Standing Orders

Standing orders for procedural workings of the governing board of
Ingleton Primary School

1. Meetings of the governing board

The governing board shall meet 3 times each school year. (Note: governing boards are legally required to meet at least 3 times per school year)

2. Chair and Vice-Chair – Term of Office

The chair and vice-chair shall have a term of office of one year. The term shall begin at the first governing board meeting of the autumn term at which the chair and vice-chair are normally elected and shall end at the first meeting following the first anniversary of their election. In the event of the chair and/or vice-chair ceasing to occupy their post(s) part way through their respective term(s) of office then their successor(s) shall serve out the remainder of their
predecessor’s term. When the office of chair or vice-chair becomes vacant the governing board must elect a new chair or vice-chair at the next meeting. If the chair is absent from a meeting, or if the chair is vacant, the vice-chair will act as chair for all purposes.

3. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

The clerk shall take the chair for the item dealing with the election of the chair and, in the event of a failure to elect a chair, for the item dealing with the election of the vice-chair. In the event of the governing board failing to elect a chair or a vice-chair the governing board shall elect a chair for the meeting. In the event of the governing board failing to elect a chair for the meeting then the meeting shall stand adjourned and the clerk, acting in consultation with the immediate past chair and the head teacher, shall convene a further meeting within 28 days of the adjournment.

4. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair – procedure

(Note: Unless the chair and/or vice-chair have been elected for a longer period the election of the chair and vice-chair takes place at the first meeting of the governing board held in the autumn term. Governing boards are free to adapt the following procedure to suit their own needs.)

The following procedure shall apply to the election of the chair and vice-chair:

• the clerk shall invite nominations from the meeting. A governor may nominate him/herself;
• if only one candidate is nominated that candidate must withdraw from the meeting whilst the remaining governors vote by secret ballot on whether to accept or reject the nominated candidate. In the event of an equality of votes the clerk does not have a casting vote and a “no decision” shall be recorded in the minutes;
• the clerk shall then invite further nominations from the meeting. If a further candidate is nominated but the result is the same, or the candidate is rejected, the clerk shall move on to the election of the vice-chair. The election of the chair shall then be placed as an item on the agenda for the
  next meeting of the governing board;
• if two candidates are nominated then both nominated candidates shall withdraw from the meeting whilst a secret ballot takes place. The chair shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of each candidate polling the same number of votes then the successful candidate shall be decided by the toss of a coin;
• if 3 or more candidates are nominated and none of the candidates achieves a simple majority of the votes cast (e.g. 5.3.3.) then there shall be a second secret ballot to try to achieve a candidate with a simple majority (e.g. 6.3.2.) or, failing that, the candidate with the fewest votes (e.g. 5.4.2.) shall be eliminated;
• the unsuccessful candidate may then return to the meeting and a further secret ballot takes place between the two remaining candidates;
• following his/her election the chair shall take over the meeting immediately and conduct the election of the vice-chair using the same procedure.
• if the governing board fails to elect a chair or a vice-chair it shall elect a chair for the meeting;
• if the meeting fails to elect a chair for the meeting then the meeting shall stand adjourned and shall be re-convened within no more than 28 days.

5. Annual Calendar of Meetings and Business

At the first meeting of the autumn term the governing board shall approve a calendar of governing board and committee meetings and of planned business for the ensuing year and the clerk shall, within 14 days, of the meeting provide a copy of the calendar to all members of the governing board.

6. Notice of Meetings and Agenda

Every member of the governing board shall receive the following at least seven clear days in advance of a meeting:

• written notice of the meeting;
• a copy of the agenda for the meeting;
• a copy of any reports or papers to be considered at the meeting.

This standing order shall not apply where the chair of the governing board so determines on the ground that there are matters demanding urgent consideration. In that case the written notice of the meeting shall state that fact and the agenda, reports and other papers to be considered at the meeting are received within such shorter period, as the chair shall direct.

Where the governing board agree, notice can be sent by email but this should be discussed in the FGB and a protocol agreed. Governors who have shared family emails should set up one for themselves which is not accessed by other family members and all aspects of confidentiality should be discussed.

7. Agenda Items

With the agreement of the chair of the governing board or of the relevant committee any member of the governing board shall be entitled to include, on the agenda for any governing board or committee meeting, an item(s) on any particular issue provided that written notice thereof is given, as appropriate, to the chair of the governing board, or of the relevant committee and to the clerk at least 14 days prior to the meeting taking place.

8. Quorum

• the quorum for a meeting of the governing board shall be not less than 50% of the number of governors in post at the time of the meeting or such other number as may be determined from time to time by regulations issued by the Department for Education;
• the quorum for a meeting of any committee of the governing board shall be at least three (3) governors who are members of that committee;
• associate members shall not be included in the calculation for quorum purposes.

9. Voting

• every proposition shall be seconded prior to the vote being taken;
• every proposition shall be determined by a show of hands or, at the discretion of the chair of the meeting, by general consensus;
• only those governors at the meeting and present in the room at the time of the proposition being put by the chair shall be entitled to vote; (please note the one exception to this is a vote to change the name of the school where ALL governors would be required to vote and for this reason a proxy vote is allowed, this would also require the school to adopt the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations)
• in the event of a tied vote the chair shall have a second or casting vote;
• after a proposition is put from the chair, but before the vote is taken, any two governors by show of hands may require that the voting be recorded in the minutes of the meeting to show whether each governor present gave his/her vote for or against the proposition or abstained from voting. It is recommended that this would be a confidential minute;
• after a proposition is put from the chair, but before the vote is taken, any two governors by show of hands may require that the voting shall be by secret ballot;
• in the event of requisitions for both a secret ballot and a recorded vote then the requisition for the secret ballot shall take precedence and no action shall be taken on the requisition for a recorded vote.

10. Confidential Matters

Prior to the consideration of, or discussion on, any matter on any agenda for a meeting of the governing board or of any committee, consideration shall be given as to whether the matter includes confidential information. The governing board or committee shall determine whether the public or any other person, not being a member of the governing board, should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the matter. In the event of any matter being deemed to be confidential then the minutes of the discussion and decision shall be excluded from the minutes of the meeting to be made available for public inspection. This standing order is additional to the requirement for governors to withdraw from a meeting and take no part in the consideration or voting on any item in which they have a declarable interest as required by standing order 18.

11. Minutes of Meetings

The draft minutes of all governing board and committee meetings shall be approved by the chair of the meeting within 14 days of the meeting having taken place. Thereafter the approved draft governing board minutes shall be circulated to all members of the governing board within 21 days of the meeting having taken place or with the agenda for the next meeting of the governing board/committee. The minutes of committee meetings shall be circulated with the agenda for the next succeeding governing board meeting.

All non-confidential minutes shall be made available for public inspection only after they have been submitted for approval to the next succeeding meeting of the governing board or committee, as appropriate.