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 pupils;
• 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 governing body meet 5 times a year; the agendas vary through the year so that governors can fulfil their key duties in holding the school’s leaders to account, and ensuring the school’s education and finance performance, is as effective as it can be with the strategic direction that has been set. 

Governors also have specific responsibilities in line with the DfE, trust requirements and the school’s priorities. These roles include governors who have responsibility for safeguarding, SEND (Special Needs Education and Disabilities), disadvantaged pupils, maths English, attendance and mental health and wellbeing. Governors are able to attend school regularly both for monitoring and individual governor visits. The Chair of Governors meets on a regular basis with the headteacher to discuss the general running of the school.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a governor, please contact Mrs Hazel Crane either via the school office, or by emailing:

apaterson@houldsworthvalleyacademy.co.uk

The school’s current governing body comprises:

• Mr Alistair Paterson – Chair (appointed by Governing Body)
• Mrs Clare Cameron – Vice Chair/Parent Governor (appointed by Governing Body)
• Mrs Lisa Tweed – Headteacher
• Mrs Katie Collings – Staff Governor (elected by school staff)
• Mrs Anna Tapper – Co-opted from Trust
• Ms Gemma Hewitt — Appointed by Governing Body
• Mr Steven Mallows – Appointed by Governing Body
• Ms Sue Lennon – Appointed by Governing Body

In the interests of transparency, we must publish up-to-date details of our governance arrangements. Our Governance Transparency Information document, which is available in the attachments section, will give you details about:

• 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.

Further information