Improving Governance in Education: National and Local Updates - Wednesday, 19th September 2012

1. Briefing for Clerks to Governors Wednesday 19th September 2012 Esther Bushell – Leadership and Governance Team

2. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions National context • Michael Gove - “The Need for Better Governance” • National Leaders of Governance/ National College Chairs’ training • Teaching Schools and teaching school alliances • School Governance Constitution Regulations • School Information Regulations • Changes to Ofsted Inspection Framework from September 2012 • Twenty Key Questions to Challenge a Governing Body • Other news Local Context • NCC – Learning, Skills and Education divisional update • NCC - Education Entitlement Service • Update on school changes including Academy Conversions • Clerks training and accreditation opportunities 2012/2013 Effective Clerking • Support and Challenge in minutes – examples of effective practice • Agenda items for the autumn term Questions and Answers

3. Good governance is smaller governing bodies, with people who are on the governing body because they have a skill, rather than because they represent a ’political constituency’. Bad governance consists of “a sprawling committee and proliferating sub-committees” with “local worthies who see being a governor as a badge of status, not a job of work.” “Weak governance is no more acceptable than weak teaching.” The need for better governance – Michael Gove

4. National Leaders of Governance/ National College Chairs Development Programme • NLG’s – Next application round is open now. Closes 10am on 1st October. Online application via National College website. “Experienced chairs of governors with excellent leadership skills, and a proven track record of contributing to school improvement through the effective leadership of a governing body” • NC Chairs Development Programme – NCC have joined a partnership with NGA and Eastern Leadership for the licensed delivery of the new Chairs Development Programme. Available in Northants from January 2013.

5. Teaching schools and teaching school alliances

6. School Governance (Constitution) Regulations 2012 The Constitution Regulations 2007 continue to apply to a governing body constituted before 1st September 2012. For schools re-constituting after 1st September 2012: • The total membership of the governing body is to be no fewer than 7 governors • At least two parent governors • The head teacher • One staff governor • One authority governor • Such number of co-opted governors as considered necessary

7. School information regulations 2012 1st September 2012- The requirement for schools toproduce a prospectus has been removed… …instead publish the following information online… • details of the school’s pupil premium allocation • details of the school’s curriculum • the school’s admissionarrangements • the school’s policies on behaviour, charging and SEN anddisability provision; • the school’s Ofsted reports and DfE School PerformanceTables • a statement of the school’s ethos and values

8. School Teacher Appraisal Regulations 2012 • Came into effect from September 2012 • Applies to all teachers and heads in maintained schools... • Formal link between teacher appraisal and capability • Assessment against the Teaching Standards for teachers and Headteachers • Assessment against appraisal objectives • Assessment of training and development needs • All regulations around lesson observation removed • HT appraisal – governing body will decide who undertakes this – committee of 2/3 governors • Requirement for external adviser • Any concerns will lead straight into the capability part of the policy • NCC Model Policy now available to schools who buy NCC HR

9. Changes to Ofsted Framework from September 2012 • require ‘outstanding’ schools to have ‘outstanding’ teaching • define an acceptable standard of education as being ‘good’ • replace the current ‘satisfactory’ judgement with ‘requires improvement’ • replace the ‘notice to improve’ category with ‘serious weaknesses’ • limit the number of times schools can be deemed to ‘require improvement’ to two consecutive inspections before they are judged ‘inadequate’ and deemed to require special measures • shorten the notice given of an inspection • request anonymised information of the most recent performance management of all teachers

10. Ofsted re-inspection timelines • Outstanding schools – Exempt from re-inspection (as long as they continue to perform well) • Good schools – Every 5 years (as long as they continue to perform well) but could be inspected sooner as part of a sample or if federated • Requires improvement – every two years with monitoring visits to support their improvement • Serious weaknesses and special measures – frequent monitoring visits and reinspection.

11. 20 key questions to challenge a governing body 1. Have we completed a skills audit of our governing body? 2. Do we appoint governors on the basis of their skills, and do we know how to find people with the necessary skills? 3. Do we understand our roles and responsibilities? 4. Do we have a professional clerk and run meetings efficiently? 5. What is our training and development budget and does every governor receive the support they need to carry out their role effectively? 6. Do we know about good practice from across the country? 7. Is the size, composition and committee structure of our governing body conducive to effective working? 8. Does every member of the governing body make a regular contribution and do we carry out an annual review of the governing body’s performance? 9. Have we developed long-term aims for the school with clear priorities in an ambitious school development plan which is regularly monitored and reviewed?

12. 10. Does our strategic planning cycle drive the governing body’s activities and agenda setting? 11. Do we understand the school’s performance data well enough to properly hold school leaders to account? 12. How effective is our performance management of the headteacher? 13. Are our financial management systems robust and do we ensure best value for money? 14. How do we listen to and understand our pupils, parents and staff? 15. How do we report to our parents and local community regularly? 16. What benefit do we draw from collaboration with other schools and other sectors, locally and nationally? 17. Do we carry out a regular 360 review of the chair’s performance? 18. Do we engage in good succession planning? 19. Are the chair and committee chairs re-elected each year? 20. How much has the school improved over the last three years, and what has the governing body’s contribution been to this?

13. New Governors’ Guide to the Law – May 2012 online edition “slimmed down”. • New 2012 School Federation Regulations • Autumn of Discontent part deux? – NUT/ NASUWT joint ballot on strike action against pay and conditions • DfE consultation on MFL compulsory KS2 – ends September 26th • Ofsted consultation on complaints – closes 29th October • Vetting and Barring Scheme – Being a school governor no longer a regulated activity – no requirement for CRB check however refusal to undertake one is a reason for disqualification. Watch out for new Disclosure and Barring Service from early 2013. Other news

14. Strategy for Learning sets out the LA role in school effectiveness • The LA expect all schools and settings to work as autonomous institutions responsible for their performance and outcomes • The LA promotes collaboration and partnership working • The LA will use its intervention powers with 4a and 4b schools, which are causing concern • The School Effectiveness Evaluation Report provides a judgement about school effectiveness, based on school evidence • Governing bodies must take account of the judgement and act accordingly Standards and School Effectiveness Team

15. Prompts on governor effectiveness • How they contribute to self evaluation and their understanding of strengths and weaknesses. • How well they support and strengthen school leadership. • Levels of challenge and holding senior leaders to account. • How well PM systems are used to improve teaching and learning and leadership and management. • How effectively governors monitor school finance and ensure school is solvent. How well statutory duties are met. • How effectively the pupil premium has been used to overcome barriers. • How well pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. • Effectiveness of parental engagement and use of external agencies and the community. • Effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements – Single Central Record; rigour over absence; rigour when pupils are taken off role; how safe pupils are in alternative provision, promotion of safe practices including e safety.

16. Education Entitlement Service The new Education Entitlement team sitting within the Learning Skills and Education division is based at County Hall   A multi-skilled team of 12 will share their expertise around attendance at school, behaviour for learning, engagement in learning and education welfare.  The team will monitor • elective home education (EHE), • issuing of child employment and entertainment licences (CEE), • placement of permanently excluded pupils in appropriate provision (PEx) • children missing from education (CMfE). Contact can be made by telephone through the Customer Service Centre or by completing the short on line contact form which can be accessed from the following link www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/ees and a member of the new Education Entitlement team will get back to you within three working days.

17. Northamptonshire school changes

18. Clerks Training and Accreditation Opportunities for 2012/2013

19. The ISCG Clerks’ Accreditation • This programme of briefing, mentoring and assessment leading to the award of the ISCG Clerks’ Accreditation covers seven key areas that will enable you to develop the competences necessary to support the governing body in the context of greater freedoms and greater accountability for schools:- • Working within the legal framework • Supporting effective governance • Performing administrative tasks • Communicating effectively • Managing information • Team membership • Achieving results • Course cost £389 • Preparation for Accreditation briefing • course folder and materials • 9-12 month programme of supervision and mentoring with an assessor experienced in the demands of clerking • Interim assessment with detailed feedback • Portfolio assessment • Accreditation by ISCG • Certificate of accreditation

20. The 3 key roles of the governing body.

21. Being Critical Friends… HIGH SUPPORT Critical Friends - where support is balanced by challenge LOW CHALLENGE HIGH CHALLENGE LOW SUPPORT

22. Support... • ‘These proposals were agreed’ • ‘The Headteacher’s view was accepted by all governors present’ • ‘The leadership team’s careful use of resources here means we are below budget in this area of our development plan’

23. Challenge... • ‘A governor asked whether home circumstances had been taken into account when judging progress’ • ‘A governor questioned whether the report reflected the views of a fair cross-section of parents’

24. Minutes Extracts Matters arising... School Improvement, ii. a) HT not yet provided a written summary of teaching & learning/classroom observations. HT to action. School Improvement, iv. d Governors asked what provision is made for children on the Gifted and Talented Register HT responded that this hasn’t happened, but that more able writers had been made aware of writing competitions and links were being made with other schools.

25. Looking for challenge… Inspectors will also evaluate how effectively governors, or those with a similar responsibility, challenge and hold senior leaders to account for all aspects of the school's performance. (Ofsted Framework Sept 2012)

26. Recording challenge in your minutes Do your minutes show evidence of…? • the Governing body asking questions about the HT report • the governing body understanding how the school is performing • the governing body undertaking monitoring and feeding back to governors. • governors asking questions about the monitoring • governors asking for impact of initiatives/ monitoring • governors asking strategic questions • governors asking questions about the quality of teaching

27. Agenda items for the autumn term Standing items • Apologies and acceptance for absence • Declarations of Pecuniary Interest • Approval of the minutes of the last meeting • Review reports from Committees, Headteacher, Named Governors & Clerk Statutory items for the Autumn Term • Decide committee structure, membership and reference terms. • Draw up freedom of information publication scheme. • Elect a chair and vice-chair, and schedule next election. • Appraise headteacher’s performance. • Review school charging and remissions policy. • Set pupil performance targets • Headteacher’s report Recommended items for the Autumn Term • Review the School Effectiveness Report from Summer Term • Approve School Development Plan • Review external examination results – KS2/ KS4/5 • Plan governor training for the year • Set meeting dates for year with main agenda items • Review the Performance Management policy

28. These slides will be available online in the next couple of days www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/schoolgovernors Follow link on left to Clerks Date of next briefing – Monday 14th January 2013 Esther Bushell ebushell@northamptonshire.gov.uk