Training for Chairs of Governing Bodies Education Wales
Training for Chairs of Governing Bodies
Education (Wales) Measure 2011 September 2013 • Prescribed training for chairs of governing bodies. • Also recommended that vice chairs of governing bodies attend this training. • Mandatory training for new governors and clerks to governing bodies and for governors on data.
The aims of the presentation is to focus on : • Key roles and responsibilities of governing bodies • The role and skills of the chair • Key relationships • How to be an effective chair? • Other statutory duties of the chair • Where to access further advice and support?
What are three statutory roles of a school governing body?
Three statutory roles of a school governing body • With school senior staff set the strategic plans to include aims, objectives and targets. • Challenging the school management team in a supportive manner on running the school and the overall performance and targets. • Being accountable, explaining actions and decisions to all school partners.
Core Responsibilities • Standards • Targets • Curriculum • Determining the aims, policies and priorities of the school • Finance
Core Responsibilities (continued) • • • Staffing Providing parents with information. Inspection preparation and follow-up. Wellbeing and safeguarding. Awareness of responsibilities in relation to matters of equality • Evaluation of performance of the governing body.
Skills of the Chair • Clear communicator with good listening skills. • Recognise boundaries between governance and management. • Ensure all governors are fully informed and involved in decision making as appropriate. • Demonstrate impartiality, reasonableness and fairness.
Skills (continued) • Ability to adopt an impartial position. • Ability to deal with issues sensitively and objectively and address difficult issue. • Recognise and use skills and expertise of individual governor. • Lead role in organising the governing body.
And more. . . • Ability to prioritise. • Ensure the governing body work as a team. • Encourage governors to attend training. • Provide/facilitate mentoring support for new governors. • Good time management skills.
3 areas to cover • Key relationships • Effective organisation and management of meetings • Inducting new governors
Relationships: with Headteacher • Prepare the agenda for a governing body meeting in consultation with the head and clerk. • Regular timetabled meeting between the chair and head to discuss the work of the school. • Meeting between the chair and head to deal with an emergency. • Why / when else could you meet?
What to expect at meetings with the Headteacher • Issue(s) which need addressing as identified by the chair and or governors. • Issues which need addressing as identified by the head. • Curriculum issues, especially updates or information on initiatives. • Finance
What to expect at meetings with the Headteacher? (cont. ) • Extra-curricular activities • Health and safety, and the environment • Staff and pupil welfare, including staff continuing professional development • Briefing on educational attainment – examination / test results.
Meeting with the Chair, Head and Clerk • • Set agenda. Consider setting the calendar for the year ahead. Agree papers for distribution. Consider membership, training, vacancies, nonattendance issues, confidential items etc • Discuss presentation of correspondence eg letters, requests etc
Main Duties of the Clerk to the Governing Body • • Convening meetings of the GB Distribution of papers for GB meetings Taking and distribution of GB minutes Maintaining membership register and notifying LA of updates • Offering procedural guidance/advice • Ensure all follow up actions completed
Working with the Vice Chair • Share information as may be appropriate. • Update on school issues. • Mentor the Vice Chair and encourage attendance at Chair training.
Working with others • Parents and the Community eg Communities First, Flying Start, local police etc • Local Authority eg advisors, School and Governor Support, Access to Learning etc • Inspectors – it is usual for the chair to meet with the lead inspector during the inspection week • Spokesperson for events, media/ publicity etc
Effective organisation and management of meetings • GB is a team and needs to be an effective team. • Plan meetings – including agenda and items for discussion.
Agenda Items • Date, time and venue of meeting • Apologies for absence • Minutes of the previous meeting including subcommittee meetings • Matters arising from the minutes • Headteacher’s report – termly • Finance report • Date and time of next meeting
Additional agenda items • • • Examination results / KS assessments Pay policy Review of policies Target setting Admission Arrangements School development plan Exclusions Complaints Annual report to parents Governor training update
Annual General Meeting • • • Appoint chair and vice chair Setting up statutory committees Setting up other committees Review instrument of governance Issue and collect declaration of business interests
Holding meetings • Room and layout • Attendance/apologies recorded • Quorate – 50% of Governing Body present excluding vacancies • Confidential items eg pay, discipline • Removal of a governor eg conflict of interest, financial gain • Timing (between 1. 5 and 2 hours max) • Decision making
Engaging governors and managing conflict • Balance of engaging all governors and not letting a governor/s take over or manipulate. • Governors with specific responsibility eg CP, LAC, SEN should be encouraged to report back to the GB. ---------------------------
Engaging governors and managing conflict • Governors with specific responsibility should be encouraged to attend specific training. • Not all governors will always agree on all decisions – necessary to agree to majority decision. • Use strategies/techniques to avoid conflict and aggression ---------------------------
New governor induction • Governing bodies should adopt a system to mentor new governors. Good practice guidelines: • Telephone/write to invite to meet with chair. • Telephone/write to invite to meet with the headteacher and visit the school. • Provide copies of school prospectus, latest inspection report and any other relevant literature.
First Meeting • Consider meeting with the new governor prior to the first meeting they attend to go through the papers and headteacher’s report. • Arrange to meet the governor about 10 minutes before the start of the meeting. • Introduce the new governor at the start of the meeting. • Emphasise the need to attend new governor training and if possible arrange the date.
It must be remembered that • Authority rests with the whole governing body. • Collective responsibility should be taken for the outcomes. • How individual governors vote is confidential. • The chair can act in an emergency, but must inform the whole GB at the earliest opportunity. • Your actions should be fair, reasonable and impartial.
Useful Links Governors Wales www. governorswales. org. uk Welsh Government http: //gov. wales/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/fundingsc hools/school-governance/? skip=1&lang=en My Local School www. mylocalschool. wales. gov. uk ERW www. erw. wales
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