XXXXLocality Schools Cluster
terms of reference
1.Purpose
A great 0-19 learning journey for every child
The members of the xxxx Locality Cluster are collaborating to ensure that every local child has a great learning journey.
To achieve this, all activities of the Locality Cluster will have some explicit direct or indirect impact on:
- Enabling and ensuring great teaching for all of our children
- Raising the aspirations of the whole school community
- Creating and supporting a culture of success across the whole school community
- Improving attainmentand the progression of all of our children
- Facilitating the social mobility of vulnerable children
2.Remit
The remit of the Locality Cluster includes:
- LOCAL NEEDS &CHALLENGES: Understanding the needs and challenges facing children living in or attending schools in our locality. These needs could relate to their happiness (emotional wellbeing), their health (mental and physical), and their safety, or their educational outcomes, which are influenced by the above, but also the quality of the educational experience.
- OUR NEEDS & CHALLENGES: Identifying the specific challenges and needs of member schools
- SUPPORT:Making the resources and support that is available to schools (and from schools) nationally, regionally and locally visible and accessible to members
- OUR SKILLS & STRENGTHS: Identify and share the specific skills and strengths that exist within each of the member organisations
- SHARING TIME: The creation and maintenance of a ‘time bank’ whereby members each commit to making a minimum of xxxx hours of representative time available to any other Central Bedfordshire Locality Cluster member who requires support in an area of identified skill or strength
- NETWORKS:The development and support of a range of peer networks
- COLLABORATING: More effective working across schools
- DEVELOPING LEADERS:Supporting and developing individuals across all levels in schools to progress and to lead
3.How we work together
The working of the Locality Cluster, and how the members operate in the undertaking of the Locality Cluster’s work, is guided by the following principles:
- ASPIRATION: All members are committed to achieving no less than excellence for children who live and attend schools within the cluster.
- EQUALITY: An equal voice and vote for all members, regardless of the size of their organisation, or their relative experience.
- RESPECT: Members have a responsibility to treat each other with respect and consideration, and to support new members and those facing particular challenges.
- PROFESSIONALISM: Locality Cluster members will behave and engage each other as professionals, and respectdifferent perspectives.
- CHALLENGE: Locality Cluster members are committed to positive mutual challenge and support. In order to achieve excellent outcomes for children, young people and families.
- TRANSPARENCY: The Locality Cluster will conduct its business openly and transparently, with all documentation and records of proceedings and decisions made publically available as the standard. The Locality Cluster may make exceptions to this in certain circumstances, with a clearly defined reasoning for this decision, and only where agreed by majority vote.
- COMMITMENT: All members are committed to the sharingof time, skills, experience, resources, and opportunities in the pursuit of the purpose of the Locality Cluster.
- ACCOUNTABILITY: All members are committed to positively and constructively support the work of the Locality Cluster, and that they can and should be held to account to fulfil their commitments in all reasonable circumstances.
- OUTWARD LOOKING: Locality Cluster members will look to support each other, but also be outward looking; working across the area, and with partners outside their Locality Cluster, and outside Central Bedfordshire, drawing in wider experience and learning to achieve the purpose of the Locality Cluster.
- INNOVATION: All members are committed to developing and sharing innovative practice with the Cluster.
4.Membership
Membership of the Locality Cluster shall be open to the Head Teacher or Principal, and Chair of Governors (or nominated Governor) of every maintained school, free school, independent school and academy school operating within the locality cluster area (areas are as specified in xxxx).
In addition, each Locality Cluster will include a representative of the Central Bedfordshire Children’s Services Department.
Any member shall cease to be a member of the Locality Cluster if:
a)They leave their position within the representative body
b)The representative body itself is closed or ceases to operate
Members of the Locality Cluster may put forward a delegated member to attend Locality Cluster meetings under the following conditions:
a)The delegated member has full authority to make any and all decisions on behalf of the Member
b)Delegated members are not put forward for more than three consecutive Locality Cluster meetings, unless otherwise agreed by the Cluster in exceptional circumstances
A register of members, including details of the organisation they represent and appropriate contact details will be kept and made available to all members of this and other Central Bedfordshire Locality School Clusters.
5.Meetings and proceedings
5.1.Locality Cluster Operations
The affairs of the Locality Cluster shall be co-ordinated in such manner as the Locality Cluster may see fit, including –as appropriate – electronic communication and networking, newsletters, and telephone contact.
5.2.Locality Cluster Roles
The Locality Cluster will allocate members to the roles of Chair and Vice-Chair for a term of between six and twelve months by way of a vote. The responsibilities of these roles are as follows:
The Chair, as the presiding officer, provides leadership in guiding the Locality Cluster, coordinates its activities, and fosters relationships in the best interests of the Locality Cluster. The Chair is responsible for agreeing Locality Cluster meeting agendas.
The Vice Chair will serve in the absence of the Chair; may be delegated as the presiding officer by the Chair for portions of meetings; coordinates and ensures the effective administration of the Locality Cluster meetings (including the identification and timely confirmation of meeting times, dates and Agendas, and the recording and dissemination of minutes).
Further roles to enable the effective running of the Locality Cluster may be created, and their responsibilities defined and agreed, by majority vote.
5.3.Locality Cluster Meetings
Members of the Locality Cluster shall meet together and may adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they thinkfit. A minimum of xxxx members are required as quorum at each meeting.
It is expected that this will include xxxxx meetings of the Locality Cluster at a minimum. At the request of the Chair or of xxx or more Locality Cluster members, a meeting of the Locality Cluster can be summoned at any reasonable time by giving at least seven days’ notice to its members.
The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Locality Cluster. If there is no Chair or if she/he is absent fifteen minutes after the time set for the commencement of the meeting, the Vice-Chair will Chair, and delegate Vice-Chair responsibilities to another member for the duration of the meeting. If there is no Chair or Vice-Chair the members of the Locality Cluster present shall choose one of their number to chair the meeting before any other business is transacted.
These meetings will take place at xxxx and have a formal agenda and recorded minutes alongside signed attendance sheets. Agendas and minutes will be made publically available.
5.4.Decision Making
All questions shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members of the Locality Cluster present and voting, and in the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall not have a second or casting vote and the resolution shall be deemed to be lost.
The Locality Cluster may from time to time make and alter rules for the conduct of their business and the summoning and conduct of their meetings. No rule may be made which is inconsistent with these Terms of Reference.
5.5.Termination
These Terms of Reference shall cease to have effect, and the Locality Cluster governedby this document shall no longerexist, if no quorate meetings of the Locality Cluster are held in any period of 12 months or if it is decided to terminate these Terms of Reference by a resolution of the Locality Cluster, at a meeting of which not less than 21 days’ notice has been given stating the resolution to be proposed.
6.Conflict of interest
“…a situation in which a person, such as a public official, an employee, or a professional, has a private or personal interest sufficient to appear to influence the objective exercise of his or her official duties”.
All conflicts of interest will be identified from the outset of all monthly management meetings. This will be discovered when discussing the topics of discussion for each respective meeting.
Any declared conflicts will be minuted and then included on the register of declared interests, maintained by the xxxxxx. This register will detail the nature and extent of the conflict and will be open to all members of the Locality Cluster.
Any member of the Locality Cluster who has a pecuniary interest, whether direct, or indirect in a contract, proposed contract, or other matter must promptly declare such interest and the remaining members at the meeting will decide whether the member shall:
•Withdraw from the meeting
•Remain in the meeting and take part in the discussion but not participate in any vote
Any member of the Locality Cluster who has a personal interest (which is not a pecuniary interest) in any matter must promptly disclose that interest but may remain, speak and vote unless the interest is clear and substantial.
7.Resources
Locality Clusters may facilitate the pooling of resources of some or all members toward a joint objective. However, Locality Clusters themselves will not hold or be held responsible for any public or non-public funding, financial resources, or expenditure.
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