SWALSS CONFERENCE 19th May 2017 Gillian Douglas SEND Consultant/Senior Babcock Adviser

How do you know children are getting a good deal? Key Question……. How do you know children are getting a good deal?

(Lord Nash, Under Secretary of State for Schools, in his introduction to The Governance Handbook 2017) “Governing boards have a significant degree of autonomy in our increasingly school-led system. They are the vision setters and strategic decision makers for their schools. They play a vital role in ensuring the best possible education that takes every child as far as their talents allow. I want everyone involved in governance to be confident in tackling underperformance, challenging mediocrity, and setting the highest of expectations; refusing to accept second best for any child…”

Context The School Governance Handbook –Jan 2017 A Competency Framework for Governance – Jan 2017 School Inspection Handbook –Aug 2015 The Rochford Review

Purpose of Governance ….to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance Key actions must include: Understanding the school Commissioning action on improvement targets Performance management of school leaders Setting strategic direction

The essentials of effective governance…. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff: Overseeing the financial performance of the school and seeing it is well-spent How? Meetings Visits Being visible

C+S+M+R =FOCUS CHALLENGE and SUPPORT MONITORING and REVIEW

Areas for challenge and support 1. Admissions Needs and numbers trends, transitions and induction 2. Curriculum – (differentiated as appropriate) Balanced, broad, meeting the individual needs Variety of cultural experiences Sex and relationship Outdoor/adventure Those educated off-site

Challenge and Support (continued) 3. Quality of Leadership Established culture Culture of high expectations Challenge and support to leadership Effective appraisal 4. Quality of T&L Consistently high expectations Effective planning Monitoring Parents and progress

Assessment and progress Key Change: The Rochford Review – 7 aspects of engagement for learning that pupils can be assessed against Responsiveness Curiosity Discovery Anticipation Persistence Initiation Investigation Schools should decide their own approach to making these assessments according to curriculum and needs. No requirement for reporting these to DfE – but evidence and dialogue with parents, governors, Inspectors….. Behaviour and attendance (Exclusions) Safeguarding Finance Pupil and parent “voice”

Assessment and progress- continued… Assessment policy Baseline assessment procedures National benchmarks Pupil’s flight path and narrative Progress of social and emotional development Formal accreditation to match needs

6. Behaviour – exclusions DDA- you are the “responsible body”: numbers of fixed term and permanent exclusions Consultation around new exclusion guidance Recording of physical restraints Bullying 7. Personal development and welfare The school promotes all aspects of pupils’ welfare Pupils feel safe and healthy and know how to keep themselves safe Prevent strategy: on-line safety; healthy options Mental Health – could be an agenda item. Are there enough resources to meet this need? Is a mental health professional accessible to the school?

Safeguarding Defined as “ protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development: ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.” DfE, 2016 Staff and Governor training Induction for all staff and Governors Strong PSHE curriculum tailored to the pupils’ needs that teaches how to keep pupils safe – how to recognise abuse and how to ask for help: CSE FGM Bullying and sexting. Clear Child Protection records SCR up-to-date: safer recruitment Are outcomes of monitoring safeguarding provision recorded, analysed and followed up?

9. Finance Resources should be allocated in line with the school’s strategic priorities with a clear budget forecast and sufficient reserves to cover major changes. Pupil Premium –how much does the school receive and how is it being spent – what difference is it making? 10. Attendance Good attendance drives good attainment. Does your school have a “whole” approach? Quality data should be routinely monitored and analysed. School total %: Year Group attendance : Persistent Absence

11. Pupil and parent voice Parents are a key stakeholder and governors should engage effectively with parents as this will help inform strategic planning, improve pupil outcomes, promotes community cohesion and there is an increased emphasis on transparency and accountability. Pupil School council Newsletters Surveys Governors attending parent evenings Governor notice-board

What do you really know? Please see handout

Thank you for listening! Gillian Douglas