Our Services
Trust & Governor Meetings
Full board meetings are at the heart of everything we do at Clerks of London. After an initial meeting to scope requirements and understand processes, we will put together a bespoke package to meet those identified needs and assign the organisation a permanent Clerk. This will include working with the Chair and Headteacher/Principal to draft an agenda, and circulate papers seven days in advance. The Clerk will take the minutes, and provide real-time advice where necessary. After the meeting, draft minutes will be sent to the Chair and Headteacher/Principal within 7 days and circulated to those eligible to attend, once finalised. In addition to this, we also ensure compliance with all statutory duties and regulations by monitoring attendance, managing terms of office and maintaining central records, such as the Register of Interest.
Exclusion Panels
Boards have a statutory duty to consider a decision to permanently exclude and agree whether to uphold or reinstate a pupil. This is a challenging role, but we are on hand to assist in convening a panel and ensuring that all members have the paperwork required to make an informed decision. We will attend the meeting, advising where appropriate, and ensure that accurate minutes are taken. This liberates the panel members from the process and admin, allowing them to focus on the matter at hand.
Independent Review Panels
An Independent Review Panel is convened when there is a request to review a board’s decision to permanently exclude a pupil. The panel must be convened within fifteen school days of the decision being communicated and should include a lay member to Chair, a current or former trustee or governor and a headteacher. Our clerks can assist in finding panel members, as well as appointing a SEN expert to consider the case if requested by the parent or carer. Our clerk will notify all parties of the meeting and distribute the paperwork in advance. After attending and minuting the meeting, the clerk will communicate the decision in writing to all parties.
Special Panels
Special panels are convened to consider complaints that cannot be resolved by the leadership team, as well as appeals. These panels are usually organised with relatively short notice and involve a large amount of work from the school. Our clerks will assist in convening a panel, contacting external panel members if required, and ensuring that all paperwork is provided well in advance of the meeting. The clerk will attend the meeting and advise on protocol, if appropriate, before sending out minutes and an outcome letter.
Headteacher Performance Panel
Schools and academies are required to convene a panel to consider the Headteacher/Principal’s appraisal on an annual basis. We will provide a clerk to organise and minute this meeting, along with an external advisor, if required, to conduct the appraisal and guide the panel through this process.
Cover Clerking
We are happy to provide ad-hoc clerking services, for example if a clerk resigns unexpectedly. Subject to the availability of our clerks, we will supply a clerk to support boards, providing the high standard of clerking, even at short notice.
Governorhub and the Key
We offer discounted membership to Governorhub, which is an online tool that supports the organisation, preparation and document storage of all papers and creates an easy and secure way for governors to communicate with each other. In addition to this, we can also offer a discounted membership to the Key for Governors when taken up with Governorhub. The Key offers clear, comprehensive governance resources that are on hand to use at all times, as well as policy announcements and jargon-free articles to understand the impact of statutory requirements.
Modern Governor
We work in partnership with Modern Governor, who provide an online catalogue of over 70 e-learning modules for the professional development of boards and school leaders. Modern Governor’s modules are commissioned from experts across the field of school governance and built by teams of designers to be attractive, flexible and easy to use. The modules include a variety of ways to learn including quizzes, videos and space for reflective notes to support all styles of learning. The modules adapt to fit whatever device is being used – whether it’s a phone, tablet or desktop and work flawlessly with Android or Apple devices
Recorded Meetings
We have recently started working with a number of organisations who wish to have their meetings professionally clerked but do not require specialist governance advice. Therefore, we are now able to offer a service to provide high quality and accurate minutes of a meeting that has taken place via Zoom, Teams or Google Hangouts.
Governance Projects and Training
Our clerks are also happy to assist in other governance projects, including running parent or staff elections, leading independent governor recruitment. and assisting in the restructure of the Board. We are also happy to train new, employed clerks and work alongside them whilst they are finding their feet.
Not Just London
The last year has shown us that board members do not need to be physically in the same room in order to be effective. With an increase in attendance, as well as an opportunity for busy people to join the Board who would otherwise not be able, many boards are choosing to continue to meet virtually and we are now excited to be able to offer our high-quality clerking service all over the country.
Contact us.
info@clercksoflondon.com
0208 058 0636