Governor Impact

Academy 

Bewbush

Chair of Governors 

Ben Cooper

Date 

11th October 2022

Governance at Bewbush Primary Academy within TKAT 

Bewbush Primary academy is part of TKAT, a Multi-academy Trust. The Trust is a charity and its board of trustees must ensure that it complies with its charitable objects which relate to the provision of education in its schools. As such it is the Trust board which is accountable for the performance of the Academies in the Trust, and in turn, it is held to account by the Department for Education. The Trust has chosen to appoint committees for each of its academies and these are known as a local governing body (LGBs). The LGB’s responsibilities are set out in a document known as the Scheme of Delegation which is available on TKAT’s and Academy’s website.

Organisation of LGB 

The current constitution allows for 9 governors: 1 headteacher (ex-officio), 1 staff, 2 parents and up to 5 LGB appointed governors. 

At 1st October 22, we currently have vacancies for up to 2 appointed governors, 2 parents and 1 staff governor. Recruitment is underway to fill these vacancies. 

At the time of writing, the new Headteacher is actively encouraging staff to become governors and we intend to increase the number of staff governors to 2, one teaching and one non-teaching. The head is also writing to parents, in conjunction with the Chair to encourage them to come forward to represent the school

Portfolio Remit to include Link Governor(s)

Child Protection and Safeguarding* Safeguarding and child protection 

Jess Burnett 

systems 

Looked After Children 

Finance and Resources* HR 

Matt Batchelor

Pupil Premium (Disadvantaged 

students) 

Health & Safety and Premises* Ben Cooper

SEND (Special Educational Needs and 

Students with SEND 

TBC

Disabilities) 

SEND Provision 

EHCP 

Student Progress and Achievement Disadvantaged students 

TBC

More Able and Talented Students 

Staff Professional Development 

TBC

Staff wellbeng 

Our Impact in 2021/22

It is fair to say that the work of the local governing body during the academic year was impacted by Covid restrictions and a lack of governors. 

During the academic year we said goodbye to Bhavita Vithlani (Parent), Catherine Snell (Appointed Governor) and Flora Shaw (Teaching staff). At the end of the year, our Chair of governors stood down after 8 years as a governor at Bewbush. Having moved house, she was not able to visit the school as much as she had done previously due to the logistics and time for travel alongside other commitments. The impact of losing governors and the reduced engagement from our Chair meant that our governance was not as strong as it needed to be. 

Whilst we continued to hold our LGB meetings as planned, they remained a hybrid of in person and remote meetings. Wherever possible we continued to receive reports from members of SLT and subject leads at our meetings. 

Despite having a reduced number of governors, those remaining maintained a regular series of link visits around key areas such as safeguarding, finance and teaching and learning. In total, 7 visits were carried out and reports shared with the LGB, including one full LGB visit with learning walk in November 2021. It should be noted that Trust guidance was for no LGB visits during the first two months of 2022. 

Curriculum presentations and visits over the year have allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum model and pose challenge particularly around the way the school measures the retention of knowledge through both formal and informal assessment practices. As a result, practice has been adjusted and we now need to be assured that this is having impact through pupil discussion.

Although there is still work to do with TKAT ACE implementation, the LGB have been key in ensuring that this trust-wide initiative was taken on. We expect the impact of this to be seen more clearly as this initiative is extended and embedded. Further to this, we have taken a strategic approach to the appointment and allocation of teaching staff and, as a result, allocations for this academic year feel more secure and thought-through than the model originally presented to us in the summer term. 

Finance visits have crossed over two business managers, however they have been used to ensure the school is on-track to meet the original budget. These visits have also been used to chase and clarify previous queries about variances in cost centres. As a result, at the end of 21-22, the school was on-track to at least meet the original set budget. 

Governor Date Visit Focus 

Flora 23/06/2022 SEN 

Matt 15/11/2021 Finance/Budget 

All Govs 15/11/2021 Learning walk (SDP Curriculum 3) 

Matt 12/03/2022 Finance/Budget 

Matt 23/05/2022 Finance/Budget 

Judith 30/06/2022 Teaching and Learning (SDP Priority 1) 

Judith 30/06/2022 Safeguarding 

The Chair of Governors maintained regular email and telephone communication with the Headteacher outside of their formal visits and LGB meetings. 

The Chair of Governors worked closely with Neil Small, Senior Director, in the appointment of our new headteacher.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

The board priority selected by the LGB in 2020/21 is: 

Equality, diversity and inclusion must become core Trustee and Local Governing Body Business. No one should be a member of any Board if they cannot confidently explain to all stakeholders why tackling race discrimination is important for the Trust and demonstrate what they are doing personally to achieve this. 

However, following the adoption of this priority, other than Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training, there has been no further proactive work to ensure the priority is embedded in the school and LGB. This will need to become a focus for 22/23 academic year and the new CoG and HT.

2022/23 Areas for Focus

In 2022/23, the key areas for focus by the LGB will be: 

● Governor recruitment – Ensuring we complete the year with a full complement of governors ● Providing training, support and development for our new and existing Governors ● Establishment of regular link/learning walk visits – Getting our governors into school on a regular basis as part of themed learning walks led by SLT and through completion of link role

meetings. Combined these will provide deeper knowledge of the school, curriculum, policies and processes and will also give us chance to speak to the children about their experience of the school. 

● To ensure the ACE Tutor programme is fully embedded and monitor the impact this is having with our PP students 

● Focus on the development and progress of reading as a core strategy throughout the school ● Monitor student oracy around personal progress on learning journeys 

● Reviewing the development of the wider curriculum by speaking to subject leads at LGB meetings and making this a focus of learning walks. 

● Staff wellbeing – ensuring our staff feel safe and well looked after in school and have ample opportunities for training and development subject to their own personal career goals ● Work with the SLT to develop a school vision

Comment from Director of Education

Thank you for this Impact statement which clearly communicates the work of the LGB in supporting the school to achieve its vision and values. There is a clear focus on children’s social and academic progress, including the core subjects and wider curriculum. There has also been clear support from the LGB in challenging outcomes, well being and safeguarding. 

Moving forward it may be a worth continuing to support and challenging in the areas of: ● what the school is doing to improve attendance including persistent absence ● how the school is developing potential within the school by giving staff leadership opportunities and promoting SCITT with any member of staff wishing to move into teaching 

● the impact of the ACE programme

Comment from Link Trustee

Pleased to read of the work the LGB is doing to support the school. 

I enjoyed visiting Bewbush in November and hearing about the challenges and opportunities the school is facing into. LGB engagement will be vital on this journey and it is pleasing to see that you are filling gaps in the team. 

Thank you to you and all the governors for the work they do and their commitment to the young people in our care. 

Looking forward to seeing you at our scheduled Chair of Governors meeting in May.