Governance

If you are considering whether you could join our Board you might be wondering about the time commitment? 

Governors at The Sele School attend five meetings of the Board, three meetings of the Business Management Committee (if they are a member), the Annual General Meeting and at least one training session per year (more for people new to Governance). Each meeting lasts about two hours and there is a similar time commitement for pre-reading ahead of each meeting. In addition Governors attend 'a minimum of two 'Governor Engagement' events per year, these last between 2 and 3.5 hours and take place during working hours. Each Governor also has Faculty links which involves additional visits during the school day. 

Members have fewer commitments, they attend the Annual General Meeting and are invited to training at least once per year. They may attend any meeting as Observers if they so wish. 

Members

In an Academy Trust, such as The Sele School, Members form an additional level of Governance, separate from the Governors and with different responsibilities. 

The members of an academy trust can be described as the “guardians of the governance of the trust”. They hold the Board of Governors to account for effective governance and are responsible for:

• Ensuring that the academy trust’s charitable objective – summarised as ‘advancing education for the public benefit’ – is being met
• Assessing if the Board is performing well and, if not, taking suitable action
• Members are not key decision makers, that role rests with Governors. However, they do undertake a number of other important duties such as receiving the Annual Report, appointing auditors and remaining informed about the work of the Board while not actively seeking to participate in it. 

The Full Governing Body

The National Governance Association summarises the role of a school's Governing Body thus:

'The governing board provides strategic leadership and accountability in schools. It has three key functions: 

• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent 
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils 
• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction'  

The Full Governing Body is responsible for ensuring The Sele School provides high quality learning and teaching in a supportive and caring environment to develop the potential of each learner. Its responsibilities are to monitor and promote to the highest standard the following:

• Progress and achievement for all pupils at the school
• Quality of teaching and learning at the school
• Behaviour and safety within the school and, where practicable, the local area.
• Quality of leadership and management of the school.

Additionally the Full Governing Body is also responsible for:

•  Meeting all statutory requirements applicable to both staff, as an employer, and students
• Promoting the spiritual moral and cultural development of pupils.
• Ensuring equality for all; including those with Special Educational Needs and Disability

Committee and Faculty Links

As well as attending meetings of the Full Governing Body, some of the Governors attend meetings of the Business Management Committee. Governors also meet together throughout the academic year to explore specific issues in greater depth than might be possible within the meeting structure. In addition Governors have links to cross-cutting areas of school life and visits take place to meet with the relevant members of the Senior Leadership Team, Middle Leaders and the Departments within the school.

Details of membership of the Business Management Committee and links to specific areas of interest in the development of the school can be found on the 'Current Governors' page. 

The Business Management Committee

To assist the decision making of the Governing Body, by enabling more detailed consideration to be given to the best means of fulfilling the Governing Body’s responsibility to ensure sound management of the academy’s personnel, finances (including acting as Audit Committee), resources and assets including proper planning, monitoring and probity.

To make appropriate comments and recommendations on relevant matters, to the Governing Body, on a regular basis.

Major issues will be referred to the Governing Body for ratification.

For the Business Management Committee Terms of Reference 2025-2026, please click on the link.  

The Curriculum and Impact Committee

The Curriculum and Impact Committee will no longer function with effect from the start of the 2026 - 2027 Academic Year. The key issues that were assigned to this Committee will now be dealt with by the Full Governing Body and during Governor events planned to enable in-depth consideration of key issues.

For the Curriculum and Impact Committee Terms of Reference 2025-2026, please click on the link.  

Joining the Governing Body 

The Governing Body is composed of people from all walks of life, who bring with them a wide range of skills and experience from fields such as (but not lilited to):

• The local Council
• Local Businesses
• The Criminal Justice System
• Children's Services
• Information Technology
• Finance
• Education
• The Civil Legal System
• Administration

The Governing Body is composed of up to seven Community Governors, up to five Parent Governors and three Staff Governors (including the Headteacher). Additional Governors may also be Co-opted. Parent Governors are elected to the Governing Body by other parents of the school, while Community Governors are people who live or work locally and who are known to have an interest in education and the development of the area.

There are no Associate Members of The Sele School Governing Body. Members of the Senior Leadership Team attend Board Meetings and Business Management Committee Meetings as required but do not have voting rights.   

If you have any questions about the Sele School Governing Body please contact the Clerk to the Governors clerk@sele.herts.sch.uk