Governance

Governors Wanted

We are looking for people to join our Local Governing Body (LGB) for Wellington Lions Primary Academy and Wellington Eagles Primary Academy. The Governors play an important role in supporting and challenging the school with duties including monitoring the performance of the school for all pupils, evaluating the curriculum provision, promoting active engagement across the community and ensuring the school development plan is delivered.

We are keen to attract new Governors from interested individuals across the community. No prior experience is required, we are simply looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to support the school as it grows from strength to strength.

Please register your interest by emailing cmercer@ascendlearningtrust.org.uk.

If you wish to gain more insight into the role, please contact the Clerk on the email address above.

Governance at WEPA and WLPA

The Wellington Eagles Primary Academy (WEPA) and Wellington Lions Primary Academy (WLPA) joined Ascend Learning trust (then Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust) on 1st April 2020. The Trust exists to ensure that the staff, pupils and parents from each Academy are able to benefit from Excellence in Education across the Trust.

Ascend Learning Trust was set up as a Multi Academy Trust in May 2017. In establishing Ascend Learning Trust, the trust committed to offering strategic leadership and management expertise to facilitate collaboration, commitment leading to high levels of school improvement opportunities to each Academy within the trust.

Ascend Learning Trust

Ascend Learning Trust has strategic responsibilities which include achieving high level educational performance in all of its Academies, owning all assets, employing all staff, and receiving all funding from the Education Funding Agency to allocate budgets to each Academy in Ascend Learning Trust, whilst providing effective and efficient corporate services which offer value for money.

Ascend Learning Trust operates through a governance structure, which includes the Ascend Learning Trust Board of Trustees, supported by a Finance Committee, Standards Committee and Academy Attainment Committee identified below. Each Committee has its own Terms of Reference. Academy Local Governing Bodies feed into the governance structure.

Further information on governance within the Trust can be found as below:

Vision and Values

Members and Trustees

CEO & Academies Executive Leadership Team

Strategic Plan

Standard Operating Documents

RWBAT Constitution

WEPA and WLPA Local Governing Body

The Academies have a Cluster Primary Local Governing Body (LGB) which meets six times a year.

The LGB is a committee which meets to monitor, evaluate and review the Academy Improvement Plan, ensuring clear links from the self-evaluation process. The responsibilities of the LGB cover; Trust governance, statutory and regulatory compliance, Student outcomes, Community engagement and School development.

The Local Governing Body exists to provide a platform of governance designed to enhance the monitoring and improvements in education and pupil attainment at local level whilst delivering the three core principles of

clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction in line with Ascend Learning Trust policy,
holding the Academy Head teacher to account for the performance and attainment of its pupils,
Overseeing the Academy’s delegated financial budget.

The LGB articulates the needs of its academy community through its regular reporting to Ascend Learning Trust in line with the operational Scheme of Delegation. The LGB seeks to support Ascend Learning Trust in wide curriculum collaborations and sharing good practice, which underpins the ways of working and terms of reference for the LGB.

The Governing Body is made up of representatives of the Staff, Parents/Carers and the Community. They are volunteers and have various legal responsibilities and duties. The role of governor is largely a thinking and questioning role and ideas from outside education can be useful; the day to day decisions about the running of the school is the role of the Head Teacher, supported by the staff.

Composition of the Local Governing Body

Each LGB comprises up to ten members (Local Governors), including:

the Head teacher of the Academy;
at least two elected parents or guardians of a pupil at the Academy (Parent Local Governors);
with the option of up to two employees of the Academy comprising one teacher member and one elected non-teaching staff member elected by employees of the Academy (Staff Local Governors) and
Such other members as the Trustees decide.

Each LGB shall have a Chair and a Vice-Chair.

The length of service of all Local Governors and the Clerk to the LGB shall be four years. Subject to remaining eligible to be a Local Governor, any Local Governor may be reappointed or re-elected at the end of his or her term.

Every person wishing to become a Local Governor will be required to sign a declaration of acceptance and of willingness to act as a Local Governor.

Commitment of Local Governors

Local Governors are asked to:

prepare for and make an active contribution at meetings of the LGB;
champion the Academy in the local community;
familiarise themselves with the Academy’s policies;
visit the Academy both during school hours (with prior arrangement with the Head teacher) and for evening events to get to know the Academy and to be visible to the Academy community; and
attend training sessions for Local Governors, where possible.

There are many opportunities for governors to support school activities to develop understanding of the students and staff’s experience of teaching and learning, and of pastoral care. It is recognised that, as volunteers, governors cannot necessarily attend school activities during usual working hours, but relevant events are not limited to those hours.