Runcton Holme CE Primary and Wormegay CE Primary have worked together for many years. We initially formed a partnership with a shared Headteacher in 2003. The schools kept their own separate governing bodies until January 2012 when we formed the Federation of Holy Cross Schools. Throughout this time, the schools have benefited from sharing expertise, resources and visits, and this has increased over the years. After careful consideration, the governing body of the Holy Cross Schools decided to join the Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust (DEMAT), and this took place in October 2014. Please see below for scheme of delegation.

Model of Governance from September 2019
Given the size of the LGB and the challenge of recruiting local governors, the Trust is adopting a more focused mixed model of governance that involves the Trust Shared Services Team and a small number of local governors.  This mixed model is essential to ensure governance at Runcton Holme and Wormegay is in alignment with the Trust’s Effective Governance Framework and all statutory duties are carried out through appropriate checks and balances, as well as making sure effective support and challenge of the Headteacher. 

Principles
There will be no chair of governors, however a new Standards and Ethos Committee has been established to focus on the governance of the Quality of Education.  It is chaired by a nominated chair from the Trust and its membership is a mixture of local governors, staff governors and the Headteacher.  It is clerked by the Runcton Holme Officer Manager.

The focus for this committee is:

• Teaching and Learning/Curriculum
• SEN, Pupil Premium and Sports Premium
• Behaviour
• Attendance
• Safeguarding, including SCR
• Complaints
• Approving school-based policies

The committee terms of reference can be found below.

Formal reporting takes place via the Headteacher and Standards and Committee through a written headteacher report.  The Chair of Standards and Ethos reports back to the DEMAT Lead Officer for Governance every term to provide a summary of the school’s position.  

The DEMAT Lead Officer for Governance has taken responsibility for the following statutory duties and appropriate monitoring, through existing teams and systems from within the DEMAT Shared Services Team;

• Finance, including Pupil Premium/Sports Premium
• Health & Safety Compliance
• Premises
• Human Resources (HR Manager)
• SIAMs

Formal reporting takes place via the Headteacher and DEMAT Lead Officer for Governance who meet each term.  The Trust Development Administration Officer is responsible for obtaining and collating all shared services reports (Finance, H&S/Premises and HR) each term and these reports feed into this termly meeting, as well as a review from the Standards and Ethos Committee.

The Trust supplements this approach further by carrying out additional checks and balances to ensure good governance is in place through its School Improvement Review system, Inclusion and Safeguarding visits and external audits.  School performance and risks are routinely reviewed, and appropriate support, challenge and mitigation is actioned.  The enables the DEMAT Lead Officer for Governance, who is responsible for the quality of governance across the Trust, to have a coherent overview to inform effective governance practice.

Holy Cross Federation Schools - Governor List 2019-2020