GOVERNANCE

The TSAT Governance Model is different to the way a governing body in a non-academy or traditional school undertakes governance.
Essentially, there are two elements to the governance of the TSAT academies – local governance which is delivered via the Academy Advisory Board (AAB) and regional governance, delivered via the Regional
Governing Bodies (RGB).

There is an Academy Advisory Board for each school and each Regional Governing Body is linked to a
Director or Education a covers a cluster of academies; The Board of Directors is the final decision-making body which sits above the Regional Governing Bodies.

Local Governance - Academy Advisory Board (AAB)

The AAB consists of a group of people made up of Parents, Staff and Community members, with a minimum of 6 and maximum of 9 in addition to the Headteacher. A member of each AAB will be invited to sit on the Regional Governing Body.

The TSAT Board has established five key roles for the Academy Advisory Board:

To advise/act as a critical friend to the Headteacher
To advise the Regional Governing Body about local issues they need to consider that affect the academy
Represent the interest of the Academy community in the running of the Academy
Represent the Academy in its community
Provide support to the Principal in undertaking appropriate day to day procedures that are essential to the life of the Academy

The main purpose of these roles is to enable AABs to be able to express and act on local views and issues – views of parents and the community etc.

The five roles translate specifically into the following tasks that the AAB undertakes:

it acts as a key link between the academy, parents and local community
it supports the work of the academy in the community
it supports the Principal and Academy Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the Academy Development Plan and other relevant plans, ensuring that the TSAT ethos remains at the heart of the academy community
it helps on the ground with the implementation of certain academy policies
it offers challenging but positive and proactive support to the Principal
it regularly reviews the academy's performance in relation to the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Introduction

January 2022 was a significant month for Plympton Academy as we joined TSAT [Thinking Schools Academy Trust]. After a period of consultation, the governors approved moving into this multi-academy trust as TSAT closely aligns with our values and ambitions for the academy moving forwards.

The Academy has seen the development of the site over the last few years: with the new school teaching block and the Michael Morpurgo Performing Arts Centre, we are providing an environment supporting students to become resilient, independent and confident in their learning. Throughout this time the Governing Body has worked alongside staff, students and parents to give students the best opportunities we can, allowing students to reach their own potential.

During the COVID pandemic there have been challenges. The Academy has embraced different ways of ensuring our students have access to virtual learning on-line, which is still being accessed today as the pandemic is still affecting teaching access and provision and flexibility of learning is key.

In order for the Academy and the students to thrive, the governors work to ensure that there is a focus on quality teaching, encouraging positive attitudes and behaviour of the pupils, ensuring that we have equality of provision and sound safeguarding practices.

Anyone interested in finding out more about being a parent governor please email k athryn.rogers@tsatrust.org.uk

AAB Members

Role	Member
Principal	Lisa Boorman
Chair
Community member	Jade Beer
Community member	Sophie Moore
Co-opted member	Sue Dann
Co-opted member	Janina Villalta
Teaching Staff	Kirsty Harvey
Support Staff	Louise Macauley

Sue Dann (Co-opted member)

I was a lecturer in Further Education for over 20 years in Hospitality and Catering delivering courses in basic foundation GNVQ to young disaffected 14-16 years olds up to Foundation Degree students.

I worked in welfare to work for 8 years at a regional and national level, engaging with employers, developing skills based training courses, managing teams, implementing and managing contracts. I have been a local Plymouth City Councillor for over 11 years, this has included holding cabinet posts, I am currently the Cabinet member for Street Scene and the Environment. I have supported many voluntary projects and development trusts .

I have a range of skills that support the governance of the school including an understanding of the Plymouth Education landscape, managing contracts, team management and building, HR experience, monitoring budgets, I am an ambassador for the school.

I’m interested in getting involved. How do I find out more?

If you would like to know more about the role of parent or co-opted member or the appointment process you can speak to our Clerk of Governors clerktothegovernors@plympton.academy

Or, if you know someone who would be a brilliant board member, please pass our details on, as we are currently looking for people with commitment and enthusiasm to contribute to our academy.

Regional Governance - Regional Governing Body RGB

The South West Regional Governing Body governs Plympton Academy. For information on the role of the RGB and its members please follow the link here.

The Board of Directors

For information on the role of the Board of Directors, members and minutes please follow the link here.