1. Chairs and Vice Chairs Conference 2014 Clive Haines

2. National Perspective of Governance All maintained schools are constituted under the recently amended 2012 Constitution Regulations by 1 September 2015. (DfE Road Map) NCTL – Support in 2014 from the DfE and NCTL Chairs National Development Programme Clerks National Development Programme Data Training Performance Appraisal Training Efficiency Training (7.3 Gov Handbook)

3. National Perspective of Governance Lord Nash – Ofsted ‘And we can’t shy away from these shortcomings, given the evidence from Ofsted that, in too many cases, governing bodies are still failing to hold headteachers to account for school performance’. Which means focusing governance far more on skills – on what people have to offer and not who they are – to be properly equipped to deliver on the three core functions with the greatest impact: the vision and ethos of the school holding the headteacher to account for student progress and staff performance ensuring money is well spent. Governors must have the relevant skills. Is it all about the skills what other facts should we consider?

4. National Perspective of Governance Lord Nash: Governance in 2015 is about ‘ ensuring that when people stand for re-election they state their prospectus, what they’ve done to help the school over the previous few years and what they would plan to do in the future. ensuring that chairs of governing bodies are tough enough to drive effective decisions and to weed out weak governors. insisting that those governors with the right potential go for appropriate training when needed. reaching out to local employers though your wider relationships and promoting the considerable career development benefits that governance offers when they support their staff to volunteer. building local partnerships that promote governance.

5. National Perspective of Governance Lord Nash – The future It also makes sense to encourage our best governors to govern groups of schools, either in federations of maintained schools or in multi- academy trusts. This more strategic approach to governance allows us to compare and contrast across schools – strengthening accountability for the benefit of all concerned and building the experience of governors. Our future: To join governance in RBWM and Slough further than just training – What could this look like?

6. National Perspective of Governance Lord Nash: Transparency Transparency is one of the biggest safeguards against failings going uncovered and unchecked. Hence our expectation that both maintained and academy schools should publish the names and responsibilities of every governor on their website and produce an annual statement about their governance arrangements and evidence of the impact that governors are making. And our insistence that whistleblowing arrangements should be transparent and accessible, with every effort made to ensure that school staff, parents and others know how to raise concerns.

7. Current National Topics The coming year: priorities for practice Reconstitution, recruitment practice & succession planning Monitoring HR processes, HTPM, PRP & staff CPD Clerking Matters: pay, appraisal, CPD & confidentiality Governing groups of schools – New ways Impact of pupil premium – Pupil Premium Reviews Encouraging local associations of governors – Have we made a start Safety of pupils: the GB role – New framework Relationships with headteachers & CPD for leaders Staying strategic & not becoming operational Plus convincing Ofsted that governance is strategic, and not just about compliance & monitoring – How can we do this?

8. Governance Reviews – Rights and Wrongs When Ofsted recommend an external review of governance schools must commission a good one, not one from a cosy ineffective relationship, and follow its conclusions. Ofsted will come down hard on schools that don’t do this. Important: Quality assure your National Leader of Governance or other Education Support Ofsted will be checking that the report identifies and has action on how to support weaknesses Other evidence sort in the external review process: Governor training and how the GB recruiting and deploying experienced governors. How GB monitor progress over time Links with performance appraisal and progress Impact of pupil premium Best value Safeguarding Process – Desktop of process NCTL are reviewing the Internal Framework for Reviews in early 2015