Effective Governance – through the lens of inspection Andrew Johnson SHMI Lancashire Governors 17 May 2014

Some top tips in 45 minutes ! 1. Read the inspection handbook – http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/school-inspection-handbook 54. Inspectors will always seek to meet with governors, or members of the school’s local board during the course of the inspection. 55. Inspectors will expect governors to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Inspectors will expect school governors to be familiar with, and understand, performance data, including the information that the school data dashboard presents for their school. POST-IT NOTES EXERCISE

2. Read some inspection reports ‘Although the school has implemented strategies to improve ways in which pupils are taught letters and sounds (phonics), and develop broader reading and writing skills, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching have diluted their ………… .’ ‘Pupils are not given sufficient time to consider teachers’ written comments in their exercise books, some teachers fail to ensure that pupils act on their comments and suggestions. Where this is the case, the ……….. of teachers’ marking upon pupils’ learning is weak.’ ‘All senior leaders recognise the need to improve pupils’ achievement. However, they do not demonstrate a focused, united and consistent approach to their work. Consequently, these leaders are currently having a limited ………… on ensuring the school’s improvement. WHAT IS THE MISSING WORD 3

The big picture: some positive news… Schools are getting better – HMCI Annual report 8 out of 10 schools are good or better ! The proportion of schools that we judge to be good or better is going up year on year, despite the fact we are raising the bar and making our inspections more challenging. Compared to three years ago there are nearly half a million more pupils in good or outstanding schools, nearly 1,000 more outstanding schools, and nearly 1,000 fewer that require improvement or inadequate. 4

The big picture - variance of impact… However, despite this, there are huge variations in the performance of schools in the same local authority and differences between local authority areas. Why was it that a child living in Derby or Doncaster had only half the chance of attending a good or better primary or secondary school compared with a child living in Wigan or Darlington? It is certainly not a matter of deprivation. We see primary school children served well in some of our most deprived communities in contrast to more affluent places like Oxfordshire or the East Riding of Yorkshire. Why do children from financially deprived backgrounds have much less chance of gaining 5 good GCSEs. 5

3. Ask some simple challenging questions. In our last inspection report it said ‘....’ about what we need to improve. What is the headteacher doing about improving this? What evidence is there that we are getting better? Has the evidence been checked out by external experts? Who are the best teachers in the school – how do we know? Do we have a plan, is it working ? IT’S YOUR SELF-EVALUATION NOT JUST FOR INSPECTORS.

How do inspectors evaluate the impact that leaders are making? Achievement of pupils at the school The learning and progress across year groups of different groups of pupils currently on the roll of the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those for whom the pupil premium provides support. Pupils’ progress in the last three years Pupils’ attainment Quality of teaching in the school The behaviour and safety of pupils at the school Leadership 7

4. Ask parents what they think – https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/ Parentview – use it online or just use the questions Talk to parents at the school gate Talk to parents (without the headteacher) What about the parents who are difficult to reach Is your website easy to understand Do governors have a page on the website PARENTVIEW

5. Ask children what they think about teaching and behaviour– Visit classrooms ( we don’t expect you to observe – just use your common sense), are pupils on time, do they settle quickly, do they have a pen, do they listen ? Talk to children – what is their favourite activity, who is their favourite teacher ? Talk to children - are some children badly behaved – if so why ? Track a group of children through the years. Look around the school – is it clean and tidy, graffiti on walls or in books, are children wearing the uniform, moving round the school sensibly, lunchtime is a pleasure. Are their books marked ( ask to see the books), do they get homework ? Presentation/spelling – getting better ? What do children think of the headteacher ? Visit an assembly.

6. Look at the data dashboard http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/ We don’t expect you to be data experts but you should understand the dashboard. Data dashboard should give you the questions to ask not the answers. Attainment = SATs or GCSEs. Progress = starting point to end point over time. Are some groups under-achieving compared with the national picture, if so is the gap closing. Key groups – those entitled to pupil premium (FSM), more able, boys, girls, differences between subjects, minority ethnic groups, looked after children, SEN…. How do our attendance and exclusion figures compare with other schools ( remember you can download the dashboard and you can look up any school in England)

7. Measure your own impact Do you set the strategic direction, are you happy with the ethos of the school, moral purpose, standards What are you doing to strengthen leadership – perfomance-related pay – headteacher and teachers. Think about other areas of working life and use your own experiences. Are you challenging enough ? Talk to governors in outstanding schools, national leaders of governance. Do you know enough about the leadership of teaching? Do you know your responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children? Are financial resources being used to best effect? ( How do other schools manage)

The Inspection Handbook: Governance Inspectors should consider the effectiveness of governance including how well governors: ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction contribute to the school’s self-evaluation and understand its strengths and weaknesses, including the impact of their own work support and strengthen school leadership, including by developing their own skills provide challenge and hold the headteacher and other senior leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and pupils’ behaviour and safety, including by using the data dashboard, other progress data, examination outcomes and test results 12

The Inspection Handbook: Governance use performance management systems, including the performance management of the headteacher, to improve teaching, leadership and management ensure solvency and probity and that the financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively operate in such a way that statutory duties are met and priorities are approved engage with key stakeholders use the pupil premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning, including reading, writing and mathematics. 13

Additional resources Getting to Good: how headteachers achieve success, Ofsted, 2012; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120167. School Governance : learning from the best, Ofsted, 2011; www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/100238. Ofsted Annual Report 201213 Schools http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/annualreport1213/schools-report Shirley.gornall@ofsted.gov.uk Vincent.ashworth@ofsted.gov.uk Andrew.johnson@ofsted.gov.uk 14

Thank you and questions?