Academy Council

The Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust (DBAT) is overseen by a Board of Directors who are responsible for the management and administration of DBAT and schools run by DBAT. DBAT is accountable to external government agencies including the Department for Education, the Education Funding Agency and the Charity Commission, for the quality of the education provided by the schools and its management of public funds and it is required to have systems in place through which it can assure itself of quality, safety and good practice.

In order to assist in the discharge of these responsibilities the Board of Directors of DBAT appoints Local Academy Council members for particular schools. The Local Academy Council for Ridgeway Farm CE Academy has been established to ensure the good governance of both schools and to ensure that the business of the Academies is conducted in accordance with their purpose and ethos. The people appointed to the Local Academy Council have connections to the school and/or communities and churches they serve.

The Local Academy Council of Ridgeway Farm CE Academy meet six times a year. It monitors progress, ratifies policies, plans future work and discusses issues relevant to the schools. Much work is carried out by sub-committees who give feedback at these meetings on the work they have carried out.

Sub-committees and working parties meet frequently to look at matters relevant to Curriculum, Staffing, Finance, Special Educational Needs, Site Management, Target Setting, Travel Planning, etc. In addition to this, individual Academy Council members are also designated a subject responsibility and they spend time in class and with teachers learning more about this.

Types of Academy Council members (previously called Governors)

• DBAT Members – appointed directly by the Main Board of Directors;
• Foundation Members – appointed by the appropriate Parochial Church Council in accordance with such Diocesan procedures as may be in place from time to time but subject to the prior written consent of the main Board;
• Ex-officio Foundation Member – the principal officiating minister of the parish in which the relevant Academy is situated or, if he/she declines to act, a person appointed to act in his/her stead by the Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry in which the Academy is situated;
• Community Members – appointed by the AC with the consent of the Academy Council, provided that the person lives or works in the community served by the Academy or, in the opinion of the Academy Council, is committed to the Academy Council members and success of the Academy;
• Staff member – elected by employees of DBAT working at the relevant schools in accordance with such procedure as the Main Board may direct;
• Parent Members – elected or appointed by parents of registered pupils at the relevant academies in accordance with such procedure as the AC may determine;
• Principal/Head Teacher – the Principal/Head teacher of each Academy shall be an ex-officio AC member;
• Co-opted Academy Council members– appointed by the Local Academy Council, these are people with specific skills chosen to help members with their responsibilities or as potential members to ensure succession planning.  Co-opted Academy Council members are not full members of the Academy Council and do not have a vote.

Who we are

All Academy Council member roles have a 4 year tenure (date of appointment is 4 years prior to end of term) except the ex officio roles where there is no start or finish.