These include: 

Visits to any of our schools to talk to members of staff about life in a multi academy trust.

Participation in our weekly Valour Executive leadership meetings

This group meets weekly with the aim of sharing good practice, offering mutual support and encouragement and providing alignment for the Trust. 

Items Valour executive leadership team discuss

• A Trust wide support staff appraisal system 
• A graded work scrutiny monitoring grid
• Shared resources for lesson observations
• Shared training on understanding the Inspection Framework
• Leadership development across the Trust.
• Safeguarding and child protection best practice
• Dealing with difficult parents
• Planning moderation across the schools

Your staff members attending any of the range of Curriculum and Interest Groups the Trust runs

These include:

• EYFS Team – currently focused on Covid catch up.
• SEND managers – working together to share expertise in this challenging area
• Deputy Heads Group – who meet to plan and deliver a number of positive development initiatives.
• Catch up curriculum and remote learning.

Taking part in Trust wide CPD

You can send staff to join Valour joint staff meetings, held in different of our academy schools, again with a focus on sharing good ideas in across year groups from N to 6.

As we share staff meeting themes across the Trust, you can send staff to join any of the staff training opportunities in any of the schools that might support your own CPD or attend any relevant INSET day CPD.

Gaining an understanding about leadership within the Trust

You and your Chair of Governors are warmly welcome to be observers at one of the termly meetings of Valour Board of Trustees or the individual school Local Advisory Boards, who are also the Governing Body of our schools.

You and your SBM or bursar can attend one of the half termly finance or audit & risk meetings. Good financial management including but not limited to;

Receipt and correct allocation of income, including grant and non-grant income ensuring appropriate action has been taken on any overdue amounts.

Ensuring receipts are treated correctly for VAT purposes.

Review most recent month's control account reconciliations to ensure that they have been correctly prepared and authorised.

Follow procedures to prepare financial reports issued to trustees and officers of the academy and DfE financial returns to be satisfied that they are completed accurately and promptly and that monthly management accounts are produced for the Chair of Trustees.

Reviewing your Information Technology Strategy

Review IT replacement strategy, to ensure IT obsolescence is considered and appropriately budgeted for

Ensure an awareness of the risk of cybercrime and have in place proportionate controls.

Maintain fixed assets register to ensure additions correctly capitalised. Ensure licences are treated as intangible.

Ensure depreciation rates remain reasonable

Review income streams and ensure the correct methodology for VAT claims (registered or S126) are being used

· Budget forecast

Preparing for internal and year end audit

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