LiFE Multi-Academy Trust
LiFE Multi-Academy Trust Minutes Title:
LiFE Multi Academy Trust Members’ Meeting
Date:
26th June 2017
Time:
7.00pm
Chair:
Iain Kinnis
Location:
The Training Room, Bosworth Academy
Clerk:
Carly Harper DIRECTORS
Name
Present /Apologies
Present / Apologies
Name
Hazel Cole
Nita Nanda
Atika Kholi
Colin Crane
(from 7:20)
Name Iain Kinnis (IKI)
Present /Apologies
In Attendance Name
Present /Apologies
Carly Harper (CHA) Clerk
Present / Apologies
Name Sarah Mayes (Company Secretary)
Name
Present /Apologies
Apologies Accepted
NOTES #
Agenda Item
1.
Welcome, Introductions, Apologies and new Directors confirmation 1.1 The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. It was confirmed that no apologies had been received for tonight’s meeting. 1.2 The Chair confirmed that: SBU had replaced PSM as a Director LST had replaced JHO as a Director. However, since the last meeting JHO had contacted the Chair to confirm that she would like to remain as a Director with responsibility for the nursery and LST would take on Teaching and Learning responsibility for the Primary Schools. 1.3 Recognising the need for a separation of duties, the Chair asked to be excused from the appointment of Directors. 1.4 The appointment of SBU and LST had been approved by the Members before the meeting. The (re)appointment of JHO was approved by four Members; there was one abstention. Declarations of Interest
2.
2.1 There were no declarations of interest. 3. 4
Items for AOB 3.1 There were no items requested for AOB. Process for Assuring Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Board - discussion to identify and agree actions before our first anniversary 4.1 The Chair reiterated key aspects of the role of the Members, which includes appointing new Directors, (and the role of the Directors, which included holding the Executive Head Teacher to account). The Chair confirmed that he was in the process of better defining the Directors’ duties. It was confirmed that each Director has different ways of reporting back to the rest of the Board - example shared re: Learning and Teaching. Action: The Clerk to circulate the Directors’ lead areas to Members. 4.2 It was suggested that impact statements (from Board meetings) would be useful to see moving forward. A Member shared the role of Members from the current Scheme of Delegation (SoD). Action: Ahead of the next Board meeting, the Clerk to draft update to item 11 in the SoD to reflect discussion at tonight’s meeting. 4.3 The Members discussed in detail the best way for Directors to demonstrate their impact both individually and collectively as a Board. It was noted that the Executive Head Teacher’s Reports allow for
LiFE Multi-Academy Trust
5
6
the Directors to interrogate the data and hold the Executive Head Teacher to account. It is important that the Members can hold the Directors to account also. It was agreed that in the first year Members would assess the effectiveness of the MAT against our strategic statements eg values and ethos. Simply, the question that the Members must consider is, “Are the Board taking the MAT in the right direction?” 4.4 The Chair gave feedback from the Strategic Planning Day. 4.5 A Member recommended that governors’ terms of office run for a maximum of 8 years and that the LGB have no more that 8 people. 4.6 It was proposed that the Directors would be asked to report on their: attendance at meetings personal impact on the Board training gap from assessment of skills their specific role how they believe the Board (collectively) is taking the MAT forward 4.7 Q: A Member asked how these ‘subjective views’ would be assessed? The Chair suggested that Members would need to test the information provided to satisfy themselves what is being presented is fair. 4.8 It was agreed that for the first year (at least) Directors would submit the following to the Members: Executive Head Teacher’s Reports for the previous 12 months Attendance to meetings for the previous 12 months Impact statements from Board meeting for the previous 12 months Minutes of Board Meetings (including draft minutes from the last meeting of the year to be shared with Members) Action: The Chair to share the Members request for information with Directors. WCC Governing Body Legacy Issue - verbal update from the Chair 5.1 A Member declared an interest in the agenda item. 5.2 The Chair summarised issues arising from the redundancy payments made to the previous Principal at WCC. Note: This was agreed by the CoG, and ratified by the Full Governing Body at Winstanley, prior to the school joining the MAT. Recently the School Business Manager has received a request from the EFSA for information on the circumstances surrounding the agreement of the redundancy payment. All relevant information has been supplied and the school is waiting a reply from the ESFA. 5.3 It was noted that the MAT has one Member and one Director who were both newly appointed WCC governors at the time the redundancy payments were ratified. Outside of the meeting the Chair had thanked both colleagues for their support in addressing this legacy issue. 5.4 Although there is no imminent need, succession planning was briefly discussed. AOB 6.1 None.
7
Closing Remarks and Confirmation of Next Meeting 7.1 The Chair thanked everyone for attending and contributing to development of a robust governance process. 7.2 June 2017 - Impact Statement the Board: noted that Members will be requesting evidence (annually or possibly more frequently) of Directors’ individual and collective contribution to MAT leadership; challenged the Exec Head Teacher on early maturing of his termly report to enable more effective comparison between schools and hence facilitate more informed discussion around financial resource allocation between schools agreed actions to implement ideas generated at the Strategic Planning Day to better focus schools’ governing bodies on their P&S and T&L remits with Finance and Infrastructure remits likely to sit with the Board; a principle was agreed to ensure only policies that could be applied to all schools in the MAT would be determined below Board level directed the Exec Head Teacher on which emerging risks and opportunities were to be considered in more depth at the next meeting deferred agreeing annual budgets, changes to pension arrangements for new employees and approval of the Kingsway CTA until they had sufficient time to review all available documents Action: The next meeting date would be confirmed by the Clerk.
LiFE Multi-Academy Trust MINUTES AGREED & SIGNED Chair: Signed:
Iain Kinnis
Date:
LiFE Multi Academy Trust Members’ Meeting
Date:
26th June 2017
Time:
7.00pm
Chair:
Iain Kinnis
Location:
The Training Room, Bosworth Academy
Clerk:
Carly Harper DIRECTORS
Name
Present /Apologies
Present / Apologies
Name
Hazel Cole
Nita Nanda
Atika Kholi
Colin Crane
(from 7:20)
Name Iain Kinnis (IKI)
Present /Apologies
In Attendance Name
Present /Apologies
Carly Harper (CHA) Clerk
Present / Apologies
Name Sarah Mayes (Company Secretary)
Name
Present /Apologies
Apologies Accepted
NOTES #
Agenda Item
1.
Welcome, Introductions, Apologies and new Directors confirmation 1.1 The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. It was confirmed that no apologies had been received for tonight’s meeting. 1.2 The Chair confirmed that: SBU had replaced PSM as a Director LST had replaced JHO as a Director. However, since the last meeting JHO had contacted the Chair to confirm that she would like to remain as a Director with responsibility for the nursery and LST would take on Teaching and Learning responsibility for the Primary Schools. 1.3 Recognising the need for a separation of duties, the Chair asked to be excused from the appointment of Directors. 1.4 The appointment of SBU and LST had been approved by the Members before the meeting. The (re)appointment of JHO was approved by four Members; there was one abstention. Declarations of Interest
2.
2.1 There were no declarations of interest. 3. 4
Items for AOB 3.1 There were no items requested for AOB. Process for Assuring Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Board - discussion to identify and agree actions before our first anniversary 4.1 The Chair reiterated key aspects of the role of the Members, which includes appointing new Directors, (and the role of the Directors, which included holding the Executive Head Teacher to account). The Chair confirmed that he was in the process of better defining the Directors’ duties. It was confirmed that each Director has different ways of reporting back to the rest of the Board - example shared re: Learning and Teaching. Action: The Clerk to circulate the Directors’ lead areas to Members. 4.2 It was suggested that impact statements (from Board meetings) would be useful to see moving forward. A Member shared the role of Members from the current Scheme of Delegation (SoD). Action: Ahead of the next Board meeting, the Clerk to draft update to item 11 in the SoD to reflect discussion at tonight’s meeting. 4.3 The Members discussed in detail the best way for Directors to demonstrate their impact both individually and collectively as a Board. It was noted that the Executive Head Teacher’s Reports allow for
LiFE Multi-Academy Trust
5
6
the Directors to interrogate the data and hold the Executive Head Teacher to account. It is important that the Members can hold the Directors to account also. It was agreed that in the first year Members would assess the effectiveness of the MAT against our strategic statements eg values and ethos. Simply, the question that the Members must consider is, “Are the Board taking the MAT in the right direction?” 4.4 The Chair gave feedback from the Strategic Planning Day. 4.5 A Member recommended that governors’ terms of office run for a maximum of 8 years and that the LGB have no more that 8 people. 4.6 It was proposed that the Directors would be asked to report on their: attendance at meetings personal impact on the Board training gap from assessment of skills their specific role how they believe the Board (collectively) is taking the MAT forward 4.7 Q: A Member asked how these ‘subjective views’ would be assessed? The Chair suggested that Members would need to test the information provided to satisfy themselves what is being presented is fair. 4.8 It was agreed that for the first year (at least) Directors would submit the following to the Members: Executive Head Teacher’s Reports for the previous 12 months Attendance to meetings for the previous 12 months Impact statements from Board meeting for the previous 12 months Minutes of Board Meetings (including draft minutes from the last meeting of the year to be shared with Members) Action: The Chair to share the Members request for information with Directors. WCC Governing Body Legacy Issue - verbal update from the Chair 5.1 A Member declared an interest in the agenda item. 5.2 The Chair summarised issues arising from the redundancy payments made to the previous Principal at WCC. Note: This was agreed by the CoG, and ratified by the Full Governing Body at Winstanley, prior to the school joining the MAT. Recently the School Business Manager has received a request from the EFSA for information on the circumstances surrounding the agreement of the redundancy payment. All relevant information has been supplied and the school is waiting a reply from the ESFA. 5.3 It was noted that the MAT has one Member and one Director who were both newly appointed WCC governors at the time the redundancy payments were ratified. Outside of the meeting the Chair had thanked both colleagues for their support in addressing this legacy issue. 5.4 Although there is no imminent need, succession planning was briefly discussed. AOB 6.1 None.
7
Closing Remarks and Confirmation of Next Meeting 7.1 The Chair thanked everyone for attending and contributing to development of a robust governance process. 7.2 June 2017 - Impact Statement the Board: noted that Members will be requesting evidence (annually or possibly more frequently) of Directors’ individual and collective contribution to MAT leadership; challenged the Exec Head Teacher on early maturing of his termly report to enable more effective comparison between schools and hence facilitate more informed discussion around financial resource allocation between schools agreed actions to implement ideas generated at the Strategic Planning Day to better focus schools’ governing bodies on their P&S and T&L remits with Finance and Infrastructure remits likely to sit with the Board; a principle was agreed to ensure only policies that could be applied to all schools in the MAT would be determined below Board level directed the Exec Head Teacher on which emerging risks and opportunities were to be considered in more depth at the next meeting deferred agreeing annual budgets, changes to pension arrangements for new employees and approval of the Kingsway CTA until they had sufficient time to review all available documents Action: The next meeting date would be confirmed by the Clerk.
LiFE Multi-Academy Trust MINUTES AGREED & SIGNED Chair: Signed:
Iain Kinnis
Date:
