The Governors
The Membership of Francis Combe Academy’s Governing Body includes, the Sponsor (West Herts College), the University of Hertfordshire (Academy Key Partner); Parents; Academy Staff; the Academy Principal; the Local Authority (Herts County Council).
Members of the Governing Body are shown below:
Sponsor Governors: |
Gill Worgan(Chair of Governors) Hilary Bond Tony Mehew Catherine Gunn |
Governor & Principal |
Leo Gilbert |
Co-opted Governor: |
Ian Humphreys |
Parent Governors: |
Phil Ingles and Alex Anderson |
Staff Governor: |
Anthony Taylor |
Local Authority: |
Jim Harrison |
Thier responsibilities
The role of the Governing Body is strategic. Governors set the strategic direction and objectives of the Academy. In addition, the Governing Body monitors performance against agreed targets and performance indicators and ensures it prodvides a high quality and effective learning experience for all learners. Key responsibilities can be summarised as follows:
- Policy development and strategic planning, including target setting to deliver continued quality improvement
- Ensuring highly effective Academy management and administration
- Ensuring full compliance with legal requirements
- Ensuring and maintaining a transparent system of prudent and effective internal controls
- Management of the Academy’s financial, human and other resources
- Monitoring performance and the achievement of key strategic objectives
- Helping the Academy be responsive to the needs of parents/carers and the wider community
- Setting the Academy’s standards of conduct and values
- Assessing and managing risk
To make contact with the Governing Body, please contact in the first instance:
Sheila Selwood (Director of Governance for Francis Combe Academy)
c/o West Herts College, Hempstead Road, Watford WD17 3EZ
Tel: 01923 812608
Email: sheila.selwood@westherts.ac.uk
How the Governors fulfil their responsibilities
Academies are companies limited by guarantee with charitable status, so governors are the legal trustees of the charity. This carries legal obligations to protect the assets, property and good name of the charity. Governors must:
- Act together and in person and not delegate control of the Academy to others.
- Act strictly in accordance with the academy’s governing documents
- Act in the Academy’s interests only and without regard to their own private interests
- Manage the Academy’s affairs prudently
- Not derive any personal benefit or gain from the Academy as a trustee
- Take proper professional advice on matters on which they themselves are not competent
In the interests of openness and transparency, a register of governors' interests is available to the public. Access to the register should be made in the first instance by request to the Director of Governance.
Governance framework
The Trust has final responsibilities for the legal and statutory returns to government funding agencies and to Companies House, in addition to high level oversight of the Academy’s performance and achievement of its objectives. The Trust consists of Tony Mehew (Trust Chair), Gill Worgan (Chair of Academy Governing Body) and Declan O’Farrell (Chair of Corporation of West Herts College, the sponsor).
The Governing Body meets regularly (six times per year) and its work is supported by its Finance, Estates & Resources (FER) Committee (who also meet at least termly). In turn, the FER Committee is supported by a Responsible Officer who provides an independent oversight of the academy’s financial affairs.
Business plans for the Trust, the Governing Body and the FER Committee clearly set out the reports that each will receive from the Academy management team during the year. These reports enable governors to fulfil their responsibilities, providing strategic level information to enable their decision making and effective monitoring of the achievement of Academy targets and objectives, and legal compliance.
The Governing Body’s role is strategic, and governors do not involve themselves in the day-to-day management of the Academy, which is the responsibility of the Principal.
The Governing Body is committed to ensuring the openness and transparency of its work.
On rare occasions, the Governing Body may conduct confidential business. This may for example include minutes relating to a named person employed or proposed to be employed at the Academy; a named student at, or candidate for admission to, the Academy; or any matter which by reason of its nature the Governing Body is satisfied should be dealt with on a confidential basis. This is to ensure compliance with legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998 and with due regard for the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Governing Body minutes:
To access the most recent minutes of Governing Body meetings, that are not deemed by their subject matter as confidential by the Governing Body, please click here
