Terms of Reference

Terms of reference describe the purpose of a  committee and its objectives. There are two committees made up of governors that meet separately to the full board meetings.

The two committees report directly to the governing board; their terms of reference are presented below:

Berkswich CE Primary School Staffing Committee Terms of Reference

General

1. To act on matters delegated by the full governing body.
2. The committee will have a quorum not less than three governor members of the committee.
3. The staffing committee will meet at least once per term, with additional meetings as required
4. The staffing committee agenda and meetings will remain confidential to governors.
5. In the absence of the chair, the committee shall choose an acting chair for that meeting from among their number.
6. The agenda shall be circulated to the full governing body seven days prior to the committee meeting.
7. The minutes shall be circulated prior to any full governing body meeting and presented by the staffing committee chair or another committee member in their absence.
8. Any decisions taken must be determined by a majority of votes - where there is an equal division of votes, the chair will have the deciding vote. Each member of the committee that is present at the meeting will be entitled to one vote.
9. If a member has a personal interest as defined by the Code of conduct adopted by the school then he/she shall declare such interest as soon as it becomes apparent, disclosing the nature and extent of the interest as required. If a Member who has declared an interest and it is considered that the interest is prejudicial, he/she can not to vote on the item which relates to the interest and can be asked to withdraw from the room during consideration of the agenda item.
10. The committee may invite non-members to meetings to assist or advise on a particular matter or issue. These additional attendees will not be entitled to vote on any matters.

Meetings

1. Ensure all procedures relating to recruitment, selection and appointment of staff meet statutory and safeguarding requirements.
2. Ensure arrangements and policies are carried out for performance management of all school staff.
3. To ensure policy and procedures related to staffing are up to date and reviewed as necessary including the criteria for pay progression.
4. To ensure that there is concern for staff work/life balance, working conditions and well-being, including the monitoring of absence.
5. Monitor staff training and development and its impact.
6. Ensure staff hand book is kept under review and accessible to all staff.
7. Review staffing structure and ensure its able to meet the requirements of the school development plan and deliver its vision.
8. Ensure that appropriate arrangements for linking appraisal to pay are in place and can be applied consistently, and that pay decisions can be objectively justified.
9. Approve salaries and the award of performance pay in line with the school’s pay policy and responsibilities assigned to each post.
10. Identify and consider budgetary implications of pay decisions and ensure these are reflected in the school’s budgeting plan.
11. Implement the role and responsibilities of the Staffing Committee as contained within Appendix 1 of the School Pay Policy under the current approved policy.
12. Review terms of reference annually and obtain full approval of the Governing Body.

Berkswich CE Primary School Finance Committee Terms of Reference

General

1. To act on matters delegated by the full governing body.
2. The committee will have a quorum not less than three governor members of the committee.
3. The Finance committee will meet at least twice per term, with additional meetings as required.
4. Annually elect a chair.
5. The Finance committee agenda and meetings will remain confidential to governors.
6. In the absence of the chair, the committee shall choose an acting chair for that meeting from among their number.
7. The agenda shall be circulated to the full governing body seven days prior to the committee meeting.
8. The minutes shall be circulated prior to any full governing body meeting and presented by the staffing committee chair or another committee member in their absence.
9. Any decisions taken must be determined by a majority of votes - where there is an equal division of votes, the chair will have the deciding vote. Each member of the committee that is present at the meeting will be entitled to one vote.
10. If a member has a personal interest as defined by the Code of conduct adopted by the school then he/she shall declare such interest as soon as it becomes apparent, disclosing the nature and extent of the interest as required. If a Member who has declared an interest and it is considered that the interest is prejudicial, he/she can not to vote on the item which relates to the interest and can be asked to withdraw from the room during consideration of the agenda item.
11. The committee may invite non-members to meetings to assist or advise on a particular matter or issue. These additional attendees will not be entitled to vote on any matters.

Meetings

1. To observe and comply with the school’s Governing Board Code of Conduct at all times.
2. To appoint a member to record minutes of all committee meeting.
3. To review terms of reference for the finance committee on an annual basis and present to the full Governing board for approval.
4. To deal with all matters relating to finance and budgeting that have been referred by the governing board.
5. To keep up-to-date with any relevant legislation and advise the governing board of when policies may need to be revised.
6. To minute all meetings and report all decisions to the governing board as a confidential item.
7. To seek professional advice as necessary.
8. To attend relevant training when appropriate.
9. To report to the governing board on the proceedings, recommendations and decisions of the committee.

Financial planning

1. To establish a three-year budget plan that aligns with the priorities of the School Development Plan (SDP) and recommend this to the full governing board.
2. To draft and adopt a detailed annual budget plan which includes revenue and capital expenditure.
3. To ensure the annual budget plan considers the agreed priorities of the SDP.
4. To make decisions in respect of the service level agreement with the LA.
5. To determine whether sufficient funds are available for pay increments as recommended by the staffing committee.

Financial monitoring

1. To monitor the income and expenditure throughout the year of all delegated and devolved funds against the annual budget plan.
2. To recommend and evaluate the allocation of pupil premium funding within the annual budget.
3. To hold the school to account for the spending of pupil premium funding and associated outcomes.
4. To review the rates charged for the letting of the school.
5. To oversee the effective financial management of the school through SFVS.
6. To review, on an annual basis, the school’s financial procedures relating to assets and disposals.
7. To review and maintain the school’s policies for budget management, procurement, and assets and disposals.
8. To approve expenditure requests as necessary.
9. To approve the allocation of capital funds for capital projects.
10. To approve any virement between school budgets

Financial reporting

1. To review reports from the SBM regarding the spending of the school’s budget throughout the academic year and report the findings to the full governing board.
2. To report any significant anomalies in the performance of the school against the annual budget to the full governing board.
3. To receive and respond to audit reports on the delegated and devolved funds, and non-public funds.