Support for Chairs – Mentoring Scheme

1. Support for Chairs – Mentoring Scheme Martin Lawrence Vice-chair COGS Stephen Adamson Vice-chair NGA

2. Why Mentoring? • Useful tool for supporting chairs in a range of situations: • A new chair • A chair of a new school or fresh start • Where a chair is supporting a new head teacher with little experience of a governing body

3. Why Mentoring? (2) • Useful in new or challenging situations: • Chair taking over from an IEB • Chair leading the governance of extended services • Chair implementing change or training

4. Why Mentoring? (3) • Useful in difficult situations: • Chair in a school in an Ofsted category • Potential breakdown in relationships between the chair and the head teacher or other members of the governing body

5. What is mentoring? • A process in which a more skilled or experienced person supports a less skilled or experienced person in developing confidence and expertise. • Support is offered in a non-judgemental way, face-to-face, by telephone or email.

6. Benefits for mentors • Increased self-confidence • Increased motivation • Sense of satisfaction from helping others and seeing them progress • Greater understanding of the role • The chance to build networks

7. Existing schemes • Essex • Surrey • Derby City • Wiltshire • Hackney • Thurrock

8. Getting Started • Have clear aims and objectives • Covering costs • Recruitment and selection • Training • Matching • Code of Practice

9. Getting Started (2) • Implementing the scheme • As a follow up to Taking the Chair • Joint working between the LA and GA • Developed through clusters of schools • As part of the intervention strategy of the LA in schools causing concern

10. Getting started (3) • Consult with head teachers, SIPs and clerks • Advertise and encourage uptake • Co-ordination role • On-going support and recognition • Payment or expenses • Collecting feedback and evaluating