Governance

Local Governance Committees

The Local Governance Committees (LGCs) support the Trustees to fulfil their responsibility for oversight of each school within the Trust, acting as the eyes and ears of the Board at local level. Their role is more focused than that of a traditional school governing body. The SAST central team manages – finance, HR, Estates, IT, and others.  

The LGCs responsibility is to monitor and scrutinise teaching and learning, welfare, and safeguarding issues. The LGCs provide challenge and support to the Headteachers and senior leadership team, and represent the Trust to local stakeholders – parents, students, staff and the community. Two representatives of each LGC are elected from among that school’s parents, while a further representative will be elected by the staff. The Headteacher is ex officio. The remaining representatives are appointed by the Trustees following recommendation from the LGC and Headteacher, based on skills and experience, or in our Church of England academies, the Diocese of Salisbury and the Diocese of Bath & Wells receive and consider nominations and appoint. Ex ‘VA’ schools must have a majority of foundation representatives and ex ‘VC’ 25% of representatives must be foundation. Each AR is appointed for a term of four years, after which time, LGC representatives, with agreement from the Diocese or Trustees, may agree to renewal of further term(s).  

The LGC will meet at the beginning of each full term (three times a year), plus an additional meeting to review published exam performance. Typically, this additional meeting will take place during the summer term for primary schools, once the SATS results have been published, whereas for secondary schools, this meeting will take place during the autumn term.