Academy Trustees
Academy Trust Chair: Steve Head
Academy Trust Vice Chair: Glenn Taylor
The Articles of Association for The Cowplain School were established on 1 April 2012 when the School became an academy and revised in September 2021, following DfE guidelines.
The Full Governing Body (Academy Trust) meets up to nine times per year, out of school hours, and is responsible for pursuing the vision and aims of the Academy and for ensuring compliance with legal requirements emanating from the Department for Education.
The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee meets at least five times per year. Chair: Sarah Foxall
The Trust Board may appoint up to 14 trustees which may include a minimum of 2 parent trustees elected by the parents, guardians or carers of registered pupils; employees up to one third of the Trust Board, one of whom will be the Principal.
Parent and staff trustees shall be elected for a four-year term of office and may complete this term if they become ineligible (student or staff leaving the Academy) at the discretion of the Chair and Trust Board.
Further co-opted appointments can be made to the Trust Board with agreement of a majority of non-co-opted Trustees. With the exception of the Principal, members of the Trust Board will serve for a period of four years and will be eligible for re-election and co-option.
The Trust Board may appoint associate trustees, who may attend meetings and may participate in any discussions that take place at these meetings. Associate trustees will not have the right to vote at meetings.
A person may not serve as a trustee without providing the Chair with proof of identity and a criminal records certificate. A person shall be disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a trustee if they refuse to undergo a criminal record check. If an existing trustee becomes ineligible they must, upon becoming disqualified, give written notice of the fact to the Governance Professional.
Parent and staff trustee vacancies will be advertised; those wishing to become Community trustees should apply to the Chair.
Link Trustees
Lead Child Protection and Safeguarding: Steve Head
Lead Finance: Sarah Foxall
Lead Pupil Discipline: Susan Young
Lead Site Health and Safety: Ella Capaldi
Lead Training: Glenn Taylor
Lead Welfare: Bhanu Tewari
Members
Members are appointed by members. The minimum number of members shall be three and an employee of the Academy Trust may not be a member. There must be a majority of Members who are not Trustees.
Annual General Meeting
The Academy Trust shall hold an AGM each Academy financial year. A trustee shall, notwithstanding that they are not a Member, be entitled to attend and speak at any AGM.
TRUSTEES’ RELEVANT BUSINESS AND PECUNIARY INTERESTS; MATERIAL INTERESTS ARISING FROM RELATIONSHIPS
At the beginning of every meeting each trustee has to declare any pecuniary interest in agenda items. In addition, trustees have to declare employment, business and pecuniary interest for themselves and people with whom they have relationships through family or by association; this is done by filling in a form annually. Details taken from the form are kept on a register by the academy’s Finance Manager and are checked by the Principal. Any changes to information during the year is reported to the Finance Manager who will update the Register.
See links to Trustee Information, Register of Business Interests, Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation.
Parent and Staff Trustee vacancies will be advertised; those wishing to become Community Trustees should apply to the Chair.
CONTACT
Should you wish to contact a member of the Academy Trust please do so through the academy by telephone on 023 9261 2020, or email the Main Office or in writing c/o The Cowplain School, Hart Plain Avenue, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hants, PO8 8RY.
Complaints should be made in accordance with the Complaints Procedures and individual trustees should not be involved as this will preclude them serving on any panel if the matter proceeds.