Governance

WHAT DOES THE Local Advisory BODY DO?

The Local Advisory Body (LAB) is part of E21C Trust’s overall governance arrangements, with specific focus at a local school level. The Local Advisory Body works as a team and is at the heart of how the school operates.

It is responsible for monitoring that the school provides a good quality education and is continually raising educational standards. The Local Advisory Body also encourages and supports effective ways of teaching and learning when reviewing the school aims and policies. This is done together with the Headteacher, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school.

In addition to the Local Advisory Body’s main role of helping raise pupils’ standards of achievement, we also:

support the school in its strategic direction
are accountable for monitoring the performance of the school to parents and the wider community
monitor that a balanced and broad curriculum is taught
review how the school can encourage pupils’ spiritual, moral, and cultural development
monitor that the school is inclusive and provides for all pupils including those with special needs
oversee the implementation of policies on a wide range of school issues and monitor their effectiveness
support and constructively challenging senior management by gathering views, asking questions, looking at comparable data and discussing what’s best for the school

WHO IS THE Local Advisory BODY?

The current Local Advisory Body is made up as follows:

Name	Position /type of governor	Term of office start	Term of office end date
1. Lynn Newman	Interim Chair of LAB Co-opted Attendance and Behaviour	22/11/24 as Chair 03/06/24	02/06/27
2. Claire Bessa	Headteacher	Ex-0fficio
3. Olaide Olumide	Co-opted Safeguarding	09/12/19	08/12/26
4. Keith Robinson	Co-Opted Quality of Education/Sixth Form	10/02/20	09/02/27
7. James Pierce	Parent Governor	05/12/22	04/12/26
8. Alfie Stokes	Staff Governor	27/08/24	26/08/27
9. Lily-Jean Paterson	Staff Governor	26/09/24	25/09/27

HOW DOES THE Local Advisory BODY PERFORM ITS ROLE?

At Coopers School, the Local Advisory Body fulfils these roles through four meetings per year, covering:

Safeguarding
Quality of Education
School Improvement
Behaviour and Culture
Curriculum
Stakeholder engagement
Staffing
Building & Sites

The Local Advisory Body also holds two additional meetings with specific focus on teaching and learning, culture, and ethos. The Local Advisory Body reviews the school’s priorities and strategies for the year ahead and reviews the previous year to monitor the school’s overall performance.

There are also numerous ad-hoc meetings of other groups, working parties as required and specific panels for various procedural reasons.

Key Governance Documents

For the scheme of delegation which sets out the Trust’s overall governance arrangements:

For the Local Advisory Body meeting attendance:

For the Local Advisory Body School Register of Business Interests:

HOW TO CONTACT THE Local Advisory Body?

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Local Advisory Body or wish to contact the Chair, please email:

To contact the chair of governors please use the following address;

Mr Keith Robinson

Chair of Governors

c/o Coopers School

Hawkwood Lane, Chislehurst, Kent. BR7 5PS

Email: chairofgovernors@coopersschool.com