GOVERNORS
Debden Park High School is an academy as part of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT).
TKAT is a multi-academy trust which was established on 1st September 2010. It’s constitution is set out in the Articles of Association and this is shared with individual academies via the Scheme of Delegation. TKAT have, through the Scheme of Delegation, established Local Governing Bodies for each of the Academies.
Click here to view the Scheme of Delegation.
The Local Governing Body of each of the Academies is responsible for fulfilling the strategic and operational governance role in the conduct of the Academy.
School governing bodies are responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the headteacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school’s aims and policies.
Governors have three main roles:
To provide strategic direction for the school
To act as a critical friend to the headteacher
To ensure accountability
They also carry out a number of other important duties, which include:
Determining how the school’s budget is spent
Hearing appeals and grievances
Forming policy on the school’s curriculum and collective worship
Setting standards for pupils’ behaviour and discipline
Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
Setting and monitoring the school’s aims and policies
If you would like to contact the Chair of Governors you can write to him at the school and mark your envelope confidential.
Alternatively, you can email him james.lillingston@debden-tkat.org
Committees
The Governing body meet as a full governing body for most meetings. The LGB has two committees. A targeted Focus group which is full governors, where specific topics are discussed. Additionally, a Pay Committee which is appointed on an annual basis.
Information about the governors
Debden Park currently has 3 Parent Governors, 3 Appointed Governor and 2 Staff Governors. The Chair of Governor’s name is James Lillingston and the Vice Chair is Valerie Metcalfe.
Governors Membership 2022/23:
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GOVERNOR LEAVERS LIST 2021/22
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APPLICATION PROCESS
All parents are contacted as and when a Parent Governor vacancy arises and invited to apply. If more than one application is received, we undertake a ballot. If anyone is interested in becoming a Governor who is not a parent of a student at Debden Park High School they can contact the school at the following email address donna.james@debden-tkat.org
Teacher Governors are invited to apply to be a Staff Governor as and when a vacancy arises and should the school receive more than one teacher application we undertake a ballot.
The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body are elected annually.
Terms of office are reviewed every 4 years.
For further information on matters relating to the Governing Body please contact Donna James on donna.james@debden-tkat.org
THE KEMNAL ACADEMIES TRUST - IMPACT STATEMENT ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023
Governance at Debden Park High School an Academy within TKAT
Debden Park Academy is part of TKAT, a Multi-academy Trust. The Trust is a charity and its board of trustees must ensure that it complies with its charitable objects which relate to the provision of education in its schools. As such it is the Trust board which is accountable for the performance of the Academies in the Trust, and in turn, it is held to account by the Department for Education. The Trust has chosen to appoint committees for each of its academies and these are known as a local governing bodies (LGBs). The LGB’s responsibilities are set out in a document known as the Scheme of Delegation which is available on TKAT’s and Academy’s website.
Vision
The LGB is responsible for ensuring that the Academy’s long-term vision reflects the needs of its community beyond current postholders and in line with TKAT’s vision and values.
The vision of Debden Park High School is to provide an excellent education in a safe and supportive learning environment, one where people are valued and make positive contributions to the school community, and where students go on to become responsible, independent members of society.
Underlining the vision are five aims.
● Social and Moral Development
● High Academic Standards
● Wider Opportunities to Achieve
● Prepared for Lifetime of Learning
● Innovation and the user of leading-edge Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Organisation of LGB
Debden Park’s LGB has 12 Governors, consisting of 4 parents, 2 Staff (excluding Headteacher), 5 appointed, 1 Headteacher, 0 Foundation
There are currently 0 vacancies
The Link Governors are:
James Lillingston - H&S
Valerie Metcalfe - Careers
Mandy Davies - SEND
Venessa Taylor - Finance
Adam Rumble - Pupil Premium
Niki Luke - Reading
Robert Quick - Safeguarding
Clare White - Wellbeing
Dallas Alexandrou - Anti-Bullying
The LGB meet six times a year working collaboratively with the school to ensure it delivers a good quality education in line with the school vision. Together with the Head of School who is responsible for day-to-day management, they contribute to the development, review and monitoring of Academy policies, Vision and aims for the community it serves.
In addition, the LGB have targeted focus group meetings, the purpose of such meetings is to enable governors to consider a whole school topic whilst listening and learning consider its role in development, review and monitoring of the topic.
Individual members of the LGB in their role as link governor have oversight of a specific aspect of the work of the school. Their role includes keeping the governing board informed about the area they have oversight of and acting as a link between governors and staff as well as supporting the member of staff who is responsible for the area or subject.
IMPACT
● As in previous years safeguarding is a matter of highest priority for all members of staff and governors. All governors have read DfE keeping children safe in education.
● All new TKAT produced Academy Policies when issued are presented to the LGB review assessing its likely impact on the school community, parents, careers and stakeholders within the community. Where appropriate the LGB will monitor the implementation of the policy and consider what role it needs to play in ensuring the successful ongoing delivery of any policy.
● The LGB membership looks to represent the community it serves whilst currently small in number has a good parent ratio to appointed governors. Parent governors tend to represent different year groups within the school. Appointed governors tend to live within the community which is considered key in ensuring local community representation.
● The chair of LGB contact details are available from the school website, which does lead to parents contacting the LGB directly. The school also encourages parents to contact the chair of the LGB as a path for parents to have a continued dialogue with the school.
Support Directors of Education to improve Academy outcomes
● The LGB were represented at the local regional meetings where the trust’s development plan was a continued point of discussion this allowed for the Chair to discuss directly with the Head Teacher and when appropriate discussed as part of an LGB meeting.
● Governors are very aware of all academic targets. Again members of the SLT report on progress in each Key stage. Governors are able to question whether the curriculum meets the needs of all students, regardless of their prior attainment.
● Academic progress continues to be discussed at LGB meetings a key point of focus where reading and the continued drive by the school to closing the gap for all abilities across the school.
● School budget is represented at full LGB meeting. Whilst the LGB have no direct responsibility for the budget the LGB will discuss whether the budget is impacting the ability of the school to take a particular action or introduce an improvement initiative.
Support the Senior Leadership Team to ensure staffing is efficient and effective
● Where appropriate the LGB would be involved in key staffing appointments none occurred in 2022/23.
● The Chair as in previous years continues to be involved with the Headteacher’s Performance Management.
● The Chair and LGB continue to provide oversight of the school’s performance management process.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
The LGB undertook training in 2021/2022 focusing EDI with key members of the school leadership team aimed at increasing knowledge and understanding. The focus of 2021/2022: ’Every leader must seek out and understand their local challenges, looking for risk not comfort. They must be familiar with the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies. Those challenges include staff, pupil and community experience.’ This continues to be the focus and is discussed at LGB meetings as well as being reflected in the school action plan which the governing body looks to continue monitoring and acting on.
Other areas of Impact
● The Governing body looks to continue to support the school as it transitions Public / Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Essex County Council to a model where it directly takes responsibility for services delivered by the PPP
LGB Priorities for 2022-23
Here the LGB will look to pursue in the year ahead the following:
● Support the development and realisation of the School Improvement Plan for 2022-23 monitoring the progress throughout the year.
● Increase its knowledge and understanding of OFSTED inspection process
● Further develop the link governor role, ensuring link governors take an activity role in the life of the school.
● Continue to develop the LGB by looking to recruit new and suitable members aimed at increasing still further the diversity of the LGB.
● Further developing its role and understanding within the TKAT community
Comment from Director of Education
The Governing Body remains focused on the progress made by all students across the age and ability range and through robust questioning show their understanding of how leaders set, and work towards, academic targets.
Although the Governing Body has been relatively small of late the Chair together with leaders has been successful in recruiting new members who have already begun to have an impact despite their recent appointment.
Governors are clearly knowledgeable about the school and closely track and challenge leaders' aims for the curriculum. As the school moves closer to its next Ofsted Inspection the Governing Body under the experienced Chair have already begun to prepare themselves for this.
The Be agenda, is rightly one to be proud of and Governors are keen to see leaders’ plans for where this will go next and for its further development.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the LGB for its support of leaders and for the time they devote to the school. I would also like to thank the Chair in particular for his engagement with the wider group of Essex Secondary Chairs, his knowledge and experience are invaluable and much appreciated by colleagues.
Comment from Link Trustee
On behalf of the board of trustees I would like to thank the LGB at Debden Park High School for their commitment to the school during last academic year and for the support and challenge they provided to the school helping it to move forward after the difficult pandemic years.
The LGB is clearly well organised and I am pleased to note it has been successful in recruiting some additional governors recently, I appreciate further recruitment is a goal for the year ahead. I was very interested to hear about the ‘Be’ agenda during my visit to the school and it is pleasing to note the LGB’s commitment to that work as well as their ambition to see it develop further.
I wish the LGB, SLT, Staff and Pupils of the school every success for the year ahead.
PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON TKAT
Please click here to the Directors of the TKAT Board.
Please click here for Governance information relating to TKAT, including the structure of governance and relevant details about Trustees terms of office, attendance and business interests.
Please click here for key documents including the Master Funding Agreement, Articles of Association and Accounts.
Relevant business and pecuniary interests of trustees and members
The trust’s scheme of delegation for governance functions
Annual reports relating to the Academy Trust.
Funding Agreement (including Supplemental Funding Agreement, where applicable)
