Barnet Partnership for Schools Improvement (BPSI) External Reviews of Governance Bronwen Tumani Chair of Governors – Foulds Primary School National Leader of Governance (NLG) BPSI Adviser

Background External Reviews of Governance are a relatively recent development Started appearing as a recommendation in OFSTED Reports when leadership and management were judged as requiring improvement in Autumn 2013 Nationally – conducted by NLG’s, NGA, private companies but quality variable To meet local need BPSI launched a bespoke service in Barnet in Spring 2014 and have conducted 7 reviews since the service was launched

OFSTED Subsidiary Guidance Where governance is ineffective in a school judged as ‘requires improvement’ and is graded three for leadership and management, inspectors should include an external review of governance in their recommendations for improvement. The form of words to be used in the report under ‘What the school should do to improve further’ is, ‘An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved’. It is for the school to decide how this review will take place, and to commission and pay for it. Such reviews aim to be developmental, and do not represent a further inspection. ce.doc

Why have a Governance Review? School is judged requires improvement and it is recommended by OFSTED School is self evaluating as requires improvement School is expecting an OFSTED inspection and wants to identify and action priorities for improvement School simply wants to improve the effectiveness of the GB

What is a Governance Review? A governance review looks at how well your school’s governing body is working. The review is offered as support to improve and develop governance and is brokered in a spirit of collaboration. It is not an additional inspection. It will help the governing body identify priorities for improvement, and provide support on what steps to take. Areas of strength will be recognised and identified.

What is a Governance Review continued.. It aims to help the governing body to be: more skilled, focused and effective clear in its vision for the school or academy and how, together with the school leadership team, it can achieve this confident that it has a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities staffed with the right number of skilled and committed governors to meet the needs of the school or academy

BPSI Governance Review Model Led by either a Lead OFSTED Inspector or a National Leader of Governance (NLG) Supported by a Chair or Vice Chair of Governors from a good or outstanding school Conducted at the school either during the day or as a twilight session Each review will be unique depending on circumstances and needs

What actually happens during a Review? Prior to the review the Lead Reviewer will: make contact with the Chair of Governors, Headteacher and Learning Network Inspector (if appropriate) to discuss the issues Request sight of minutes, SEF, SDP, action plans etc Identify trails to explore during the review During the review the Review Team will: Meet with and interview the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors and Headteacher (either separately or together) Sharpen questions and identify further areas for exploration Meet and interview the whole Governing Body

What happens continued.. After the review: Produce a clear, concise report in the form of an action plan Provide copies of the pre-review analysis Provide a copy of the report to BPSI for quality assurance purposes

Example Report Full report can be dowloaded from BPSI website

Potential areas of focus Challenge and hold to account Support Strategic Improvement Monitoring and Evaluation Performance Management to bring about improvement Statutory duties Data Tackling key concerns Ways of Working Curriculum Financial Management

How do I arrange a BPSI Review of Governance? Read information on the website Choose who you would like to lead your review Identify suitable date with your GB and HT for when you would like the review to take place Contact the BPSI Business Support Team on Tel: /6306/ The BPSI Team will arrange a Governor Reviewer to support the process and liaise with the team to ensure your review goes ahead.