Local Governance at Unity Schools Partnership
The UnitySP Trust Board, through the Articles of Association, has committed to Local Governing Bodies to work in partnership with the Executive and Leadership Teams to fulfil the three core responsibilities of Governance.
These are:
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its students;
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
We have married these to our Governance Charter and our Scheme of Delegation. These documents, together with the USP Handbook for Local Governance, clearly set out the role and responsibilities of our Local Governing Bodies (LGBs). You can access these documents from the links below or directly from the Unity Schools Partnership website.
Our Governing Body
The Chair of Governors is Sue Kehr.
The role of a Local Governing Body is to offer a mixture of challenge and support to school leaders to help oversee the effective operation of the school. Our 4 key duties are those set out in the Governance Charter for Unity Schools Partnership. They are:
STRATEGIC DIRECTION ensuring the trust’s and school’s visions, values and ethos are realised
COMPLIANCE & EFFECTIVENESS ensuring adherence to trust, school and statutory policy and guidance
CHALLENGE & SUPPORT through monitoring, dialogue and stakeholder engagement
SAFEGUARDING & WELLBEING putting our pupils, staff and community at the heart of what we do
We meet as a whole Governing Body at least 5 times a year as well as coming in to the school and meeting with staff and students to hep us fulfil our monitoring duties.
We have up to nine governors: two staff (including the head, Mr Johnston), two parents (elected by the parents), one governor from within the Trust and four other governors. These four governors are people from local business and the wider community who are interested in and want to support Samuel Ward Academy. Some of these four governors are, or have been, parents of students but others are not. We can also co-opt to our governing body other interested people with particular skills to offer; they would join us as Associate Members.
Minutes of our meetings are available through the school office.
If you would like to know more about us or maybe join us, please contact swa@samuelward.co.uk.
In the interests of transparency, we must publish up-to-date details of our governance arrangements. Please view the documents in the attachments section for further information on:
- the structure and the full name of the chair,
- for each governor who has served at any point over the last audited year, their full names, date of appointment, date they stepped down (where applicable), and relevant business and pecuniary interests,
- attendance records at governing body meetings over the last academic year.
Information about our Governing Body is also available from the Government Website Get Information About Schools.
Unity Schools Partnership
We are proud to be part of the Unity Schools Partnership.
The Unity Schools Partnership is a partnership of schools located on the Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire borders. We share the same values, face similar issues and are geographically close enough to support and challenge each other.
Unity Schools Partnership is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 07400386.
The registered office is at Unity Schools Partnership, Park Road, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7YD.
For funding agreements, articles, accounts, and other detailed governance arrangements please click on the link below.
