

Directors – change the name to Trustees to come into line with what is used nationally and advised by a whole range of

governance advisory bodies

Make- up: 8-12 Trustees + CEO (CEO is operational lead for the trust but only an associate trustee – so that accountability of

the CEO to the trustee board is not muddied by them also being a trustee – CEO is directly accountable to the board of

Trustees The Trustees needs specific link roles: Chair of Trustees (elected by the Trustees , Finance, H&S, safeguarding, 2x

Diocese (not necessarily separate from other identified roles), standards (education lead), Chairs for each Local Governing

Committee (3).

Committees suggested: Resources (to include: finance, HR, health and safety, buildings), Standards (to include safeguarding),

Audit, Local Governing Committees (what were previously LGBs)

Executive Management Team (EMT) – chaired by CEO to include the two other Headteachers - both of whom have

responsibility at trust level as delegated by the CEO/ Trustees

Local Governing

Committee

Local Governing

Committee

Local Governing

Committee

Where HT is CEO –

Deputy Headteacher

or Head of Standards

will fulfil this role

CEO (also substantive HT of

one of the academies)

HT HT

Governance structure and lines of accountability

The BoT delegate responsibility for delivery of the vision and strategy to the CEO. The board hold the CEO to account for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust. The CEO in turn holds other senior executives to account by line managing them. Within SRET an EMT is used so that there is an appropriate delegation of responsibilities and a clear mechanism through which action, support and challenge can take place on a day to day basis.

In this SoD the board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the CEO. However, specific responsibilities concerning the performance of each academy are delegated to the LGC. These responsibilities will include:

monitoring whether the school is working within the agreed policies

whether standards are being met

if the money is being well spent

The LGC will use its detailed knowledge and engagement with stakeholders to ensure that their academy is being well served by the trust and the EMT and as a board committee has direct access to the BoT if there are concerns.

This means that as the CEO is accountable to the board for the performance of the trust as a whole and will report to the BoT on the performance of the trust including on the performance of individual academies, although this is supported by individual Headteacher reports and other monitoring reports from the LGCs.

The CEO is performance managed by the BoT. The CEO performance manages the academy Headteachers with input from the LGC chair.

Roles and responsibilities

The role of the Members

The Members of the SRET have a different status to the Trustees. Originally they will have been the signatories to the Memorandum of Association (MoA) and will have agreed the trust’s first Articles of Association (AoA - a document which outlines the governance structure and how the trust will operate). The AoA describe how Members are recruited and replaced, and how many of the Trustees the Members can appoint to the BoT. The Members appoint Trustees to ensure that the trust’s charitable object is carried out and so must be able to remove Trustees if they fail to fulfil this responsibility. Accordingly, the BoT submits an annual report on the performance of the trust to the Members. Members are also responsible for approving any amendments made to the AoA. The Members are, in essence, the shareholders of the company. This is currently a group of five people, appointed by the Members itself, which always includes the Chair of the Board (CoB). The Members have three functions:

Approve the accounts and appoint the auditors. Appoint / remove Trustees.

This group holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and audit meetings.

Within SRET, although the CoB is a Member, this is done in order to retain a degree of separation of powers between the Members and the BoT, and in line with DfE expectations, no other Members are Trustees. Members are also not permitted to be employees of SRET.

The role of the Trustees

The Trustees of SRET are the charity Trustees (within the terms of section 177(1) of the Charities Act 2011) and are responsible for the general control and management of the administration of the trust in accordance with the provisions set out in the MoA and the AoA. The BoT is the accountable body for the performance of all academies within the SRET and as such:

Ensures clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

Holds the CEO to account for the educational performance of the academies and their pupils, and the performance management of staff

Oversees the financial performance of the trust and make sure its money is well spent

The BoT delegates to the CEO responsibility for the day to day operations of the trust. The Trustees also determine whether and what other governance functions they delegate. The BoT has the right to review and adapt its governance structure at any time which includes removing delegation. The BoT also maintains ultimate responsibility for all budgets, salaries and safeguarding.

Apart from ensuring good governance, the board’s primary objectives are to assist the CEO and EMT in delivering the best possible outcomes for all students, and to hold the CEO to account for the ways in which this is carried out.

In addition to delegating responsibilities to LGCs the BoT delegates responsibility to two committees who consider issues across the trust – the Standards Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee.

The role of committees

The Trustees have established committees with delegated authority to make decisions and for the purpose of providing advice and support, informing the overall work of the BoT. However these committees are not legally responsible or accountable for statutory functions – BoT retains overall accountability and responsibility. The responsibilities of committees are set out in their terms of reference (ToR); the responsibilities of LGCs are set out in the SoD. The BoT appoints committee members/participants and committee chairs.

Trustee committees (see separate ToR for each committee)

Committee

Purpose Membership Frequency of meeting (tbc)

Audit

To be populated 3 x a year

Resources (finance, HR, health and safety, buildings)

3 x a year

Standards

3 x a year

Local Governing Committees (LGCs)

6 x a year

Executive Management Team (EMT)

Weekly

The role of the Local Governing Committee (LGC)

The BoT will establish LGCs, appoint the chair, ensure two parents are elected and will determine what will be delegated. As a committee of the board, delegation can be removed at any time. The LGCs are responsible for the day-to-day management and governance of the academies under their jurisdiction. The majority of the leadership and management is delegated to the Headteacher of each academy. The chairperson of each LGC is also a Trustee. This is done to ensure that there is a direct link to the BoT as a committee of the board and also ensures greater consistency of governance across each of the academies. Each LGC has a minimum of two governors within it who are expected to make regular visits to their academies during each academic year. This enables each Governing Committee to understand and review the work and progress of their academy. Governors submit reports following their visits for consideration at the relevant Governing Committee.

The LGCs through their delegated responsibilities hold the Headteachers of the individual academies to account for their performance and progress. Where the CEO is also the substantive Headteacher of an academy the LGCs hold the Deputy Headteacher/Head of Standards/Head of School to account (as delegated by the CEO) and the CEO is held to direct account by the BoT for standards in both their school and across the trust.

The role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The CEO has the delegated responsibility for the operation of SRET, including the performance of the trust’s academies and so the CEO performance manages the academy Headteachers. This role is carried out alongside the LGC chair. The CEO is the de facto Accounting Officer (AO) so has overall responsibility for:

the operation of the academy trust’s financial responsibilities

must ensure that the organisation is run with financial effectiveness and stability

avoiding waste and securing value for money.

The CEO also leads the EMT, which includes the other two Headteachers. The CEO delegates executive management functions to the members in the EMT and is accountable to the BoT for the performance of the EMT.

Defining the CEO role within the trust (and possible delegated elements for the Executive Management Team)

Accountability, compliance and organisational delivery

School Improvement and Development Safeguarding and pupil welfare (part of standards)

Accounting Officer

Leading a vision for development, improvement and growth within the trust

Develop a model for strategic oversight and improvement in the trust

Be accountable for standards and outcomes across the trust

Take overall operational responsibility for safeguarding and health and safety within the trust

GDPR identified lead

Undertake and maintain the trust’s Risk Management Plan

Lead on the writing and maintenance of the Trust development plan

Lead on the Executive Management Team

Line manage those employed across the

Responsible for developing and leading the process for improvement across the trust, providing quality assurance and accountability;

Provide strategic direction and leadership for Teaching and Learning across the academies

Lead a trust-wide school improvement function that will ensure that the requirements in each academy’s performance are identified and analysed, appropriately costed and prioritised solutions are developed and secured. This could include the commissioning of internal resources through academy-to-academy support and/or external support from a range of providers or individuals who meet

Operational responsibility for leading and developing safeguarding

Development of a strategy to ensure highly effective approach to and oversight of safeguarding and enhancement of pupil welfare

Develop strategies for the support and improvement of parental engagement etc

Contribute to the writing and maintenance of the TDP

trust (where employment is not specific to individual schools)

Ensure rigorous systems for recognising, intervening in and supporting / holding to account where underperformance has been recognised

agreed criteria for quality, including evidence of effectiveness and impact.

Contribute to the writing and maintenance of the Trust Development Plan (TDP)

The Executive Management Team

This is a central mechanism through which the CEO both delegates responsibility for ensuring that the organisation is run effectively and also tracks, monitors and evaluates progress and effectiveness within the organisation.

The role of the Headteacher

The Headteacher is responsible for the day to day management of their academy and is line-managed by the CEO but reports to the LGC on matters which have been delegated to the LGC.

Framework for decision making responsibilities within SRET

Area

Decision Delegation

Members Trust Board

CEO LGC Academy

Headteacher

Governance framework

People

Members: Appoint/Remove

Trustees: Appoint/Remove

Role descriptions for members

Role descriptions for Trustees/chair/ specific roles/committee members: agree

<A

Parent trustee/committee member: elected

Committee chairs: appoint and remove <A

LGC chairs: appoint and remove <A

Clerk to board: appoint and remove

Clerk to LGC: appoint and remove

Systems and

structures

Articles of association: agree and review <A <A

Governance structure (committees) for the trust: establish and review annually

<A

Terms of reference for trust committees (including audit if required, and scheme for school committees): agree annually

<A

Terms of reference for LGC/local committees: agree and review annually

<A

Skills audit: complete and recruit to fill gaps <A> A

Annual self-review of trust board and committee performance: complete annually

Area

Decision Delegation

Members Trust Board

CEO LGC Academy Headteacher

Systems

and structures

Annual self-review of LGC performance: complete annually

Chair’s performance: carry out 360 review periodically

Trustee / committee member contribution: review annually

Succession: plan <A> A

Annual schedule of business for trust board: agree <A

Annual schedule of business for LGC: agree A> A

Reporting

Reporting

Trust governance details on trust and academies' websites: ensure <A

Academy governance details on academy website: ensure <A

Register of all interests, business, pecuniary, loyalty for members/Trustees/committee members: establish and publish

<A

Annual report on performance of the trust: submit to members and publish

<A

Annual report and accounts including accounting policies, signed statement on regularity, propriety and compliance, incorporating governance statement demonstrating value for money: submit

<A

Annual report work of LGC: submit to trust and publish A

Area

Decision Delegation

Members Trust Board

CEO LGC Academy Headteacher

Being Strategic

Being Strategic

Determine trust wide policies which reflect the trust's ethos and values (facilitating discussions with unions where appropriate) including: admissions; charging and remissions; complaints; expenses; health and safety, premises management; data protection and FOI; staffing policies including capability, discipline, conduct and grievance: approve

<A

Determine school level policies which reflect the school's ethos and values to include e.g. admissions; SEND; safeguarding and child protection; curriculum; behaviour: approve

A>

A

Central spend / top slice: agree <A

Management of risk: establish register, review and monitor <A> A

Engagement with stakeholders

Trust's vision and strategy, agreeing key priorities and key performance indicators (KPIs) against which progress towards achieving the vision can be measured: determine

<A

Schools vision and strategy, agreeing key priorities and key performance indicators (KPIs) against which progress towards achieving the vision can be measured: determine

A>

A

Chief Executive Officer: Appoint and dismiss

Academy Headteacher : Appoint and dismiss

Area

Decision Delegation

Members Trust Board

CEO LGC Academy Headteacher

Being

Strategic

Budget plan to support delivery of trust key priorities: agree <A

Budget plan to support delivery of school key priorities: agree

A>

A

Trust's staffing structure: agree <A

School staffing structure: agree A> A

Holding to account

Holding to

account

Auditing and reporting arrangements for matters of compliance (eg

safeguarding, H&S, employment): agree

<A> A

Reporting arrangements for progress on key priorities: agree <A> A

Performance management of the Chief Executive Officer: undertake

Performance management of academy headteacher : undertake

A

Trustee monitoring: agree arrangements <A

LGC member monitoring: agree arrangements

A

Area

Decision Delegation

Members Trust Board

CEO LGC Academy

Headteacher

Ensuring financial probity

Ensuring financial probity

Chief financial officer for delivery of trusts detailed accounting

processes: appoint

<A

Trust's scheme of financial delegation: establish and review <A

School's scheme of financial delegation: establish and review <A

External auditors' report: receive and respond <A A

CEO pay award: agree

Academy headteacher pay award: agree A

Staff appraisal procedure and pay progression: monitor and agree A> A

Benchmarking and trust wide value for money: ensure robustness <A

Benchmarking and academy value for money: ensure robustness A

Develop trust wide procurement strategies and efficiency savings

programme

Roles and Responsibilities matrix (details tbc)

Type of activity CEO

(responsible for trust wide performance and improvement within the MAT)

Headteachers

(delivers on performance and operations at school level)

LGC (monitors and challenges individual schools)

Executive Management Team

(approves and actions key issues that go across schools/ supports school to improve outcomes and strategic interchange)

Trustees

(ultimately accountable and approves statutory policies and finance)

Members

(Approve the Trust accounts and appoint the auditors, appoint Trustees, appoint the Chief Executive)

School Improvement

Be responsible for developing and leading the process for improvement across the Trust, providing quality assurance and accountability

Provide strategic direction and leadership for Teaching and Learning across the academies

Lead a Trust-wide improvement function that will

Develop school strategy, culture & ethos

Develop and then propose academy priorities and academy development and improvement plan (ADIP), including suggesting targets

Delivers performance as per ADIP and targets

Develop and then propose curriculum model

Support and challenge and input into the development of the ADIP and SEF

Support the Headteacher to develop and implement local school culture and ethos

Support and challenge, and input into the school curriculum model

Monitor school performance

Support schools on multiple aspects including: implementing ADIP; improving teaching quality; managing assessment processes; analysing school data Monitor school performance

Monitors school performance

Responds to requested support from individual

Sets overall vision and mission for the trust

Holds CEO, Executive leads, LGCs to account on school improvement and performance and all operational areas

Approves: School culture &ethos, School targets, ADIP and school priorities, curriculum model and behaviour

ensure that the requirements in each academy’s performance are identified and analysed, appropriately costed and prioritised solutions are developed and secured.

Commission use of internal resources through academy-to-academy support and/or external support from a range of providers or individuals who meet agreed criteria for quality, including evidence of effectiveness and impact.

Manage assessment processes

Improve teaching quality through performance management, CPD, etc

against ADIP and targets, through reviewing and challenging headteacher updates and data analysis.

HTs/LGBs

Responds to support schools as directed by directors

policy

HR/Recruitment and appraisal (inc. HT recruitment and appraisal)

Leads on recruitment strategy across the trust (supported at director level)

Leads on appraisal at trust level –

Leads on recruitment and recruitment strategy at school level (recruitment strategy supported at HT board level

LGB chair on HT recruitment panel

With HT responsibility for recruitment and appointment of school specific

Evaluates staffing needs and recommends recruitment strategy to directors

Carries out

Accountable for all HR compliance

Approve all HR policies

Conduct Headteacher recruitment

including ensuring the consistency of approach and process across all trust schools

Liaise with Unions for trust level development

Develop strategy for maximising staffing efficiency, effectiveness and utilisation across the trust

and ratified at director level)

Leads on appraisal at school level

Ensure HR policies and processes are implemented in line with policy, including: performance appraisals and pay reviews,

Develop and propose staff restructure proposals

Liaise with local level unions

Develop and retain great staff in schools

staff

Holds individual schools accountable for conducting appropriate and rigorous performance management process

Monitors implementation of key HR policies esp. pay and performance

operational management of recruitment / staffing strategies for the trust

Ensures consistency of appraisal strategy across the schools

Evaluates approach to appraisal and recommends strategy development to directors

Conduct appraisals of HT with LGC Chair

Conduct recruitment and appointment of trust level staffing

Oversees recruitment across the trust

Ratifies pay decisions – though pay panels and hears appeals

Oversees development and changes in appraisal policy

Set HR and recruitment policies at MAT level

Approve significant staff restructures

Support schools with ongoing HR guidance

Responsible for additional HR activities inc: Supplying representation for

hearings; Liaising with national level unions (e.g. pay policy)

Finance Deliver budget and financial targets

Prepare and propose budget and 3 year forecasting

Prepare monthly and end of year school finance documents

Find and implement local school procurement opportunities

Support and challenge on the development of, and input into the budget (and where relevant) plans for using school reserves

Monitor and challenge school finances, particularly vs. school target and budget, and use of resources vs. education plans

Approve reserves in inter-school loan process Monitor & challenge locally led procurement

Appoint finance link governor

Find and implement MAT procurement opportunities

Manage delivery of IT contract locally

Accountable for ensuring financial compliance and sustainability

Approve: Network budget and holdback Financial targets for schools; Use of capital endowments; Running school deficit; Financial statement

Set financial policies

Responsible for all MAT finance

Find, implement and manage MAT procurement opportunities

Approve:

School budgets & forecasts

Use of reserves & endowments

School finance targets to Support principals with school finances

Safeguarding, health and safety (inc. other compliance)

Ensure compliance with statutory obligations and mandatory SRET policies, including: H&S, safeguarding, SEN, admissions and exclusions

Provide information for FOI requests

Respond to all school level complaints

Monitor school implementation of statutory compliance & risk management

Appoint link governors for Safeguarding and SEND (mandatory)

Coordinate support for individual school compliance

Set statutory and SRET mandatory policies

Approve all statutory policies

Lead on all complaints against Headteachers

Support schools as needed, e.g. admissions, safeguarding, health & safety, etc

Responsible for additional activities, inc: Lead admissions appeals; Coordinate response to FOI requests

Accountable for all compliance

Communications Deliver on school communications strategy and school visual identity Manage parent, community, local

Support parent communications and community engagement

Act as ambassadors to community and

Advocate and deliver a visual identity for SRET

Support schools through: developing communication toolkit & guidance; managing crisis communications

Approve any changes to the overall MAT

stakeholder and school media engagement

Lead on LA communications at school level

engage with LAs as needed

Support Principals with LAs as needed

Develop SRET brand & school guidelines for supporting this

Lead on marketing for SRET as a MAT

Buildings Lead proposal development for significant building projects and refurbishments

Lead on project delivery

Support and challenge, and input into the development of school building / refurbishment proposals

Engage in procurement process for significant projects

Monitor school building projects

Look at and recommend use of buildings for cross school use and need

Approve significant building projects and smaller refurbishments if >£25K or in deficit

Support significant building project delivery

Compliance specific breakdown

Type of activity CEO Headteachers

(delivers on performance and operations at school level)

LGC

(monitors and challenges individual schools)

Executive Management Team

(approves and actions key issues that go across schools/ supports school to improve outcomes and strategic interchange)

Trustees

(ultimately accountable and approves statutory policies and finance)

Members

(Approve the Trust accounts and appoint the auditors, appoint Trustees, appoint the CEO)

Health and Safety Responsible for local implementation of policies, including development of school procedures and internal reporting on statutory requirements

Monitors school compliance with H&S policies and statutory obligations as well as challenging schools to ensure best practice is followed

Accountable for ensuring a safe and healthy environment for staff, pupils and other persons on network premises

Approve H&S policy

Sets SRET H&S policies

Monitors school H&S by arranging inspections / audits

Supports schools with implementation,

as needed

Safeguarding Adds to SRET policy to create school safeguarding policy

Appoints Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Manages all safeguarding complaints engagement

Responsible for referrals for children at risk, outside school environment

Signs off school safeguarding policy

Monitors implementation of safeguarding through reports from DSL on the measures being taking to ensure compliance

Monitors implementation of the Safeguarding policy

Accountable for legal responsibilities relating to safeguarding

Approve SRET safeguarding policy

Sets SRET Safeguarding policy

Responsible for dealing with any complaint against Headteacher

Consulted in responding to any complaint against a staff member

SEND Sets school specific SEN policy (in line with SRET policy) Appoints qualified SENCO

Responsible for implementation in line with statutory requirements

Monitors and challenge implementation of SEND policy and performance of SEND students

Accountable for legal responsibilities relating to SEND

Approve SRET SEND policy

Sets SRET SEND policy

Supports schools and monitors implementation

Admissions Responsible for implementation of admissions in line with SRET policy

Participates and negotiates with LA over local fair access/in year placements protocols – and then implements

Kept informed of major aspects such as policy and appeals

Monitor fair access in line with guiding principles

Accountable for all legal responsibilities

Approve admissions policy framework

Set mandatory admissions policy

Set guiding principles for fair access/ in year placements protocols

Exclusions Responsible for issuing an exclusion, informing all relevant parties and managing any appeal processes

Informed of every exclusion and monitors frequency and trends

Makes final decision if governors panel needed

Provides supports to help manage exclusions

Accountable for all legal responsibilities

Approve exclusions policy

Sets mandatory exclusions policy

Manage exclusions

appeals (esp. for independent review panel)

FOI requests Provides information needed to respond to FOI requests

Engaged as needed to respond accurately to requests

Coordinates all FOI requests

Accountable for ensuring SRET fulfils FOI/Data Protection statutory obligations

School Improvement Model suggestions

Agreed evaluation and trends – pupil outcomes

Attendance and exclusions: agree information that is important (and to identify trends) see appendix C for examples

End of Key Stage results (including phonics) – attainment and progress (including for groups) – benchmark against national and similar schools (use RAG rating for this) – see appendix C for examples

Other year groups (including for groups)

Impact of pupil premium funding (see separate model – linked to action plan)

Impact of Y7 catch-up funding (EH only)

Target setting for external scrutiny: see milestones document (appendix C) – shared with LGB – agreed by directors

Quality of teaching and learning – see appendix C for model tracking documents

Evaluation of previous SDP – how is this done and scrutinised for impact?

Writing of SEF – agree format

Writing of new SDP – against 4 priority areas – shared with LGC – ratified by directors