Register of Interests

Register of Business Interests

All governing boards must set up and maintain a register of business interests, which must be published on the school/academy website:

 

• Regulation 26 and Schedule 5 (15) of The School Finance (England) Regulations 2012 require that all Local Authority Schemes for financing schools include details about the setting up of a register of any business interests of the governors and the headteacher.
• Academies must have regard to the academies financial handbook which requires that all members, trustees, local Governors (within a MAT) and senior employees complete a declaration of their business interests.

 

A regular review of entries should take place to ensure the register is kept up to date; this can either be completed as part of an annual review or at each meeting; dated nil returns and any notification of changes from governors, as appropriate, should be provided.  However, governors are reminded that they should declare any changes as and when they occur.

 

Delegation

The governing board may delegate responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of the register of business interests to the clerk.

 

However, it is the responsibility of each individual governor or staff member present at any meeting to declare their interest; the register is not a substitute for declaring an interest at meetings.

 

Declaration of Interests

Governors and staff must act and be seen to act impartially, and have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business and personal interests and affairs and those of the school.  As such, anyone present at a meeting should declare an interest likely to lead to questions of bias when considering any item of business at a meeting.

 

Disclosures of interests should include not only interests of individual governors and staff, but also interests of their relatives, personal associates or any other person known to the governor or member of staff who may exert influence. The following interests should be declared:

• Employment, Office, Trade, Profession or Vocation

Individuals should list every employment that must be declared for income tax purposes, including the nature of job and employer

• Contracts

A description of all contracts, which are not fully discharged: for example, contracts for the supply of goods, services or works to the school

 

• Interests in Companies and Securities

All companies or other bodies that (to the persons knowledge) are active in the school’s area and in which they have a substantial interest (ie holds more than 20% of the share capital or is entitled to exercise more than 20% of the voting power at any general meeting at that company).

 

An individual has a substantial interest if they own (or have a beneficial interest in) shares or other securities in the company with a nominal value of £25,000 or more than one hundredth of the companies issued shares or securities.

 

A company or body is active in the school’s area if it has land or business in that area.

 

• Any other interest that in the view of any reasonable person may influence decisions made by a governor or member of staff on behalf of the school.

 

If you are unsure it is usually better to declare, at the very least seek the advice of the clerk. Further information is also available for members of Academy Boards within the latest version of the Academies Financial Handbook.

 

It is good practice for governors to declare any interest relating to items on the agenda at the start of each meeting. Failure to declare an interest is a serious matter. It might be an oversight, but a deliberate failure would be cause to suspend the governor.

 

Where a governor or member of staff or related person has any interest, either pecuniary or non-pecuniary, in a matter to be discussed at a governors’ meeting the governor or member of staff must declare their interest and withdraw from that part of the meeting.

 

 

 

 

Withdrawal from meetings – Having an interest   The general principle is that no-one should be involved in a decision where his or her personal interests may conflict with those of the governing board.

The requirements apply to all members of the governing board, the headteacher and any others in attendance at the meeting, though if a matter is to be voted upon, then only to the members of the governing board.   The clerk to the governing board shall only be required to withdraw when the governing board is discussing the clerk's pay/contract or disciplinary action against the clerk.   Governors have to withdraw when their own appointment, reappointment or removal as a member of the governing board or a committee is under consideration.   Any person who is employed to work at the school (other than the headteacher), must withdraw from a meeting where the pay or performance appraisal of any particular person employed to work at the school is under discussion.   The headteacher must withdraw from any meeting where his/her own pay or performance appraisal is under discussion.   If a person has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect in any contract, proposed contract or any other matter under discussion at a meeting s/he shall at the meeting disclose the fact and:            (a)    withdraw from a meeting during the consideration or discussion of the meeting;          (b)   not vote on any question with respect to that matter.

A person has an indirect pecuniary interest if:   (a)     s/he, or any nominee of hers/his, is a member of a company or other body with which a contract is under consideration or  has  been made; (b)     s/he is a partner in business or in the employment, of a person with whom the contract is made or under consideration.   A person has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter if a relative (including a spouse) living with her/him, has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest.   The headteacher (whether a governor or not), a governor who is a teacher or member of the non-teaching staff, or any teacher who is in attendance in an advisory capacity should not have an interest that is greater than the interest of the generality of teachers at the school.   A person present at a meeting of a selection panel at which the subject for consideration is that person's appointment (or that of his/her relative or spouse) to a post as a teacher or otherwise at the school, a transfer or promotion or retirement or shall be a candidate for the resulting vacancy, s/he shall be deemed to have an interest.

 

 

 

Register of Business Interests

 

Governor/ Director / Trustee (Must be published on the website)

Name	Name of Business	Nature of Business	Nature of Interest (Directorships/Partnerships and Employments with businesses; Trusteeships and Governorships at other Educational Institutions and charities)	Date of Appointment of Acquisition	Date of Cessation of Interest	Date of Entry/ Review
Mrs C Baker	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Mrs J Magson	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Mr J Hayward	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Mrs P Morris	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Mrs S Morris	Nothing to declare				08.02.17	17.12.15
Rev. D Prest
Mrs J Roberts	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Cllr K Rowson	Blackpool Council	Councillor		21.01.1999		25.01.16
Mrs E Sherwin	Nothing to declare					30.11.16
Deacon M Spinks	Nothing to declare				31.12.16	31.03.16
Mr I Todd	Nothing to declare					30.11.16

 

Senior Employee / Spouse/Immediate Family Member with a Business Interest (discretion on whether to publish on the website)

Name	Name of Business	Nature of Business	Nature of Interest (Directorships/Partnerships and Employments with businesses; Trusteeships and Governorships at other Educational Institutions and charities)	Date of Appointment of Acquisition	Date of Cessation of Interest	Date of Entry/ Review