Governors
Governors are involved in all aspects of the life of the Academy.
Governance Structure
The Bishop of Winchester Academy has a Governing Body, the composition of which is set out in the Academy’s Articles of Association. Chair of Governing Body is Rev David Thompson who can be contacted C/O the academy. The Clerk to the Governing Body, who can also be contacted C/O the academy.
The Academy has two Governor Committees: Resources and Student Experience (Pay is dealt with by the Full Governing Body), to which Governors are appointed. These are supported by Governor-led Working Groups. The Academy also calls on members of the Governing Body to sit on a Disciplinary Committee and Disciplinary Appeal Committee on an ad hoc basis should either Committee be required. The Governing Body and its Committees have Terms of Reference which are reviewed annually and contain details of meeting dates, compositions, responsibilities, delegated authorities and matters reserved for the Governing Body itself.
The Governing Body recognises that it has overall responsibility for ensuring that The Bishop of Winchester Academy Trust has an effective and appropriate system of control, financial and otherwise. However, such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives, and can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss.
The board of trustees has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the Principal, as Accounting Officer, for ensuring financial controls conform with the requirements of both propriety and good financial management and in accordance with the requirements and responsibilities assigned to it in the funding agreement between The Bishop of Winchester Academy Trust and the Secretary of State for Education. They are also responsible for reporting to the board of trustees any material weaknesses or breakdowns in internal control.
Under normal circumstances, the Full Governing Body meets at least three times a year.
Remit of Governing Body and Sub-Committees
The Governing Body delegates responsibility for functions set out in approved Terms of Reference to a number of Governing Body appointed Committees and Working Groups. The key ones are the Resources Committee and the Student Experience Committee. Formal reports are presented to the routine Governing Body meetings that take place towards the end of each term. Details of the business undertaken and attendance are contained within the related minutes.
The Resources Committee (incorporating the Audit Committee and Finance Monitoring Group) is a sub-committee of the main board of trustees and its Chair is Mrs Mary O’Sullivan.
Its purpose is to:
· Function as the audit committee of the academy;
· Approve and monitor the annual budget;
· Approve returns for submission to the ESFA (until 2025);
· Make recommendations to the Full Governing Body regarding larger spending decisions.
The Student Experience Committee is focussed on the Quality of Education and the academic environment of the school, and its Chair is Mr Roy Clayton.
Within a scheduled Full Governing Body meeting, pay rises and increments are agreed.
Under normal circumstances, the Resources Committee meets at least three times a year, and the Student Experience Committee meets at least three times a year.
