N - New. New Governors (A to Z Tips)
When the world returns to near normal, schools may need to seek a fresh perspective or feel that a change of direction is required and great way to afford a change and to secure experts in their field, is to appoint a new governor or governors.
‘Governance is ultimately concerned with providing insight, wisdom and good judgement.’
Whilst the role of Governor has become incrementally demanding, it is a most rewarding position, the responsibilities for which are captured under the Education Act 2011. Governors are responsible for:
1 The quality of education provided by the school
2 The spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of the pupils
3 The welfare, health, and safety of the pupils - safeguarding
4 The suitability of staff
5 The standard of the premises and accommodation
6 The provision of information to parents
7 The way complaints are handled
8 Upholding good standards of Governance, leadership, and management
Should an inspection take place, these are the eight ‘standards’ of the ISSRs a school is judged against. Therefore, it is the Governors’ responsibility to:
1 Monitor the academic performance of the school
2 Appoint and performance manage the Head
3 Ensure that the staff are performance managed
4 Agree the school strategic plan and set targets
5 Accept responsibility for regulatory compliance
6 Appoint a safeguarding Governor and accept ‘oversight’
7 Ensure effective communication / involvement with parents
8 Interact / communicate (appropriately) with staff, parents, and pupils.
As the role of Governorship has become more demanding, so has the role of Head. Governors have a responsibility to look after their Head. It is easy to be critical but school leadership has become a complex and challenging role and the cost to the school to replace a Head is considerable. Governors must be proactive; they need to get under the skin of the school without ever getting under the executive team’s feet and certainly without treading on their toes! It is a difficult balancing act, the divide between ‘governing’ and ‘managing’ can become confused.
Governors sit on various committees, risk, safeguarding, premises, health and safety, education or teaching and learning. It is usually through these committees they get a real understanding of the inner workings. Committees then report collectively back to the Main Board on what they have done and what is coming next. It is the ‘what next’ that good Governors can have most influence over.
Bearing in mind the wide responsibilities, is there a place for Governor training? All Governors undertake some training as part of the role, Prevent and KCSIE 2018 training as an example, and most Governors are Level 1 trained in safeguarding. Some schools now insist the Safeguarding Governor is Level 3 trained. AGBIS offer training days for Governors which is excellent for both new Governors and as a refresher, as it is important for all Governors to remain current. There is a Governance Insight Magazine, produced by Andrew Maiden, which includes case studies and policy alert updates.
However, what better way than to start the role with an impartial mentor who can share some of the pitfalls and some of the quick wins with your new Governors, to help them settle into their new role.
Our consultants, all of whom have extensive Governor experience are happy to offer impartial, independent advice. To speak to a member of the team, contact Dannielle Hutchings via support@headspaceacademics.com