Governing Board update: 14 March 2025
The spring term Finance and Resource Committee meeting took place 11 March 2025, in school. The meeting was chaired by Cameron Quinn, Co-opted Governor.
Governors approved the minutes of the November 2024 Finance and Resources meeting and reviewed agreed action points - Mr Whitehead will be putting the minutes on the school website.
First, governors looked in detail at the schools financial value standard (SFVS) return, drafted in consultation with Mr Whitehead and the bursar. The SFVS is a financial health management and governance ‘checklist’ which all maintained schools are required to submit annually to the local authority - the local authority then submits an overall ‘assurance statement’ on the financial governance of all maintained schools to the Department for Education.
Governors agreed the return - the full governing board is required to approve the document before submission.
My thanks to Cameron and Kate Miller, Foundation Governor, for their work on the SFVS.
Governors then discussed in detail the January 2025 budget monitoring reports, prepared by the bursar.
School is likely to be in a slightly less dis-advantageous financial position at the end of the current financial year than predicted in the November 2024 Finance and Resource meeting - nevertheless, in common with all schools, the budget continues to be extremely tight with considerable pressures and the position going forward will require very careful management, most notably, as it stands, with regard to the 2026-2027 financial year.
My thanks to the bursar and Mr Whitehead for their work on the budget.
As previously noted, governors remain determined to ensure, despite the financial pressures, both that a high quality provision for all children at school is maintained over the coming years, and, as importantly, that the staff team continue to feel supported.
Governors next looked at the contract schedule, the services from caretaking and property management to employment support, purchased by the School from North Yorkshire Council, with a view to ensuring best value.
Further discussions are to be had with the full governing board.
Governors then heard a premises update from Mr Whitehead. A health and safety visit is planned before the Easter break. Governors are to look to ‘appoint’ a health and safety lead governor to help ensure robust monitoring.
Governors then reviewed and approved a number of School policies - the charging policy, recruitment and selection, records management and data protection.
The next governors meeting is the full governing board meeting, 27 March 2025 in school.
Governors will also be meeting with the School’s Diocese education adviser, 18 March 2025, to look at the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist School (SIAMS) process - SIAMS explores the ways in which a school’s theologically rooted Christian vision drives work, and enables the school to live up to its foundation as a Church school.
My thanks to Cameron for chairing the meeting.
Governing Board meeting minutes and further information on the work of the governors can be seen on the school website at: www.kildwickceschool.org.uk
I am happy to discuss the work of governors and can be contacted through: [email protected]
John Perry
Chair of Governors
March 2025