Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Professor Anna Sapir Abulafia, Alderman Robert Howard, Mark James and Deputy Richard Regan.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 10 December 2021.

RESOLVED – That the minutes and non-public summary of the previous meeting are approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk outlining public Outstanding Actions and the following points were made:

·         The Senior Deputy Head (Staff would liaise with the Governor with Designated Responsibility for ICT around meeting regularly with appropriate school staff to discuss online safety and monitor safety logs (Action 18/20/BG/P).

·         In discussion, Governors agreed to extend the existing authority delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman for any decisions relating to the operation of the City Junior School required in advance of the next meeting of the Board of Governors on 10 June 2022 (Action 1/22/BG/P). 

RESOLVED – That:

• The Outstanding Actions report be noted; and,

• Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman for any decisions relating to the operation of the City Junior School required in advance of the next meeting of the Board of Governors on 10 June 2022.

To receive the draft minutes and non-public summary of the Bursary Committee meeting held on 28 January 2022.

RESOLVED - That the public minutes and non-public summary of the Bursary Committee meeting held on 28 January 2022 be received.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk presenting the annual review of the Terms of Reference and the following points were made:

• Governors discussed proposed amendments to the Board’s Terms of Reference for the 2022/23 municipal year which had been developed in line with governance changes arising from the Target Operating Model and Governance Review.  The proposed amended Terms of Reference were supported, subject to the following change to the Board’s composition:

“up to eight Commoners elected by the Court of Common Council at least one of whom shall have fewer than five years’ service on the Court at the time of their appointment to serve a term of no more than twelve years, including at least one Aldermanic Governor.”

• The Board went on to discuss Board meeting frequency and timings for the forthcoming municipal year and agreed that an afternoon/evening meeting be piloted for the meeting of the Board of Governors in March 2023.

RESOLVED, that:

·         The revised Terms of Reference be approved for submission to both the Policy and Resources Committee and the Court of Common Council for approval, subject to the above amendment to the Board’s composition;

·         No change was required to the Board’s frequency of meetings;

• Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman to agree any further changes to the Terms of Reference for the 2022/23 municipal year; and,

• An afternoon/evening meeting be piloted for the meeting of the Board of Governors in March 2023.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk presenting proposed updates to the Terms of Reference of the Bursary Committee and the Academic Working Party and the following point was made:

• At its meeting on 28 January 2022, the Bursary Committee discussed the need to make a minor change to its Terms of Reference to reflect the direction of travel towards offering more transformational bursaries.  The Academic Working Party similarly considered its Terms of Reference at its meeting on 2 February 2022 and proposed that the Working Party’s name be amended to the Education Working Party to better reflect the breadth of work undertaken.

RESOLVED, that:

·         The proposed update to the Terms of Reference of the Bursary Committee be agreed; and,

·         The name of the Academic Working Party be amended to the Education Working Party.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk presenting a proposed update to Governor Designated Roles and the following point was made:

• It was proposed that a new Governor Designated Role on City Junior School and Transition replace the existing Governor Designated Role on Preparatory School to reflect the changing arrangements for preparatory education at the School.  It was further proposed that the existing Governor representative for the Preparatory School be appointed to this new role.

RESOLVED, that:

·         A new Governor Designated Role on City Junior School and Transition replace the existing Governor Designated Role on Preparatory School; and,

·         The existing Governor representative for the Preparatory School be appointed as Governor with Designated Responsibility for the City Junior School and Transition.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered the report of the Headmistress which provided updates on COVID-19, publications and School events.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a report of the Headmistress presenting the School’s Working in Partnership 2021 report and the following point was made:

• The School’s community and partnerships work had continued to thrive and was increasingly focused on collaboration and connection across the City of London Corporation’s family of schools and wider partners.  During the course of 2021, partnership work was undertaken both virtually and in-person in areas including curriculum, sustainability, teaching practice and careers.  Specific partnership activities included the development of a weekly City+ enrichment session with the City of London School for sixth form students, support to the City’s refugee population and work with industry leaders to provide world class career development across the family of schools.  Students’ co-curricular horizons had been extended through diverse opportunities including working with the Police and Fire Cadets, Bikeability, and mentoring and volunteering in partner primary schools.  A growing emphasis had been placed on staff partner work which was centred around opportunities for continuous professional development.  A Board Member underlined the potential for the School to partner with the Lord Mayor’s Office around the annual City Giving Day and this would be taken forward following the meeting.  In response to a further question from the Member, the Headmistress confirmed that the School worked closely with a number of Livery Companies and would continue to develop institutional links that supported the School’s partnership working.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a report of the Headmistress setting out four school policies for approval and the following point was made:

·         Upcoming policies for approval comprised the School’s Privacy Notice; Medical Conditions and Infection Control Policy; First Aid Policy and Curriculum Policy.  Individual Governors were approached and agreed to review these policies in advance of their presentation to the next meeting of the Board of Governors on 10 June 2022 for approval.

RESOLVED – That the following policies be approved:

• PSHCEE Policy;
• Pupil Mental Health Policy;
• Relationships and Sex Education Policy; and,
• Careers Education Information and Governance Policy

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar presenting the Risk Register 2021/22 for the City of London School for Girls’ Bursary Fund incorporating the City of London School for Girls’ Scholarships and Prizes Fund and the following point was made:

·         The Risk Register for the City of London School for Girls’ Bursary Fund incorporating the City of London School for Girls’ Scholarships and Prizes Fund currently contained eight risks.  Of these risks, six were rated ‘Green’ and two were rated ‘Amber’ and comprised ‘Risk of decline in the capital value of investments held in and the annual investment income derived from the City of London Charities Pool’ and ‘Funding from the City may reduce’.  There were no ‘Red’ rated risks and all risk scores remained unchanged from February 2021.  At its meeting on 9 February 2022, the Finance and Estates Committee had resolved that the risks facing the charity were satisfactorily set out in the Risk Register 2021/22 and that appropriate measures were in place to mitigate these risks.

RESOLVED, that the risks facing the charity were satisfactorily set out in the Risk Register 2021/22 and that appropriate measures were in place to mitigate these risks.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2021.

The non-public minutes of the previous meeting were approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk outlining non-public Outstanding Actions.

To receive the draft non-public minutes of the Bursary Committee meeting held on 28 January 2022.

RESOLVED - That the non-public minutes of the Bursary Committee meeting held on 28 January 2022 be received.

To receive the draft non-public minutes of the Academic Working Party meeting held on 2 February 2022.

RESOLVED - That the non-public minutes of the Academic Working Party meeting held on 2 February 2022 be received.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board noted the report of the Headmistress which provided information of non-public matters in relation to the School.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar presenting the proposed 2022/23 Revenue Budget and tuition fees.

Joint report of the Chamberlain, the City Surveyor and the Bursar of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a joint report of the Chamberlain, the City Surveyor and the Bursar presenting the proposed Repairs, Maintenance and Improvement Fund 2022/23 and 20-Year Plan of Works.

Joint Report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar of the City Junior School.

The Board considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Bursar of the City Junior School presenting the proposed 2022/23 Revenue Budget for City Junior School and the proposed tuition fee from opening in September 2022.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk presenting Charities Review recommendations for the City of London School for Girls’ Scholarship and Prizes Fund and the City of London School for Girls’ Bursary Fund.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a report of the Bursar providing an update on the City of London School for Girls’ Estates Strategy and City Junior School.

Report of the Headmistress of the City Junior School.

The Board noted the report of the Head of the City of London Junior School which provided information on non-public matters in relation to the School.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Board considered a report of the Headmistress providing an update on the Risk Register of the City of London School for Girls.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding action taken under urgent or delegated authority since the last meeting.

There were no questions.

There was one item of urgent business.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2021.

The confidential minutes of the previous meeting were approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered a report of the Town Clerk outlining non-public Outstanding Actions.

There was one item of urgent business.