Good governance: ethical, effective & accountable Emma Knights OBE, Chief Executive, National Governance Association.

Annual Governance Survey 2018 5,218 respondents – thank you! Only source of data on demographics, views & experiences of governors and trustees Respondents are broadly representative of governing boards in English state schools So what did it tell us?

Annual Governance Survey: key findings Three quarters of governors and trustees have a negative view of the government’s performance in education over the past year Governing boards are calling for more funding and more stability in education policy Funding pressures are still the main concern of most respondents Just half of schools reported have a balanced budget, with almost a third having an in-year deficit Funding pressures are increasingly being felt in secondary schools, sixth forms and in early years Only one in five said their budget could be managed without reducing the quality of education

High needs funding is a big concern

Staff recruitment is a challenge for many schools

…particularly in challenging schools

Age profile of governors

Everyone on Board - Diversity matters www.nga.org.uk/everyone-on-board

Everyone on Board – governing board diversity Watch the film and learn more at nga.org.uk/everyone-on-board

Why is governance so important? Governance determines who has the power, who makes the decisions, how other players make their voice heard and how account is rendered Institute on Governance, Canada

Good governance = ethical governance + effective governance + accountable governance

Ethical governance and leadership Boards are the guardians of the organisation’s vision, ethos & values: “No crooks; no cronies; no cowards” Put into practice the Nolan principles: the 7 principles of public life Selflessness; Integrity; Objectivity; Accountability; Openness; Honesty; Leadership Ethical Framework for Educational leadership: Trust, Wisdom, Kindness, Justice, Service, Courage, Optimism Decisions made in the best interest of all children and young people What about the interests of the institution? Conflicts of interest: declare but if at all possible AVOID Related party transactions & remuneration Agree a code of conduct & use it: the role of the chair Ethical governance and leadership

What might be areas of ethical concern? Admissions & inclusion Exclusions & pupils otherwise leaving the roll Which children to prioritise? Expansion of selection? Teaching to the test: stress for KS2; exam factories for KS4; cheating Children’s mental health & well being Broad and balanced curriculum & extra curricula offer KS 5 options – including at other institutions Executive pay Staff welfare & workload Use of evidence vs what is fashionable Collaboration & partnership: empires & growth

Discuss What are your school’s/trust’s values? How do they fit with the virtues from the Ethical leadership framework? Trust, Wisdom, Kindness, Justice, Service, Courage, Optimism Does the way your governing board deals with issues fit with those values and ethos? When did your governing board last debate an ethical issue: what was it and was it resolved? When did you last challenge the way the way the board or the school does things because of an ethical concern?

Eight elements of effective governance The right people round the table Understanding role & responsibilities Good chairing Professional clerking Good relationships based on trust Knowing the school(s) - the data, the staff, the parents, the children, the community - & ensuring engagement with stakeholders Committed to asking challenging questions Confident to have courageous conversations in the interests of the children and young people

The core functions of school governance In all types of schools, governing boards (GBs) have three core functions: Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; Holding the executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and performance management of staff; Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent Accountable governance: NGA is asking the DfE to Include a fourth core function into its 2018 edition: Ensuring decisions take into account the views and experiences of stakeholders (pupils, parents, staff and the community) This is an important part of governance which is in danger of being overlooked

Accountable governance: NGA’s proposal for a fourth core function

Addressing teacher workload

Discuss: so what? What did you learn from your stakeholder engagement? What did you change as a result? Teacher workload: how much of a problem is it in your schools? What do you know? (eg less than a quarter (24%) of respondents’ governing boards were receiving summary reports of exit interviews) What have you done as a result