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Governance

As per the Nexus MAT Articles of Association and Scheme of Delegation, each academy within Nexus MAT has its own local governance forum, which must have a minimum of two parent governors in its membership. 

Local governors have powers and responsibility delegated to them by the Trust Board of Directors via the Chief Executive Officer, so that those people closest to a school have the prerogative to govern effectively. 

We strongly believe that excellent schools have excellent leadership and management from within, and a key component of this is local governance. The Trust has a duty to ensure that it enables excellent leadership in each of our schools through empowerment and support. 

For more information about Local Governance within Nexus MAT, please visit: https://www.nexusmat.org/meet-the-team/local-governing-bodies 

Our Local Governors

Bents Green School's local governance is chaired by our Chair of Governors: Laura Gillespie.

To learn more about our current governors, please visit Meet Our Governors. 

If you wish to contact the Governors, please contact them on: governors@bentsgreen.sheffield.sch.uk

You can also contact Clerking Services about any aspect of school governance at this email address: clerkingservices@nexusmat.org 

Local Governor Committee Dates 2025/26

You can view our Committee Dates for Academic Year 2025/26 by clicking here.

The Role of Local Governance at Bents Green School

The role of the Local Governors board at Bents Green School is to:

  • Set the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school.
  • Help the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement.
  • Keep the pressure up on school improvement
  • Be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
  • Help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
  • Make the school accountable to the public for what it does
  • Hold the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
  • Work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
  • Exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the head teacher and staff
  • Oversee the financial performance of the school, making sure that money is spent well
  • Not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action

Types of Governor

Co-opted Governors

Is appointed by the governing body and who, in the opinion of the governing body, has the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Local Education Authority (LA) Governors

These governors are nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body. It is for the governing body to decide whether their nominee has the skills to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school and meets any other eligibility criteria they have set. The authority advertises for LA governors and seeks members of the community who are interested in education and committed to being fully participating school governors.

Parent Governors

Every governing body will include parent governors. In community schools all of these will be elected by parents in the school (unless there are fewer interested parents than there are places). In Voluntary Aided schools a proportion of these parents will be appointed by other governors from amongst parents in the school.

School Staff Governors

These will be elected by the staff at the school. All Governing Bodies have positions for teachers and most have a position for support staff.

Associate members

Are volunteer members of the governing body but they are not governors and have no voting rights at full governing body meetings.  The governing body will decide if it wants associate members and how many. They may be removed from office by the governing body at any time. There is no limit of associate members.

Special Responsibilities

A Chair of Governors and a Vice Chair are elected from the Parent, Local Authority and Co-opted Governors (staff and the ex-officio head cannot take on these roles). Governors also choose, or are appointed, to serve on various committees and, additionally, to take on the responsibility for overseeing different priorities of the School Development Plan.

Committees

Much of the work of the Governing Body is carried out in full governing meetings.  At Bents Green School our meetings are

Resources   |   Teaching and Learning   |   Safeguarding and Inclusion

Meetings take place monthly. 

Resources Meeting, Quorum: 6

Teaching and Learning Meeting Quorum: 6

Safeguarding and Inclusion Meeting, Quorum: 6

Strategy Meeting, Quorum: 6

Full Governors’ Meetings

Clerk to Full Governors: Nexus MAT (clerkingservices@nexusmat.org)

The Quorum for the full Governing body is half of the members, not including associate members. Bents Green School governing body meets monthly for meetings. These are chaired by the chair of governors and clerked by a Learn Sheffield clerk. The head teacher presents a report which outlines the progress of teaching and learning in the school based on the results of lesson observations and data from assessments, along with progress on the School Improvement Plan, staffing, concerns, absences, exclusions and budget.

  • A typical meeting includes:
  • Declaration of interests
  • Ratifying minutes of previous meetings
  • Reviewing and approving policies
  • Matters arising from previous meetings
  • Reports from governors with special responsibilities
  • Correspondence sent to the Chair
  • Part A of the head teacher’s report
  • Part B of head teacher’s report (confidential)
  • Any other urgent business

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