Local Advisory Board

Governance of Kilburn Grange School

From September 2018, the Local Governing Board was replaced with the Local Advisory Board (LAB) following a review of the governance structure across all schools in the Bellevue Place Education Trust (BPET), of which we are part of. Free schools (such as Kilburn Grange School) are schools funded by the government with the freedom to govern independently – but all are accountable to the Secretary of State for Education.

Kilburn Grange School’s local governance is overseen by the LAB, which has a strong focus on three strategic functions:

• Setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school, within the overall vision of the trust
• Holding the Headteacher and senior leadership team to account for the educational performance of the school, its pupils and the performance management of staff; and
• Ensuring investment in educational improvement is value for money and having an impact.

These functions have been delegated to the LAB by the BPET Board, which is the maintaining authority for the school. Visit the BPET website for information on BPET’s governance structure and how this oversees the strategic governance of Kilburn Grange School.

BPET responsibilities are set out in the two key following documents that are contracts between BPET and Secretary of State for Education:

• Master Funding Agreement – a contract with BPET, as a multi academy sponsor
• Supplementary Funding Agreement– a sub contract of the above for Kilburn Grange School

The delegation for Kilburn Grange School is set out in the BPET Scheme of Delegation. To support BPET Local Advisers, all are provided with the BPET Local Advisory Board Handbook that sets out the terms of reference and structure, along with a code of conduct for BPET Local Advisers.

This means that Kilburn Grange School’s Local Advisers are able to concentrate on the things that really matter: educational strategy, school outcomes and high educational aspirations that meet the needs of the local community.

In keeping with the BPET vision of developing autonomous schools, there is extensive local choice about the structure, size and operation of the LAB. The following decisions set the limits on this local choice:

• The LAB must operate within the BPET structure, and must remain within the overall BPET’s vision, ethos and strategic direction
• The Chair of the LAB is appointed by the BPET Board, serving at the pleasure of the BPET Board
• The Chair and Headteacher together use a skills-based approach to appointing the local advisers, each to serve for a four-year term
• There must be a minimum of two parent advisers, but there is no maximum
• The suggested size of an LAB is 6-10 people.

The LAB meets four times a year (four business meetings /one strategy session).

All Local Advisers are required to complete a declaration of pecuniary and personal interest every academic year. See the 2019-20 declarations and the LAB membership. We are currently working on the current academic year.

If you would be interested in becoming a LAB member and helping to shape the future direction of the school, please contact info@kilburngrangeschool.org.uk

Last update: 28 September 2023