Dunn Deal and Governing Body

How can you assure parents the governors chosen would actually represent the wide diversity of parents, staff and local people's views on the governing body, rather than just supporting the sponsor's position?

This is an area over which the county council would have a key influence. How?

Within our role as children's services authority, we are keen to ensure the proposed Academy fulfils its obligations to the wider needs of young people. This includes ensuring the governing body includes staff, parent and community representation.

You (WSCC) will no longer have control over secondary education. You will have 1 place on the governing body- actually the LOCAL governing body. This is the UCST/ULT line on governance: “All are governed by the Governing Council of the Company, supported by a local governing body at each school”. It isn’t up to WSCC; it’s up to ULT if the academy goes through.

The funding agreement between ULT, the sponsor, and the government would also set down the expectations for local involvement in the school's management. ULT has already made strong commitments on this matter. Let’s see the Funding Agreement then. The LA is not a party to the FA, neither are we, the public.

It is planned there will be 15 local governors, up to ten of whom would come from within the local community. There would still be the usual elected governors, representing parents and staff and a local authority governor. Under these circumstances I am 100 per cent confident the sponsors would be kept fully in touch with local opinion and preferences by seeking strong community representation and engagement.Up to. There are 5 governors not to be appointed by ULT. The principal who is hired by ULT, a LA representative, and 3 elected members: 1 staff, 1 teacher, 1 parent. All others are ULT appointees. (Whom will they choose and how?) This is NOT not not the usual set-up as Cllr Dunn would have us infer. I think that there are presently 15 elected parent governors alone for the 3 schools.