Governors are responsible for determining the policies and procedures of the school.
Legally the governing body must have the following policies and procedures in place:
| Recruitment of staff | (Recruitment and Selection) |
| Termination of employment | (Managing Change, Managing Sickness Absence) |
| Grievance | (Employee Grievance Procedure) |
| Discipline | (Disciplinary Procedure) |
| Capability | (Capability procedure for teachers, Improving performance procedure for support staff) |
| Appeals | (Each procedure has an appeal section) |
| Pay | (Pay policy) |
Legally required policies and procedures (use link on left)
Bristol City Council has produced a range of model policies and procedures (shown in brackets against the legally required policy) for governing bodies to adopt to enable them to meet their legal requirements. They have been formulated in accordance with the requirements of employment legislation and best practice. Should governing bodies wish to amend these policies they must consult with the council's recognised trade unions even if they are not represented within their school.
Negotiated school policies (use link on left)
In addition to the above policies there are policies that have been negotiated by the city council as employees’ conditions of service and which have to be adhered to by governing bodies. These can only be amended to improve conditions (with any additional costs then falling to the school).
Policy templates for schools (use link on left)
These templates are for schools to use as a starter for their own Policy. It is also recommended that governors have further policies that clarify the school’s position and which ensure a fair approach is maintained throughout the school. These are policies that governors will want to determine the detail for themselves but where the council can produce a template for schools to work on. Schools must consult at a local level on these policies.
Please contact your HR Adviser if you require any advice or further information.