The voice of grammar school leaders
Constitution
| 1.0 | DEFINITION |
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| The following expressions shall have the following meaning: | |
| 1.1 | ‘Grammar School’ means a state secondary school that admits all students by reference to their academic ability |
| 1.2 | ‘Headteacher’ includes persons holding any position with equivalent responsibilities regardless of the title employed |
| 1.3 | ‘Member School’ means a grammar school whose head teacher has been accepted as a member school of the Association. |
| 2.0 | NAME |
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| 2.1 | The title of the Association shall be ‘The Grammar School Heads’ Association’. |
| 3.0 | AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION |
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| 3.1 | To celebrate all the achievements of selective schools and their pupils |
| 3.2 | To support the membership through: the sharing of good practice including school-based research and data; commissioning research; collaboration between member schools |
| 3.3 | To support development in grammar schools |
| 3.4 | To procure and disseminate among the members of the Association and the public, information on all matters relating to or affecting selective education, teaching, examinations and educational organisations and to promote the consideration and discussion of all issues connected therewith |
| 3.5 | To place the views of members before various education authorities and organisations and before the general public and in particular to advance all matters of concern to grammar schools |
| 3.6 | To enable members to cooperate as a body with other organisations in pursuit of the aims of the Association. |
| 4.0 | MEMBERSHIP |
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| 4.1 | Any head teacher of a member school shall be eligible for full membership of the Association |
| 4.2 | Former members may be invited by the Steering Committee to become associate members. Associate membership is also open to any one nominated by either the regions or any member of the Steering Committee and approved by the Committee. Associate members shall not be eligible to vote |
| 5.0 | THE RIGHTS OF MEMBERS |
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| 5.1 | Full members shall have the following rights |
| 5.1.1 | To attend and vote in regional meetings and at general meetings and to attend conferences of the Association and to vote in the elections of Representative Members of the Executive Committee. A deputy head may represent a member headteacher at meetings |
| 5.1.2 | To stand for election to the Executive Committee and serve as officers of the Association in accordance with these rules and with the requirements of any legislation in force |
| 5.1.3 | To receive the publications of the Association and information and advice on educational and professional matters. |
| 6.0 | SUBSCRIPTIONS |
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| 6.1 | The annual subscription shall be such sum as the Committee may from time to time prescribe. |
| 6.2 | The annual subscription will become due by 30th October. |
| 6.3 | If after six months, a member’s subscription is in arrears then the benefits of membership shall cease within a further 28 calendar days of a final request being made for payment of the due amount |
| 6.4 | Any member shall have the right to resign at any time. Membership subscription will be forfeited. The membership of any headteacher who leaves the post during the year will transfer to the person who succeeds to the post of headteacher. |
| 6.5 | The Committee shall keep a register of membership which will include the name and school of the member. |
| 7.0 | OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP |
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| 7.1 | The elected officers of the Association shall be the Chairman, and Vice Chairman. The Vice Chairman will serve in that role for two years before taking up the post of chairman for a further two years. The Steering Committee will annually elect from its membership a non-executive vice chairman to support the work of the executive officers. An Honorary Treasurer and other honorary officers, as the Steering Committee deems appropriate, will be appointed on an annual basis. The officers together with the Chief Executive, will form an Executive Committee |
| 7.2 | The Executive Committee shall be responsible for planning /implementing the strategic and policy directives of the Steering Committee |
| 7.3 | All officers shall be elected members of the Steering Committee and will be elected annually at such times and in such manner as the Committee determines |
| 7.4 | The Chief Executive shall be responsible for reporting to the Steering Committee and the membership on the work of the Executive Committee |
| 7.5 | There shall be a Steering Committee which shall consist of
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| 7.6 | The Steering Committee shall from time to time prescribe the regional groupings which will be fixed by the geographical links within which members shall be grouped. |
| 7.7 | Any member may nominate a member who is a headteacher for election as Vice Chairman of the Association. Nomination papers will be distributed by the Chief Executive at least 50 days before the AGM. Nominations must reach the Chief Executive not less than 35 calendar days before the Annual General Meeting. If there is more than one person nominated the Chief Executive will distribute ballot papers within a further 7 calendar days to all those entitled to vote and these must be returned at least 5 calendar days before the AGM. |
| 7.8 | Cessation of membership of the Committee |
| 7.8.1 | An officer or other member of the Committee shall have the power to resign |
| 7.8.2 | Honorary officers will be appointed by the Steering Committee at its first meeting after the AGM and should hold office until a successor is appointed and each shall be eligible for re-appointment |
| 7.8.3 | Vacancies on the Committee however caused, shall be filled: a) in the case of an officer by such existing member of the Steering Committee as the Committee may determine or b) in the case of a regional representative by another representative nominated by the regional group. |
| 8.0 | MEETINGS |
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| 8.1 | The Steering Committee will direct the affairs of the Association. It shall meet no less than 3 times a year and one third of its members shall constitute a quorum. Matters shall be decided by a majority of votes with the Chairman casting a second vote if nec |
| 8.2 | The Steering Committee shall delegate such of its functions as it deems appropriate to the Executive Committee. It may also appoint sub committees. The Executive and any sub committees will report to the Steering Committee in such manner and at such times as the Steering Committee determines |
| 8.3 | An Annual General Meeting will be held at such time and place as presented by the Committee. The Chief Executive shall give members a minimum of 28 calendar day’s notice of the meeting. |
| 8.3.1 | The Committee may meet, whenever it seems fit and shall upon notice made in writing to the Chief Executive and signed by members of the Association representing not less than one third of the eligible membership, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association. The Notice of the meeting must specify the business to be transacted and the meeting should take place within 3 months of the notification. One quarter of those entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum |
| 8.4 | Business at the Annual General Meeting shall include receiving the annual accounts, announcing the names of the Committee for the ensuing year, election of the Chair and Vice Chair, and such other business as may be directed by the Steering Committee and items of business submitted by members, which must reach the Chief Executive not less than 42 calendardays before the Annual General Meeting |
| 8.5 | A member school shall have the right to cast a single vote on any matter put to the vote at the General Meeting of the Association |
| 8.6 | No person without the prior consent of the Steering Committee shall report for publication the proceedings of any meetings of the Association. |
| 9.0 | APPOINTMENTS |
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| 9.1 | The Executive Committee shall appoint a Chief Executive on terms and conditions approved by the Steering Committee. The person holding the appointment of Chief Executive shall be paid an honorarium with the number of days to be agreed by the Executive Committee. The Chief Executive shall be entitled to continue as the holder of the post until the expiration of the honorarium without standing for re-election. The Steering Committee may by a majority vote terminate the honorarium at any time. |
| 9.2 | The Steering Committee may appoint other staff and determine their duties and conditions of service. |
| 10.0 | ACCOUNTS |
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| 10.1 | The Steering Committee will ensure that proper records of accounts are kept in respect of all sums received or expended by the Association together with a record of assets and liabilities |
| 10.2 | The accounts will be available for inspection by members of the Steering Committee |
| 10.3 | At the Annual General Meeting a report shall be laid before members consisting of an Income and Expenditure Account for the preceding financial year A balance sheet giving the financial state of the Association A report on the financial affairs. |
| 11.0 | CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION |
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| 11.1 | At any Extraordinary Meeting called in accordance with the rules and constitution, a resolution may be passed to make new rules or repeal, alter or add to any existing rules. Such resolution is passed by a majority of 2/3 of those present and entitled to vote |
| 11.2 | The Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and any matters not provided for in the rules and such interpretation of the Executive Committee, shall be binding on members. |
| 12.0 | DISSOLUTION |
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| 12.1 | The Association may be dissolved by the passing of a resolution to that effect by two thirds of those present entitled to vote at any General Meeting and similarly passed by a two thirds majority at an Extraordinary General Meeting called not less than six weeks later to confirm the decisions upon the passing of such a resolution. The Executive Committee shall proceed to realise the assets of the Association after discharging any liabilities and divide such assets in proportion to the total amount paid by each member school. Revised 13 June 2017 |