Governing Board Fit for Purpose Training Ensuring your
Governing Board “Fit for Purpose” Training Ensuring your governing board is ready for monitoring next year’s Key Priorities • Welcome
Purpose of this session • To consider what systems and arrangements to put in place to best monitor the progress of the “Key Priorities” over the next academic year. • To look at governor and board self-evaluation, to identify any recruitment and development needs.
A question…. • How and when does your board decide on the “Key Priorities” for governor monitoring over the academic year?
Key Priority Focus Key Priorities What can we do to ensure Key Priority focus at our governor meetings?
Key Priority Focus Meeting dates Agendas Committee & governor roles Key Priorities How can we use our governance processes and arrangements to ensure Key Priority focus?
Key Priority Focus What questions should we be asking at meetings to ensure Key Priority focus? Key Priorities Surveys Headteacher’s (and other) reports Data Governor visits External moderation
Considerations • Are the terms of reference/scheme of delegation fit for monitoring next year’s priorities? Ts of R TO BE REVIEWED ANNUALLY • Are governors on committees / in governor roles to fit with their skill-sets and interests? • Is any specific training needed? Does your board hold a ‘Process Meeting’?
The Process Meeting To review the board’s systems and processes • Elect the chair / vice chair (maybe) • Appoint committee chairs and governor roles • Annual review of terms of reference • Annual review of governor code of conduct • Agree governor visit programme for next year (maybe)
Electing the chair / vice-chair Academies: how elected/appointed, and how often depends on the articles/scheme of delegation. Maintained schools: not compulsory to re-elect the chair and vice-chair every year; but good practice to discuss the succession plan and expectations. In maintained schools it is a statutory requirement to have a vice-chair, to deputise for the chair as required. Do you have a succession plan for your board’s chair and vice-chair roles?
Governor roles • Safeguarding governor – training 10 th October • SEND governor – training 6 th March 2019 • Headteacher’s appraisal – training 8 th May 2019 • Pupil Premium / Finance / Health & Safety How will these be monitored by your board? • Link governors – will their visits be aligned to key priorities? Does the board need additional link governor roles to monitor next year’s key priorities?
Annual review of terms of reference Taking each key priority: is it clear in the terms of reference / scheme of delegation how progress in that key priority will be monitored through the year? Eg: “The key priority is to accelerate progress and attainment in Maths at Key Stage 2” • Will a committee / link governor have a remit to monitor the progress towards targets over the year? • If so…. how and when will they do this?
Annual review of the code of conduct • Has your governing board’s code of conduct been updated recently? • The latest NGA model code of conduct: https: //www. nga. org. uk/codeofconduct 2017 • It’s good practice to review and re-approve (re-sign up to) the code of conduct annually.
School visits programme • What will be the ‘key priority focus’ for next year’s governor visits – can this be agreed now? • Is there a clear protocol for school visits – and are all governors and staff aware of it? Would a governor-staff joint training be useful? • Do all governors feel confident to carry out their school visits? Consider visiting in pairs? • Do governors have the visit report pro-forma? And do they know the process once it’s written?
NGA - “ 8 elements of effective governance” 1. The right people around the table 2. Understanding role & responsibilities 3. Good chairing 4. Professional clerking 5. Good relationships based on trust 6. Knowing the school – the data, the staff, the parents, the children, the community 7. Committed to asking challenging questions 8. Confident to have courageous conversations in the interests of the children and young people
NGA - “ 8 elements of effective governance” 1. The right people around the table 2. Understanding role & responsibilities 3. Good chairing 4. Professional clerking 5. Good relationships based on trust 6. Knowing the school – the data, the staff, the parents, the children, the community 7. Committed to asking challenging questions 8. Confident to have courageous conversations in the interests of the children and young people
Governor and board self-evaluation The governance competency framework (Jan 2017) https: //www. gov. uk/government/publications/governance-handbook • Grouped into the six features of effective governance • 16 competencies in total – each is broken down into knowledge, skills and effective behaviours.
Governor and board self-evaluation Strategic Leadership and Accountability These two relate to how well the board carries out the three core functions of governance
Governor and board self-evaluation Compliance and Evaluation These two relate to ensuring and improving the quality of governance
Governor and board self-evaluation People and Structures These two relate to the effective organisation of governance. Looking at these further….
People section … how well does your board work together as a team?
Structures section …does everyone on the board understand its structure, and the remit and boundaries of their role(s) and responsibilities?
Evaluation section …do the governors on your board improve their own impact through seeking feedback and undertaking training and CPD?
Governing board skills audit • When did your board last do a collective skill-set audit? • The National Governance Association have produced a skills audit template which can be used: https: //www. nga. org. uk/Guidance/Workings-Of-The-Governing. Body/Governance-Tools/Skills-Audit. aspx Model 1 is for single schools (maintained/academies) Model 2 is for MAT boards • Use to identify gaps on the board and therefore what looking for during governor recruitment.
Any questions? ? ? ? Rebecca. Walker@achievingforchildren. org. uk Clive. Haines@achievingforchildren. org. uk
- Slides: 24