LABS

Local Advisory Board (LAB)

Local Advisory Boards are vitally important in ensuring the good governance of each academy and are constituted to provide local scrutiny and challenge for Head Teachers and Principals within the individual academies.

According to the NGA latest report here, the general trend in MATs is that the traditional local governing bodies are changing to local advisory boards as a result of the role of MAT Trustees. The functions of the Local Advisory Board are focused on the importance of monitoring educational standards and school life as well as community engagement and accountability to stakeholders. “A number of trusts are moving the local tier into a specific community or stakeholder engagement role. This is a valid move, as those at the academy level often have a strong connection to their individual school and are part of the local community. As such, they volunteer at the academy level because they want to put something back into the community and help improve education for local children”, NGA June 2019

The Local Advisory Board exercises the powers and responsibilities delegated to them by the Trust Board. Details of these powers and responsibilities are set out in the Scheme of Delegation and other key policies.

Responsibilities of the Local Advisory Board

Governors of the Local Advisory Board will have the following duties:

• Ensuring good governance of the academy, using the agreed level of delegation and reporting accordingly
• Representing the school vision and aims in accordance with the KAT vision and principles whilst ensuring individual academy aims and objectives are relevant to local needs
• Supporting the Head Teacher/ Principal and senior leadership of the Academy whilst being a critical friend
• Monitoring the achievement, quality of teaching & learning and behaviour within the Academy
• Engagement with the Academy’s key stakeholders e.g. parents/carers, pupils, staff and the wider community.
• Establishing and reviewing academy level policies and procedures, reflecting Bradgate Education Partnership expectations and bringing them to the attention of the CEO if any doubt exists
• Working within the expectations of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between ONE multi academies trust & LAB