Our Local Governance Chairs

Meet the Mosaic Partnership Trust Academy Community Councils and their Chairs

Authority

The Academy Community Council (ACC) is a formal sub-committee of the Mosaic Partnership Trust Board and has a range of powers delegated to it under the Mosaic Partnership Scheme of Delegation (DAF). It should at all times seek to ensure that, in its pursuit of outstanding governance, it is acting in a way that is consistent with the core founding principles of Integrity, Innovation and Partnership which underpin the trust’s mission and the principles of equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging which define the lens of decision making.

Role

Academy Community Councils are expected to draw upon the professional governance work, diagnosis and analysis undertaken by the Mosaic Partnership Executive Team when assessing the progress of their academy. It should not seek to duplicate governance taking place elsewhere but should focus on supporting the quality of education, inclusion and the deployment of resources in the academy, holding leaders to account for the overall effectiveness of the academy experience of all children under their care.

To that end Academy Councillors should:

• Seek to ensure that the Headteacher has created a culture that enables children and staff to thrive within the Trust principles.
• Focus on the degree to which the Headteacher and their team are uncompromising in their ambition, consistently improving the quality of education and inclusion for all pupils, but especially for those that are disadvantaged and/or with SEND.
• Challenge and support senior leaders so that the effective deployment of staff and resources, including the pupil premium, service premium and special educational needs funding, secures strong provision and outcomes for all children.
• Take a questioning and information gathering approach with leaders about variations in provision and outcomes for pupil groups. They should have knowledge and oversight of the protected characteristics and be advocates of equality.
• Seek to maintain a deep, accurate understanding of the academy’s effectiveness informed by the views of children, community and staff.
• Champion the trust to the community, including, where appropriate, promoting strong links with the parish to ensure the church is fully engaged in the Christian life of the academy.
• Challenge senior leaders to ensure that there is a culture of safeguarding and that systems and processes within this are highly effective.

Duties

The specific duties of the Academy Community Council shall be:

1. To develop and secure a deep understanding of the individual Academy’s performance, what is going well, where the challenges are and the priorities through encouraging open, honest and reflective discussions with school leaders.
2. To read paperwork in advance of meetings and reflect on questions and areas for discussion with school leaders.
3. To add value to discussions in areas that school leaders highlight prior to the ACC meetings, whether around school performance, staffing, level of need and resources etc…
4. To monitor the Academy’s risk register, ensuring that risks and responses are appropriately identified, and that mitigation measures are appropriate in addressing risks, escalating significant risks to the Board as appropriate. To prioritise high (red) risks for discussion in meetings, risks that have increased and new risks.
5. To monitor progress towards the School Strategic Plan that works in conjunction with the Trust’s strategic priorities.
6. To monitor information, data and performance including but not limited school context, attainment and progress, safeguarding, attendance and behaviour. To review information on exclusions and review the effectiveness of provision to support pupils at risk of exclusion.
7. To monitor progress towards any improvement plans or actions recommended in Trust reports, Ofsted inspection, SIAMS inspection (where appropriate) and DfE reports.
8. To ensure that academy policies and procedures are in place in line with the Mosaic Partnership guidance, current KCSiE and the Equality Act 2010.
9. Ensure that the Health and Safety and Safeguarding Policies are robustly implemented and to secure the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and children. Receive assurance that the Headteacher ensures statutory training requirements are met.
10. To engage in relevant training and briefings that will support highly effective governance, including mandatory training, training offered through Governor Hub Knowledge and training provided by the central team. It is also expected that Chairs and Clerks attend the Chairs and Clerks meetings hosted by the CEO or send a representative from the Board.
11. To have oversight of the Academy’s annual staffing plans to ensure that the staffing structure can effectively support the Academy’s priorities.
12. Chair of ACC or delegated councillor to be an active participant in the recruitment and performance management of the Academy Headteacher.
13. To approve and periodically review the Academy’s critical incident plans and procedures to ensure that they remain effective.
14. To review the critical incident paperwork in the event of a critical incident.
15. To ensure that the Academy has adequate arrangements in place for reporting accidents and near misses.
16. To sustain the Christian foundation of a church school (Church School Only)
17. To maintain conduct and annual ACC skills audit through Governor Knowledge Hub and be clear on where the strengths and gaps are in relation to local governance.
18. To review and act on the reports of the Trust’s committees:
    • Quality of Education Committee (QEC)
    • Finance and Resources Committee – includes Executive pay (FRC)
    • Audit and Risk Committee (ARC)
19. To carry out any other duties as may be occasionally required by the Board or Chairs of Academy Council group.

Our ACC’s

Becoming an ACC

The purpose of the Academy Community Council is to ensure that they provide local direction for the school within the Framework of the Mosaic Partnership Trust governance structure. The delegated responsibilities of the Academy Community Council are laid out in detail within the trust’s Delegated Authority Framework. We are always interested to talk with anyone interested in joining our school-based ACCs. No special qualifications are needed, and the most important thing is to have a keen interest in the school and be prepared to play an active part in the local ACC’s work. However, we would particularly welcome the following skills or interests:

– Someone willing to uphold and support the Trust Principles (pre-requisite)
– Understanding of the current education policy and curriculum requirements
– Knowledge of child welfare / safeguarding / special educational needs
– Understanding of the community and engaging stakeholders

For applications to become a Co-opted or Foundation ACC Member, the form below will require completion. For the appointment of Foundation ACC Members, please liaise directly with both the Diocese of Bristol and Gemma Goodman, the MPT Governance Professional and Compliance Officer who will provide further details around the process involved for this role.

Current ACC Vacancies

If you wish to enquire about any Trustee or ACC vacancies or would like to signpost someone as a potential Trustee or ACC Member who may be interested please contact Gemma Goodman: gemma.goodman3@mosaicpt.org.uk the Governance Professional and Compliance Officer for the Trust.