Policies

The WMAT policies, including those that need local amendment, are available in the staff area of the WMAT website.  Some policies are publically available on the trust website: WMAT Policies

The schedule of policies is also available here: Policy Schedule   This shows:

• Policy name and the type (WMAT/local amendment/school)

• Whether it is statutory or not

• Whether it needs to be published on the website

• The name and version control number

• The policy approval and review dates

The list of school level policies (and other) shown on the bottom of the document are those that are statutory policies at school level or WMAT policies which require local amendment.  Please note that the school may have other non-statutory school level policies which do not appear on this list.  

All WMAT policies have their own name and version control number.  Please check that you are using the current version number when referencing policies in school by checking the policy schedule.

Each school should have their own policy schedule similar to the trust format to include the review and approval dates.  School level policies are approved by the LGB as a standard agenda item according to the schedule (in the term they are due for review/approval).  The schools would then update their own website as appropriate and ensure that the policies are being used internally.

A Deputy Headteacher or other senior member of staff acts as the lead policy person for the school and takes accountability for the policy review and publication process.  Policy review should be a regular SLT agenda item to ensure policy reviews are actively managed and monitored at leadership level.  

The relevant school page on the website should list the school policies which require publication along with any other policies which the school would like to publish.  Please avoid publishing the same policy in more than one place on the website if possible to avoid two version policies existing on the same site (if only one is replaced at the time of an update).

Each school website should have a link to the WMAT policies page on the Trust website.  This ensures the school links to the current version of Trust level policies: WMAT Policies

WMAT policies are reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees according to the timings shown in the schedule.  Once approved:

• The policy schedule is updated to show the new version and review/approval dates and an explanation of the amendments is shown on the year tab

• The new version policies are uploaded to the policy drive (and the previous version removed)

• The policy lead person and Clerk in each school is advised that policies have been approved along with details of the amendments (if applicable).  The lead person should make arrangements to ensure that the school is referencing the updated version internally.

• The WMAT website is updated if the policy needs to be published

• The staff area on the website is updated to include the new version policies

• There will be a termly Teams meeting  arranged with the leads and Clerks in each scholar to discuss the updated policies or an email communication will be sent outlining the changes.

Due to changes in legislation it may be necessary to amend a policy outside of the usual meeting trustee or LGB meeting schedule.  When a policy is amended outside of the expected review/approval timings due to an urgent need to make an amendment, it may be possible to obtain electronic approval from the Chair of Trustees or Chair of Governors.  If this happens, it should be noted that this took place at the next Trustees or LGB meeting.

Responsibilities:

The Deputy Headteacher/Senior member of staff/lead person in each school is responsible for ensuring that:

• The policy page on the school website is compliant

• Internally published policies are compliant with and reflect current up-to-date requirements

• Key messages from policy reviews are communicated to appropriate staff

• The current version is referenced for internal use and previous versions are archived

• Providing staff with login details to the staff area on the Trust website

The Clerk to the LGB is responsible for:

• Ensuring the review/approval dates in the school schedule are adhered to by informing the Deputy Headteacher/lead person of the timings for the review and the date of the LGB meeting at which the policy will be approved

• Updating the school policy schedule as required with version numbers and review dates

• Creating a PDF version of approved policies in the required format which they provide to the person responsible for maintaining the school website to ensure that the current version replaces any previous versions

• Ensuring all school level policies and WMAT policies which are published internally reflect current/up-to-date policy versions

The Board of Trustees and the LGBs are responsible for:

• Ensuring that policies are presented to them within appropriate timescales

• Approve policies as presented to them within the review/approval timings

• Ensure website compliance by seeking assurance through school reporting and/or undertaking their own checks.  LGBs may allocate responsibility for website compliance to a named governor if they wish to do so.

• The Trust Audit & Risk committee will include website compliance as an agenda item

WMAT is responsible for:

• Ensuring Trust policies are up-to-date on the WMAT policies page on the website and the appropriate folder on the drive

• Providing schools with access to the schedule and policies on the drive 

• Ensuring the staff area on the WMAT website is up to date

• Informing the lead person and Clerks of updated Trust policies and details of the amendments and arranging termly policy lead meetings.

• Ensuring the Audit & Risk committee review website compliance