Governance & Legal Structure

Info

Status: live (signed off 16 August 2026; governing body ratification at next meeting) · Version: 08.26 · Last reviewed: 2026-08-16 · Next review: 2027-08-16 Owner: Proprietor · Approved by: Proprietor + Governing Body

1. Legal status and operating entity

The Haven is a specialist online education provision owned and operated by the Autistic Girls Network charity, registered in England and Wales (1196655) and in Scotland (SC054837). The charity’s board of trustees carries ultimate legal and financial responsibility for the provision.

The Haven has no physical premises: learners take part from home, supported by their families, through a curated set of online platforms. It is not a DfE-registered independent school and does not claim to be one. It is pursuing accreditation under the Department for Education’s Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS), assessed by Ofsted, and its policies and practice are built against the scheme’s Online Education Standards.

Learners join The Haven through commissioning arrangements with local authorities and schools (including alternative provision and EHCP contexts) or through direct family arrangements. In every case, statutory responsibilities that rest with a commissioning body or with parents (for example, in elective home education) are respected and stated in the commissioning agreement or family agreement.

2. Governance structure

• The charity board (proprietor). The Autistic Girls Network board of trustees acts as proprietor. Reserved matters — budget, reserves, appointment of the Head, approval of the annual policy cycle, and any change to legal structure — sit with the board.
• The governing body. A governing body with designated portfolio roles (including a Lead Governor, a Safeguarding Governor and a Health and Safety Governor) provides challenge and oversight of the provision’s education, safeguarding and operational practice, meeting termly. Governor conduct and responsibilities are set out in the Governor Code of Conduct and Governor Role & Responsibilities.
• Executive leadership. The Head leads the provision day to day and is accountable to the proprietor. Safeguarding leadership sits with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, supported by a Deputy DSL, with cover arrangements as described in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
• External advice. The Haven engages independent SEND, governance, safeguarding and data protection advisers; the Data Protection Officer role is held by an external consultant.
• Learner and family voice. Feedback routes for learners and families feed governor reporting, alongside the formal Complaints Procedure.

The full accountability chain, tiered structure and role portfolios are set out in the Structure of Organisation.

3. Accountability and reporting

• The Head reports to the proprietor and governing body against the Development Plan, the Quality Assurance Policy’s termly cycle, and the safeguarding reporting calendar.
• Impact is evidenced through learner progress records, EHCP progress reviews, attendance and engagement reporting to commissioners, safeguarding logs, and family feedback.
• All staff, volunteers and governors are subject to safer recruitment checks recorded on the single central record, as set out in the Safer Recruitment and Use of Volunteers Policy.
• The provision works transparently with families, commissioners, local authorities and regulatory bodies, and provides information reasonably requested for OEAS accreditation visits.

4. Policies and compliance

• Safeguarding procedures have regard to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2026) and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, and are updated as statutory guidance changes.
• The full policy library is published at policies.thehavenonline.school, reviewed on a scheduled annual cycle, and approved through the sign-off route recorded on each policy.
• Data protection is managed under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with the outsourced Data Protection Officer advising on compliance, DPIAs and breach response.

5. Review

This document is reviewed annually by the Proprietor and approved with the governing body.

Document version	08.26
Date issued	August 2026
Next review	August 2027
Document owner	Proprietor
Approved by	Proprietor + Governing Body