Foxwood Academy

Foxwood Academy

Learning For Life

  1. About Us
  2. Governors
  3. Governance

Foxwood Academy Governance

 

In accordance with the government requirements for all governors’ bodies, the three core strategic functions of Foxwood Academy governing body are as follows:

  • Setting the strategic direction - Ensuring the clarity of vision, values and strategic direction. Engaging stakeholders and meeting statutory duties.

 

  • Creating robust accountability - Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the Academy for its pupils and the performance management of staff. This accountability looks at teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety. Maintaining strong Academy leadership and contributing to the Academy self-evaluation.

 

  • Overseeing the financial performance of the Academy - Solvency and effective financial management using Pupil Premium, Covid catch-up, sports funding and other resources to overcome barriers to learning. Governors make sure we receive value for money and money is well spent. Governors have an overview of risk and its impact on the Academy.

 

 

At Foxwood Academy our vision is to prepare our children very effectively for life. To foster applied Learning and Life Skills for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) regardless of background and starting points and encouraging greater inclusiveness into a society of independent citizens.

In our Academy, our Nature is to Nurture: Staff, parents and carers collaborate. We work towards the common goal of every student excelling and making academic and personal progress. We assist families to deepen their knowledge regarding ways they can support their child.

 

 

Our Values

We aim to develop the skills of every student and equip them for lifelong learning through a broad and balanced education, underpinned by our four key values. These aspects, coupled with dedicated teachers and an enriching, inspiring curriculum, make us confident that every student will achieve their best.

 

Educate - Our Academy has enthusiastic, dedicated and empathetic staff with a passion for teaching students with additional needs. We provide a supportive and safe environment where every student will make progress academically and emotionally. We ensure that every students’ individual needs are understood by all and met by providing enjoyable learning opportunities that are relevant, accessible and inspirational. We have a strong continued personal development program for staff and a tailored curriculum for our students.

Independence - We encourage our students to become as independent as possible in all areas of life. Students are engaged in all decisions to support their development and enable them to identify, explore and realise their potential. All families are supported to make informed decisions about progression after their time at Foxwood Academy. All our students are treated with dignity and respect, upholding fundamental British Values in order that they can make a successful transition into adult life.

Learning for Life - We aim to prepare our students for adulthood. At Foxwood Academy we provide a safe and nurturing space to support our students and young people throughout their education.

We enable our students to leave us with the necessary skills to be happy, independent citizens and with the ability to continue to make positive contributions to society.

Celebrate - Individuality is valued, diversity is celebrated, and a strong sense of self-worth imparted. We want to create positive memories for our students. School is the best years of your life. Foxwood provides opportunities to celebrate the achievements and talents of all our students, through residential trips, after Academy clubs and the arts- including our annual talent show.

 

Our Drivers

We have prioritised the key skills and aspirations we want our children and young people to experience and develop during their time with us. We aim to achieve these by our lesson DRIVERS. These drivers focus the classroom learning. Our key drivers are Recalling, Learning, Practising, Applying and Over-learning.

The Governance Structure

Chair of the Governing body Sarah Morgan and Vice Chair Governor Sam Marshall.

Parent Governor Suzanne Cannell and Community Governors Michelle Coyle, Richard Taylor and Lynsey Cooke.

Staff governors Headteacher Jamie Hutchinson, Lindsey Norton and Nikki Glover.

All governors are unpaid and give their time freely. Should you wish to contact the chair of governors, please email: chair@foxwood.notts.sch.uk.

Our Committees - Pupil and Curriculum committee meet once a term and Finance, Audit and Risk committee meet ten times across the Academic year, in addition to a termly full governors meeting.

Governor attendance - All governing meetings and committees are well attended we hold information of governor attendance on our website. All minutes of governing body meetings are public documents, and you can ask the Academy office if you would like to see the minutes of our meetings.

We have access to a governor hub with a chat forum and can communicate as often as we wish in addition to the dated meetings. The chair of the governing body is in regular contact with the Headteacher in addition to the meetings.

Foxwood Academy Governors

 

Strategic Direction and Academy Improvement

Setting the strategic direction of the academy is a vital role for governors. We support and we hold the senior leadership team (SLT) to account. Our support is within setting the Academy’s direction, priorities and goals and this is evidenced in our full governing body minutes as well as our committee meetings. We continually monitor the Academy improvement plan and have created a governor rolling review to rate the actions red, amber, green to demonstrate progress of this and to achieve the targets set out by the Academy improvement plan. Our evidence gathered by governors comes from a wide range of sources including governor meeting minutes, Stakeholder questionnaires, our Management Information System ‘Bromcom’ (MIS), policies, Headteacher reports, financial benchmarking data, Nottinghamshire Schools Trust (NST), Auditors, Health and safety and General Data Protection Regulation professionals (GDPR is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information from individuals who live in the European Union). We use this evidence to tailor our challenge days, our ongoing monitoring and evaluation, committee agendas, governor training and development and setting the strategic direction of the Academy. We send out termly updates usually in a letter format to feedback to stakeholders, committee agendas and working groups.

One Page Summary - Governor Rolling Review 2022-2023

One Page Summary - Governor Rolling Review 2021-2022

One Page Summary - Academy Improvement Priorities 2022-2023

One Page Summary - Academy Improvement Priorities 2021-2022

Impact Statement

NGA Governor Skills Audit

Governor Code of Conduct

Articles of Association

Scheme of Delegation

Members

The Academy has three Members that help hold the trustees (governors) and the leadership of Foxwood to account. They meet each term and review the progress of the Academy using their experience from education, business and SEND.

The Foxwood Academy members are:

Craig Chettle MBE

Linda Lyn-Cook

David Stewart OBE

 

What do the governors do on a week by week, term by term basis?

The governors meet throughout the year to review the progress and direction of the Academy. It is their job to help hold us to account and be that additional eye and voice that keep us moving in the right direction.

The table review is a quick reference guide to what has been covered in recent meetings and a demonstration of the IMPACT that our governing body have at the Academy. 

Health, safety and safeguarding is a standard item at all meetings. 

 

Date

Committee

Example of some of the things covered/Impact

February 2022

Finance, Audit and Risk

   

 

  • Agreed to move forward on the next stage of the library project and reviewed the new budget based on the increase costs of living.
  •  Benchmarked the school against a number of other schools nationally to review financial position of the Academy.
  • Reviewed health and safety, number predicted for September and reviewed the impact of the new outdoor learning space.
  • Reviewed the Academy risk register and looked at any recent developments that would need to be addressed.

 March 2022

Pupil and Curriculum 

 

  • The governors looked through the presentation of the new website and recommended small additions. They were pleased that the website reached a wider audience.
  • They revised their understanding of the INTENT of the curriculum.
  • They received an update in the Academy QA system and reviewed their rolling review looking at ways to make it sustainable.
  • The governors were visited by the PSD and RSE lead who talked them through the intent , implementation and impact of the subjects. 

March 2022

Finance, Audit and Risk

 

  • Governors reviewed the impact of the White and Green papers on Foxwood and how they might influence actions between now and 2030.
  • Governors reviewed the pay structures and reflected on recruitment and retention.
  • Governors Reviewed the risk register, health and safety and numbers for September
  • Governors looked at recent energy usage data and made suggestions for improved sustainability. 

 

 

April 2022

 

Members meeting

 

  • Members approved the new Articles
  • Members reviewed the Academy Finances
  • Members evaluated the impact of the White and Green papers on Foxwood

 

May 2022

 

Finance, Audit and Risk

 

  • Governors reviewed the risk register and made adaptations
  • Governors agreed to finance the changes to the sensory areas in school and approved the first draft of the Academy budget
  • Governors approved a new Academy minibus 
  • Governors evaluated the tender process for the new library and considered the impact of open and closed applications

 

June 2022

 

Pupil and Curriculum

 

  • Governors were presented with the new system for recording, monitoring and measuring the impact of our therapy provision.
  • Governors were presented with the new phonics system and reviewed the impact so far.
  • Governors reviewed parent and feedback from staff voice.

 

July 2022

 

Full body

 

  • The governors agreed the budget for academic year 22/23 and agreed the 3 year budget to be sent to the ESFA.
  • The governors scrutinised the latest Headteacher report. The report measures progress, attendance, teaching and learning, finance and other key area of the Academy.
  • The governors agreed to work more closely with a local Trust and reviewed plans for future expansion.
  • The governors decided that the current format for the Headteachers report would continue.

 

 

September 2022

 

 

Finance, Audit and Risk

 

  • Governors reviewed the risk register, taking into account the cost of living crisis and changes in Covid regulations.
  • Governors reviewed the finances of the Academy.
  • Governors looked through preparations for the new library build starting in October.
  • Governors reviewed the recent health and safety visits and agreed to purchase a small number of fire doors and remedial action to meet fire safety requirements. 

 

September governor challenge day: Governors visit the Academy in person to 'check their checking' each half term

Challenge day

  • One of the governors came in to look at safeguarding across the Academy. Training, systems, recording and data. 

    A second governor met with the CEO of a local trust to look at how a merger with their MAT would be beneficial to Foxwood children and review plans for an expansion to the Foxwood site.

    Another governor reviewed the phonics morning session and had a tour of the lessons with the reading lead. 

 

October 2022

 

AGM

  • Governors and members met to review the development plans for 2022/23.
  • All reviewed progress towards the new build and looked at due diligence on a local trust, finance predictions for the year, health and safety and safeguarding.
  • All agreed on the schemes of delegation.

 

November 2022

 

Full body

  • This meeting was used to drill down into what Foxwood is. We evaluated our curriculum intent, the role as governors and the impact of the rolling review. Governors shared their areas of knowledge and understanding and identified areas where they felt that they needed more information (for example, the ways that British Values is taught in the curriculum.)

November 2022

Finance, Audit, Risk and Pay

  • The Pay Committee reviewed the Academy performance management systems and approved pay uplifts.
  • The Governors reviewed the risk register in line with current economic challenges and the impact on our building work.
  • We were visited by our external auditors who gave the governors a thorough review of the last financial year. We were pleased to report yet another clean audit.

 

 

 

 

Policies

Governor's review all polices at the start of the new year, usually in January. We oversee to check they meet the statutory requirements, and that all guidance is relevant and up to date. Specific attention is made to make sure we follow the department of education’s mandatory policy list and our local authority recommended list.

 

Training

As a governing body we recognise the need and importance of high-quality training. Our primary source is Nottingham City Council’s ‘Governor Services’ which has a proven track record locally and has proved highly popular amongst the Governors at Foxwood. In addition to this, we buy into the National Governance Association (NGA), School Bus, Confederation of Schools Trust (CST) and Nottingham School Trust (NST). All governors are expected to keep their training record up-to-date. All new governors complete an induction programme through Nottingham City Council governor services. Governing training is encouraged to build up knowledge and skills and our annual skills audit review highlights areas/solutions to develop these areas. A full list of governor training is held on our Governor Hub and you can request to see this at any time. All governors are expected to attend training relevant to the Academy’s improvement plan as well as mandatory aspects such as safeguarding and prevent strategy. In addition, governors are encouraged to choose training that is important to the Academy.

 

How to contact us - Suggestions, feedback and ideas from our stakeholders (parent, pupils and staff) as well as the local community are welcomed. Please contact the chair Sarah Morgan on the below email or alternatively contact the academy directly - chair@foxwood.notts.sch.uk.