1. Strong governance for good schools
Heads and chairs working together
An executive agency of the
Department for Education

2. Housekeeping Fire exits Toilets Refreshments Smoking Mobiles
Action plan
Facilitator:
Sarah Ray – Senior Manager, Chairs of Governors’ Team

3. Welcome Purpose: To ensure the head and chair have the opportunity to:
explore together what constitutes effective governance and how Ofsted will judge it
share the expectations of each other and the rest of the governing body
hear about and learn from other governing bodies
reflect and plan together how to improve governance at your school

4. Profile of governance has never been higher
Ministers and DfE
Ofsted
National College

5. National College
“I see a very strong relationship between governorship and leadership and expect the College to take a role in supporting chairs of governing bodies to make sure that they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to undertake their role. Chairs of governing bodies must be able to provide strategic direction; as a ‘critical friend’ to the headteacher and ensure accountability.”
Michael Gove, Secretary of State
Chairs of governors’ leadership development programme
National Leaders of Governance
Reviews of governance
College’s aim – relation to DfE priority: ‘enable leaders to lead school and system improvement in partnership with each other’

6. Chair of governors’ leadership development programme
Developed in consultation with national and local stakeholders
Piloted across 8 local authorities across England
3 units designed to develop chairs’ knowledge, skills and understanding of:
- The role of the chair
- Effective governance
- Improving the school
National delivery available through 11 licensed organisations
£350 RRP for all 3 units
Scholarships available for chairs in (12/13 FY):
- Small schools (100% subsidy)
- Schools that are ‘satisfactory’ or ‘require improvement’ (50% subsidy)
Content/structure
Online diagnostic: looks at generic leadership in a chairs context
Online module containing downloadable elements; video, audio, handouts, think-pieces etc
1 f2f per unit
Mentor support
Delivery
Aspiring, new and existing chairs
Choice within regions
Scholarships this FY

7. National leaders of governance
A designation for system leaders in governance
Highly effective chairs of governors who use their skills and experience to support chairs in other schools and academies
Purpose is to increase leadership capacity to help raise standards so that improvements can be sustained
First cohort NLGs were designated in April 2012 and are being deployed.
Second cohort NLGs designated in January 2013
Raising school performance:
raising standards and leading improvement
understanding and interpreting school data including RAISEonline
Providing support and challenge for the headteacher:
providing more effective support and challenge to the headteacher
developing the chairs’ relationship with the headteacher
Governance process:
developing the chairs’ leadership, effectiveness and confidence
mentoring a chair to provide support through a particular processes

8. Agenda 3.45pm Message from Sir Michael Wilshaw
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI)
4.00pm Understanding roles & responsibilities, and staying strategic
Emma Knights, Chief Executive, NGA
5.15pm Buffet and refreshments
Key sections of agenda – need to also cover
Fire procedure
Location of facilities

9. Agenda 6.00pm Strong relationships based on trust
Working together: National Leader of Governance
Knowing your school
Effective challenge and scrutiny
Reflection and planning in pairs
7.45pm Concluding remarks
8.00pm Close 

10. Sir Michael Wilshaw Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Ofsted

11. Strong governance in good schools Emma Knights Chief Executive National Governors’ Association11

12. Core responsibility of the governing body
The core responsibilities (as defined in law) of GBs are:
The GB is responsible for the conduct of the school
The GB must work to promote high standards
The governing body is a LA maintained school’s accountable body. In academies, there is a different legal framework, including a trust as the accountable body. Directors and Trustees have defined legal responsibilities, but the business of governing is very similar. Interim Executive Boards have additional roles. 12

13. Table exercise In your table groups consider:
What is the role of the governing body?
What are the key components?
10 minutes
Report back: Up to six key components of the role of the governing body 13

14. Elements of effective governance The right people round the table
Understanding role and responsibilities
Good chairing
Professional clerking
Good relationships based on trust
Knowing the school – the data, the staff, the parents, the children, the community
Committed to asking challenging questions
Confident to have courageous conversations in the interests of the children and young people 14

15. Inspectors’ expectations
From guidance given to Ofsted inspectors on the Sept 2012 framework – they will consider whether governors:
carry out their statutory duties
understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school, including the quality of teaching
ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
understand and take sufficient account of pupil data, or whether they are misled by ‘headlines’
are aware of the impact of teaching on learning and progress in different subjects and year groups
are challenging and supporting leadership in equal measure 15

16. Inspectors’ expectations
provide support for an effective headteacher, or whether they are hindering school improvement by not successfully tackling key concerns
understand how the school makes decisions about teachers’ salary progression
performance manage the headteacher rigorously
are failing to perform well and contributing to weaknesses in leadership and management
ensure that the school’s finances are properly managed
have a role in deciding how the school is using the Pupil Premium 16

17. GBs must understand roles and responsibilities
Induction for new governors (including staff governors): Welcome to Governance
Code of practice for GBs
Training and development budget for GB
Ensure GB has access to independent advice
A focus on the strategic, leaving the operational to the school leaders
Ensure time is spent on the key school development priorities, not just compliance and policies
Differentiate ‘principle’ from ‘procedure’ 17

18. Strategic v Operational
Strategic (i.e. governance)
Operational
Monitoring reports on quality of teaching against pupils’ outcomes
Making judgements about quality of teaching
Receiving financial audit report
Governors coming into school to supervise book-keeper
Ensuring necessary audits have been carried out by qualified professionals
Governors undertaking audits eg. Health & Safety
Interviewing for senior leaders
Interviewing for teachers
Agreeing to invest in school buses
Organising the bus routes
Agreeing to a building project
Obtaining quotes for a cost
Ensuring the school is marketed well
Writing the school prospectus 18

19. Table exercise In table groups discuss:
What tactics have we developed for ensuring the GB stays strategic and focused on school improvement?
As head and chair, how do we make sure that we work well together to realise the above?
Report back: One good idea and one challenge in keeping GB activity strategic

20. Working together With ASCL and NAHT:
“What governing bodies should expect from school leaders and what school leaders should expect from governing bodies.”
What questions does this raise for you?
To what extent does this reflect what you expect from each other?

21. Refreshments break
Please return at 6pm

22. Strong relationships based on trust
Trust, honesty, respect and integrity are a necessity
Within the GB: use the Stronger Governance Systems material
Chair and head relationship is central:
must see your roles as complementary and having a positive impact on the organisation
must not exclude the rest of the GB
must be professional, rather than ‘cosy’
do the arrangements for keeping in touch suit both of you?
do not take each other by surprise and address disagreements
maintain a united front on fundamentals and priorities
two-way feedback, 360 reviews, mentors 22

23. Working together Mrs Jane Lewis, Chair of Governors
Miss Lesley Barringer, Headteacher
Osbaldwick Primary School

27. Knowing the school Is the school self-evaluation fit for purpose?
Do all governors know the key issues facing the school?
Is the head’s report to the GB focussed on the key priorities?
How does the GB use RAISEonline data and/or similar performance data?
Does the GB receive regular internal pupil progress data for all year groups, and know which groups of children are not progressing well?
What does the GB know about staff performance and pay? 27

28. Knowing the school How does the GB know about the quality of teaching?
How does the GB seek views from parents?
How does the GB seek views from pupils?
How does the GB seek views from staff?
Is the purpose of school visits clear?
- Do you have a protocol for school visits?
- Are governors monitoring development priorities?
Are link governors used effectively?
Did governors receive a report from Ofsted inspectors? 28

29. Table exercise
In table groups, choose some of the bullet points on the previous two slides and discuss:
What information does the GB receive? How frequently?
Does it help you govern? Is there any challenge as a result?
How could the information/governors’ knowledge be improved?
What impact has it had?
How do you feed back impact to stakeholders?
10 minutes within your group
10 minutes reflecting in your pairs
Report back: One tip of something which worked well and one request for something which would further improve the GB’s knowledge
Encourage them to add notes in their action plan 29

30. Effective challenge and scrutiny
Research – and Ofsted reports - show GBs are more effective at support and compliance duties than challenge
As well as the knowledge, skills and time, there must be a confidence, courage and culture of the importance of challenge - encourage other senior and middle leaders to volunteer as governors at other schools
Are identified issues followed up? e.g.
- why didn’t the interventions have the desired impact?
- how is teaching ‘good’ but progress low?
- why isn’t pupil premium spending closing the gap?
Is the GB equipped to carry out the head’s performance development and appraisal well? 30

31. Governance making an impact
Is it strategic and focussed on improvement?
Is self evaluation robust?
Is it encouraging and monitoring CPD for all?
Are school leaders equipped to do their jobs (including HR aspects, procurement, etc) without operational support needed from governors?
Is there access to support and expert advice, both for the GB and for senior leaders?
Is collaboration encouraged and federation explored?
Carry out an impact assessment of the GB itself:
For example, ‘20 questions’, GovernorMark, Target Tracker’s GSET and performance reviews for governors
Bottom line: targets are being met and children’s outcomes are positive 31

32. Reflection and planning in your pairs
Do we both feel comfortable about the element of challenge in our relationship and by other governors?
Are there any conversations we haven’t had which we should have had?
Are we as a pair – and as a GB – making an impact? What are we doing well?
What could we do differently?
How could we go about changing this?
How would we know if it made a difference?
What should we take away and address? 32

33. Thank you
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