FAQs
We appreciate that there will be lots of questions. If you have something you would like to raise, then please click on the speech bubble in the grey circle at the bottom of the page. We will then share answers, in a non identifiable way, to the whole community.
How often will School Forums meet?
The School Forum should meet 5 times per academic year in accordance with the Agenda Overview Planner.
Will meetings be remote or in person?
Meetings of the School Forum can be held remotely or in person or as a hybrid model to facilitate attendance - provided that the representatives have access to the appropriate equipment.
Will meetings be clerked?
The Trust has invested in AI functionality to support the recordings of meetings. This will ensure the accurate records are kept and action points noted, but there is no need for a formal clerk.
Can anyone be a School Forum member?
We want to make the School Forums accessible - but it is also important that they are focused and there is a good representation of people from the local community engaged. That is why Chairs and Heads will be responsible for appointments based the needs and skills required in their School Forum.
We also have to ensure that all safeguarding responsibilities are met.
Will this new model be reviewed?
Yes it will! There are regular review points, particularly at the end of the first year to ensure that the intention for the School Forums and the reality of what they deliver align.
How long will a school forum member be appointed for?
There will be a four year term for each School Forum member.
For existing members in AGCs, will their Terms of Office restart when they join a School Forum?
No. If you have already, as an example, served two years on an AGC, your term of office will still conclude in two years.
How are agendas set?
The Trust has initially created agendas for the firs academic year. There are flexibilities built in to these agendas and, as this model becomes more embedded, there will also be greater flexibility moving forward.
Who will review policies and who will check if value for money is being achieved?
There are no policy responsibilities for School Forum representatives. There will be 2 x new Parent Directors / Trustees elected on to the Board (where the accountability lies to the DfE). The Board holds the Executive to account for how the organisation is run in a number of ways. Best value is part of that accountability.
Will the Trust Board and School Forums communicate?
There is planned two way communication from the Board to School Forums and vice versa so that School Forums provide that bridge from the local context to the Board.
I can't find the electronic documents / where do I upload completed documentation?
Everything is distributed and stored via the Teams channel. If you have any issues then please contact Liz McLaverty.
How are monitoring activities managed in School Forums - particularly those ones where there is not
Some monitoring is specific to a role - for example, safeguarding is undertaken by the Chair.
However, monitoring of Collective Worship is not assigned to one role, it can be any of the School Forum reps, or a mixture.
The document School Forums: Actions to be Taken Between School Forum Meetings tells you who does what in between meetings and how it should be recorded.
It is each to each School Forum to work out how to make monitoring these areas work for them.
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