The report of the Headteacher is attached.

Contact: Reuben Thorley (01588) 638257

The Committee received the report of the Headteacher of Bishops Castle Community College which outlined the actions taken by school leaders and the monitoring by Council Officers.

The Chairman expressed the concerns of the Audit Committee about the time it had taken the college to comply with the requirements of the audit as it had been going on for almost a year and he hoped that the Headteacher was in a position to assure the Committee that the situation had been resolved to its satisfaction.

The Headteacher (Mr Thorley) introduced and amplified his report.  He drew attention to the Action Plan and management responses to each item and he confirmed that progress was reported back to the Governors on a regular basis. He explained that there were some items still to be addressed including the fundamental recommendation that ‘a full review be completed of the financial management of the College by an independent body’.  He stated that they had so far been unsuccessful in commissioning an independent body to carry out the review despite approaching a number of bodies and it was proving difficult to ensure cost effectiveness.

In response to a query, Mr Thorley confirmed that ‘school leaders’ referred to himself as headteacher, the Business Manager who was responsible for implementing the Action Plan and the Resources and Personnel Committee who oversaw the action plan and held them accountable for it.  Members felt that one of the problems could be that there needed to be one leader who took responsibility, rather than generic ‘leaders’. 

A brief discussion ensued around the failure to find an auditor for the accounts.  In response, Mr Thorley explained that they had tried 8 different organisations including the local authority, but they either did not have the capacity, or the cost was felt not to be an effective use of funds.  The Committee felt that they did not have a choice but to have their accounts audited whether cost effective or not.

In response to a query, Mr Thorley assured the Committee that the Governors had had oversight of the issues which had occurred over a number of years and he addressed the issue of the College’s historic deficit which was being paid back over a number of years, as agreed with the local authority and he informed the committee of the steps that had been taken to reduce the deficit including reducing staff and the curriculum offer. 

Members congratulated the College on its ‘good’ Ofsted result but were concerned that if the College converted to an academy that the local authority would pick up the deficit.  Mr Thorley clarified that the local authority would only pick up the deficit if the College was forced to academise because it was in special measures, but if it became an academy of its own accord, it would take the deficit with it.  Having looked into the possibility, they were unable to become an academy as the Trust did not want the deficit.

RESOLVED:

To note that school leaders had formed an appropriate action plan and were taking the necessary actions to remedy the audit report;

To note that monitoring oversight was maintained by the Governing Body, plus termly updates to Council Officers via the Head of Education Quality and Safeguarding.

That the audit of the accounts should be completed by the end of the academic year and reported back to the Committee.

To write to the Education department of the Local Authority asking them to give Bishops Castle Community College every possible support.