Our appraisal of the way in which RGS Board meets the standards advocated in the Code:

Organisational purpose

Board members understand the Charity’s operating environment, obligations and duties, and discharge their responsibility for ensuring these are fulfilled.  The Board determines the organisation’s strategy, and promotes its aims and objectives by monitoring performance.  Monitoring by all Board members is enabled by regular briefings from the Chairs of the Main Board, the three Sub-Committees, and the Director of Finance and Operations. In the current challenging circumstances created by a change of Government, extra meetings of the Finance Committee and Main Board have been arranged to involve all Governors in planning how to continue to support the charity’s primary purpose.

For the future:  continue to  support the organisation’s aims, through the ongoing  review of the organisation’s strategy and performance effectiveness, at Main Board meetings showing flexibility and creative thinking where necessary

Leadership

The whole Board determines the Charity’s vision and aims, advised by the executive Strategy Group, which is also responsible for implementing them through the Ten Year Strategic Plan. The Board ensures that the ethos and values of the charity are promoted through the RGSW Code of Conduct; this clarifies what is expected in terms of professional behaviour from all members of the organisation, including volunteers.  Each School has a liaison Governor who can review each School’s particular concerns and bring them to the attention to the whole of the Main Board.  This year a Staff and Governors Forum has been established; its primary focus is to exchange ideas over pay and benefits

For the future: continue to regularly monitor and update the Ten Year Plan to further the Charity’s aims =The academic provisions of the plan will be monitored by the Education Committee and financial provision by the F & GP.  The overall update will be presented to the Board at the Trinity meeting.

Integrity

Integrity should be at the heart of all we do and Governors must be mindful of the public benefit we are all committed to  achieve Governors declare their interests at the beginning of every Main Board meeting and their focus is entirely on providing the best education possible for all pupils in the School’s care; accurate and timely information is provided to the media when any information of importance to stakeholders and the public needs to be shared.

For the future:  continue to ensure that new governors complete the required background documentation with rigour on joining to facilitate thorough checks, and that all governors continue to act with integrity throughout their tenure. “

Decision making, risk and control

The Board is ultimately responsible for all decisions and actions of the Charity and delegates authority but not responsibility. The Board ensures that it is properly informed to make major decisions and decide what matters can be delegated; it implements suitable financial and other controls, and assesses risks and opportunities, reviewed at every Main Board meeting. The Board’s main focus is on strategy, performance and assurance but it does not become involved in day to day operational matters. 

For the future: continue to revisit and update the risk register at every Board meeting.

Board Effectiveness

The Chair creates an environment where governors feel able to suggest, question and challenge, with differences aired before collective approval of decisions. Chairs of all committees are re-elected or approved annually, after skills audits by the Nominations Committee, and SLT soundings, to identify gaps. Professional advice to support governance is taken where needed.  A skills audit was conducted in the Trinity Term 2023.  This showed a broad range of skills covered by current governors with a good range of experience and also suggested some areas that needed strengthening.  After the retirement of 2 Board members in 2023,  four new Governors were appointed, bringing strengthening experience in marketing, law, teaching and finance.

For the future: continue succession planning to ensure that suitably experienced governors with time available are ready to maintain the effectiveness of the Board in all its roles.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

The Board assesses through regular discussion and training its own understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, to consider how this understanding is embedded  in the charity’s systems and culture, and how best to act on any gaps identified, for the good of the delivery of the charity’s aims within its context, and thus maximise public service benefit. Clear timelines are set within business planning.

The Nominations Committee ensures a pipeline of governor candidates with the relevant skills, qualifications and experience as identified by the Board’s skills audits, and seeks to ensure candidates’ diversity of background and perspective commensurate with the Charity’s purpose, needs, environment and constituency, as well as paying attention to any potential bias in governor recruitment and selection.  (Please see also response to Heading 5)

 For the future: to publish in Board minutes its findings on progress towards, and achievement of, equality, diversity and inclusion plans or targets, including challenges, opportunities and learning.

Openness and accountability

Members declare their interests at the start of every Board meeting. Full details of the       experience and skills of Board members, together with key policies, are published on its website, accessible to all stakeholders and the public at large.  Current activities are recorded regularly and frequently in online newsletters sent to stakeholders.  Accounts are filed promptly on the Charity Commission’s website.