Governors’ Annual Conference Saturday 15 March 2014

1. Governors’ Annual Conference Saturday 15 March 2014

2. Our journey 2009-2013 2009 Children’s services were subject to statutory intervention under Section 479 of the Education Act 1996 for educational underperformance. An independently chaired Performance Improvement Board was established to oversee progress and an action plan drawn up. 2010 Ofsted recognised the improvement made, judging children’s services to be ‘performing well’. As a result of the progress made and the capacity to improve further, Government intervention was removed in November 2010. 2011 Ofsted confirmed that services were continuing to ‘perform well’. 2012 We successfully worked through a major organisational transformation programme, modernising the way we interact with schools and work with them to create a sustainable and effective model of school to school improvement. 2013 Ofsted visit MK in February as part of a Good Practice Survey of School Improvement Services. August 2013 - outcomes improve at most key stages and for the first time GCSE performance exceeds the national average.

3. Pupil and teacher numbers • Data Source: • School and AP Census 2009 – 2014 • School Workforce Census 2010 – 2012 Notes: * School Workforce Census not collected in 2009 ** School Workforce for academies for 2013 not yet released by DfE 2014 SWC – November 2014

4. Education spend Gross Dedicated Schools Grant £’000s 2009/10:156,354 2010/11:165,628 2011/12: 196,405 * 2012/13: 200,525 2013/14: 208,182 Total: 927,094 * Standards Funds added to DSG

5. Key Stage 2 results Closing the Gap – difference between disadvantaged pupils and the rest for Key Stage 2 tests 2012 2013 MK 1715 England 1918 • For 2013 MK is placed 1st in the rankings against statistical neighbours and all SE local authorities

6. GCSE results Performance above national average for the first time ever 5+GCSEs A*-C, incl. English and maths – 5 year trend

7. Not in Education, Employment or Training Context: Cohort size for persons of academic ages 16 to 18 over this period is approximately 11,500. 5.0% equates to 575 persons

8. MK Schools Ofsted judgements

9. Key challenges ahead • Sustaining success in a fast changing environment • Improving the number of schools judged good or better by Ofsted • Sustaining the improvement for pupils with SEN across the key stages • Closing the gap for Pupil Premium and specific minority heritage groups • Improving the progress of Children Looked After at all Key Stages

10. School Governors’ Annual Conference Dr Brent Davies Leading the strategically focused school

11. Governors ~ Rethinking our Strategic Role Professor Brent Davies Cert.Ed., B.A., M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D. www.brentdavies.co.uk

12. So the urgent drives out the important; the future goes largely unexplored; and the capacity to act, rather than the capacity to think and imagine becomes the sole measure for leadership.

13. We are all prisoners of our past. It is hard to think of things except in the way we have always thought of them. But that solves no problems and seldom changes anything.

14. Define: • Values • Set of Beliefs • Core Purposes • Rights and Responsibilities

15. Policy Approval Policy Generation Policy Evaluation Policy Implementation Policy Administration

16. Model A Governors Headteacher Staff

17. Model B Staff Senior Leadership Team Governors

18. Backward Looking Organisations Opinion Reasons Explanations Being Right Looking Good

19. Forward Looking Organisations Results Action Opportunities Possibilities Relationships

20. Governors ~ Leadership Tasks • Creating energy • Building capacity • Meeting & minimising crisis • Extending the vision • Securing the environment • Seeking and charting improvement • Valuing Staff

21. Working together • Team and task groups • Policy and business items • Strategic and operational groups • Delegating and reporting back • Concentrate on the big picture • Politics!

22. Strategic Role

23. Futures Thinking Futures Thinking Strategy Action Planning/Target Setting Operational Target Setting

24. THE SIGMOID CURVE A B Handy, 1994 p51

25. What is Strategy? • Direction setting • Broader view • Medium-to long-term • Template • Perspective ~ strategic thinking

26. Strategic Processes

27. Analysis: BCG MATRIX STAR PROBLEM CHILD CASH COW DOG

28. Articulation processes • Oral • Written • Structural

29. Strategic Approaches Strategic Planning Emergent Strategy Strategic Intent

30. Strategic Planning Rational Linear Predictable Definable Who does what, when and how. Map the stages and outcomes.

31. Emergent Strategy Evaluate current practice. What lessons have been learnt? What could be implemented in the future? Incorporating successful ideas into more formal strategic frameworks.

32. Strategic Intents • Know what you want to do – but not how to do it yet! So build strategic understanding and capacity first. • For example: create a high expectation and success culture.

33. Strategic Intents Create a high expectation and success culture.

35. Articulate Build Create Define 1Strategic Intent 2 Images Metaphors Experiences 3 Dialogue Cognitive Map Shared Understanding Strategic Perspective Outcomes Formal Plans Developing Strategic Intent

38. Governors Personal Skills • Look at yourself ii. Be clear about your own passion iii. Working with People

39. iv. Courage: see it ~ do something about it v. Create a common understanding vi. Connect to the heart as well as the head Vii. Be mindful of the political landscape

40. Political Creatures AWARE FOXOWL (Clever) (Wise) CLOSED OPEN DONKEYSHEEP (Inept) (Naïve) UNAWARE

41. Political Animals AWARE Game PlayingClued Up CLOSED OPEN Head Down Start UNAWARE [Where do the new staff end up?]

42. viii. Create and sustain energy & momentum ix. Meet & minimising crisis x. Set appropriate expectations and be consistent

44. Chart improvement and celebrate success

45. Exercise Rethink how you as a governing body want to work together in the future.

46. Leading the Strategically Focused School. (2nd Edition) by Brent Davies ISBN 978-1-84920-809-3 Sage Publications

47. School Governors’ Annual Conference Coffee Break 11.00 – 11.20

48. School Governors’ Annual Conference

49. School Governors’ Annual Conference Dr Elizabeth Sidwell Working effectively within your school to raise standards

50. Dr. Elizabeth Sidwell CBE Schools Commissioner 2011 - 2013