1. School & Academy Governance A policy overview 25 June 2013 Chris Caroe, Head of the School Governance Unit

2. High quality governance is crucial  To children’s education and life chances  To holding heads and schools to account  To making the most of dedicated volunteers  To the future of schools 1 Yet Ofsted find too many schools have mediocre governance

3. We want all GBs to operate as non-executive boards focused on three core functions – as reflected in Ofsted’s inspection criteria 2  clarity of vision and ethos  engaging stakeholders  meeting statutory duties Setting strategic direction Creating robust accountability Ensuring financial probity  accountability for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety  strengthening school leadership  performance managing the headteacher  contributing to school self-evaluation  solvency and effective financial management  use of Pupil Premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning

4. A range of policy ambitions underpin this vision of more ‘professionalised’ school governance 3 1.To raise the profile of governance and set a clear policy framework 2.To see GB constitution focused more on skills 3.To liberate and empower GBs 4.To build the capacity and effectiveness of GBs 5.To ensure GBs are held to account for their effectiveness

5. We have aimed to clarify our policy expectations as governance has continued to rise up the agenda 4 Aim 1: Profile and clarity Higher profile  Governors’ Handbook  Core functions  Policy note on payment  Academies Financial Handbook  Response to Select Committee inquiry Clear policy  In Parliament  From HMCI and Ofsted  From the Minister

6. We want GBs to focus on constituting and recruiting to secure the skills they need to carry out their demanding functions 5 Aim 2: Focus on skills  Categories do not guarantee good stakeholder engagement; can inflate size and restrict ability to recruit governors with necessary skills  Considerable freedom for academies – transition to academy status key opportunity to review and refresh GB  From Sept 2012, maintained schools may opt into less prescriptive regulations and so focus more on appointing governors for their skills

7. We want GBs to feel liberated and empowered to focus on holding their headteacher to account 6 Aim 3: Liberate and empower  New regs on Roles, Procedures and Allowances from Sept 2013  Duties removed or simplified  Less prescriptive model academy Articles Reducing bureaucracy  New sources of objective data  Questions for GBs to ask  National College workshops Empowering accountability

8. We are committed to continuing, and looking at how we can increase, our support to GBs 7 Aim 4: Build capacity Support, training and adviceGovernor recruitment  No plans to mandate governor training  Aiming to expand role of National College  GovernorLine contract expires in December 13  Promoting the importance of clerking  Funding for SGOSS committed to 2015 to enable growth  Lord Nash discussion with employers in Sept on employee volunteering  No plans to start paying governors

9. 8  Explicit focus in every inspection  External review in Category 3 schools  Re-inspection of Category 3 schools within two years Inspection  Warning notices and IEBs  Termination of academy funding agreements  Help for failing schools to find high quality academy sponsor Intervention Volunteer doesn’t mean amateur, GBs need to be held to account for their effectiveness, under-performance will be addressed Aim 5: Sharpen accountability

10. GBs will also want to consider the implications of some interesting emerging practice  Benefits of MATs, UTs, school sponsors, federations, diocese, etc 9 Is the standalone GB ideal?  Executive heads / Trust CEOs providing professional challenge and performance management of school leaders Is there a role for some professional accountability?

11. For more information please visit www.education.gov.uk/governance Questions or comments can be sent to School.Governance@education.gsi.gov.uk