Better governance conference

1
Better governance conference

• Better governance
• setting the scene and learning from the best
• Jackie Krafft HMI
• National lead for governance

2
Conference overview

• An opportunity to
• identify what school inspection tells us
• share experiences, develop solutions and hear the
  stories of success
• understand governors roles and responsibilities
• consider how governors can better understand
  their school and use what they find to support
  its improvement
• hear about available training and support
• plan next steps and ensure greater
  accountability.

3
The importance of strong governance
At the NGA conference in June 2012, HMCI
stated Strong governance is increasingly
transforming schools and building effective
partnerships. The role of governors is
fundamental and they should never forget that.
Without strong and effective governance, our
schools simply wont be as good as they can
be.
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Since September 2012, Ofsted has significantly
increased the focus on school governance

• What did Ofsted say about your school and
  governing body?
• ACTIVITY
• In your groups, make a list of the key points.

5
The context for school governance what
inspection tells us
6
What inspection tells us

• Huge, unacceptable variations in performance in
  schools across different local authority areas.
• Inequality of access to a good school.
• Attainment gap unacceptable, particularly for
  pupils eligible for free school meals.
• Effective governance is an intrinsic part of good
  leadership.
• Good governance is not universal.

7
Common issues with governance

• Issues identified in inspection reports included
• not ambitious about expectations
• lack of a critical friend approach and
  challenge
• over-reliance on information solely from the
  headteacher
• do not visit the school
• lack of engagement with school development
  planning
• limited role in monitoring the impact of actions
• limited understanding of data and school quality.

8
The importance of constructive challenge
Governors fail to provide enough challenge
Improvement planning does not address the real
priorities or is not rapid enough
Governors do not know what is needed to probe
more closely and gather further insight
Performance management of the headteacher is weak
because it cannot be based on any meaningful
analysis
Governors do not know if their actions are making
a difference or how good the school really is
Governors do not know what training they need or
what additional governors to appoint
Performance management of teachers is
ineffective, as it is not linked to achievement
School unable to improve or stop a decline
9
Governors fail to engage in effective activities
The governors were too reliant on reports from
the headteacher about better outcomes in Key
Stage 2 and were unable to challenge the school
sufficiently about the lack of improvement over a
number of years at Key Stage 1 as they were not
aware of the situation.
ACTIVITY What are the problems here? Can you
identify four?

• Governors relied on the headteacher for selecting
  the information they should see and were too
  accepting of what they were told.
• Governors lacked the skills to know what to ask
  for.
• Governors had no means of identifying problems.
• Problems were not discussed for years.

10
Governors fail to engage in effective activities
The governing body was too trusting. They
accepted what the headteacher told them without
questioning it. So, when the headteacher told
them that results were good, they simply accepted
this, when in fact they were very low.
Performance management of the headteacher by the
governing body was also very poor, with targets
such as appoint a SENCO, rather than related to
the school's performance. They accepted excuses,
such as high mobility (it wasn't high) without
question.
ACTIVITY Identify the three main weaknesses of
the governing body.

• These governors were unable to provide effective
  challenge because
• they had a poor grasp of target-setting and
  performance management
• they did not see challenging the headteacher as a
  key part of their role
• they had no independent understanding of data.

11
Getting the relationship right
The governing body are very supportive. I
wouldnt change them, but not sure that they are
instrumental in raising standards that is my
job and the job of my staff. Governors help with
setting vision and ethos clerk is excellent.
They have been very helpful in getting out all
the dreaded policies.

• ACTIVITY
• Do you think the governing body has played a
  significant role in school improvement?
• This headteacher had overseen the improvement of
  her school to be outstanding but are there any
  warning signs in this relationship?

• HT denies governors have a role in raising
  standards.
• Sees governors as about setting vision and
  managing policies, not education.
• There is a risk governors will not be able to
  provide sufficient challenge in future.

12
In the most effective schools there is robust
challenge to senior leaders by governors who know
the school well, but who also have a secure grasp
of their role
13
Characteristics of strong governing bodies

• Understand their role and how it complements that
  of the headteacher.
• Have a range of skills that brings something
  extra to the school and to develop a strategic
  vision.
• Technical knowledge of education, data,
  statutory responsibilities and performance
  management in particular.
• See and hear from middle and senior leaders about
  their work and challenge them on it.
• Are a visible presence in the school.
• Set challenging targets for performance at all
  levels, including in achievement, teaching and
  senior management work.
• Form their own analysis of the schools
  performance without relying solely on the
  headteacher.
• Are exceptionally well informed about their
  school.

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Common features of effective governance in
schools that became good
Focus sharp focus raise achievement improve teaching robustly focussed proactive raised expectations determined active.
Positive impact drive strive ambitious vision more strategic provide clear direction rigorously drives improvement steer through change increasingly effective.
Strong team work together communicates corporate supports unity of purpose partnership with senior leaders effective critical friends shared purpose.
Effective challenge pursue further improvements monitoring evaluating better informed constantly review performance clear systems monitor closely collect own information on performance regular visitors.
Skilled knowledgeable understanding of strengths and weaknesses financial management planning.
(Analysis of key phrases in references to
governance from improved to good school
reports, January to July 2012)
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School governance learning from the best
16
Learning from the best

• Knowing their schools
• To shape the strategic direction of the school
  and hold leaders to account through the school
  development plan
• high-quality information
• pupils progress data
• quality of teaching
• visits focused, purposeful, protocols.

17
Learning from the best

• Knowing their school
• A range of good-quality, regular information from
  a variety of sources to ensure an accurate
  understanding of the schools strengths and areas
  for development.
• Did not shy away from asking questions and sought
  further information, explanation or clarification
  as part of their monitoring and decision-making
  processes.
• Two key factors underpinned confident and
  productive questioning
• a positive relationship with senior leaders
• absolutely clear understanding of their different
  roles and responsibilities.

18
Learning from the best

• Providing support and challenge
• Acted as advocates for the pupils.
• Systematically monitored the schools progress
  towards meeting targets in the school development
  plan.
• Understood the quality of teaching.
• Supported the leaders in taking robust action to
  improve teaching when necessary.
• Used the skills they brought, and the information
  they had about the school, to ask challenging
  questions focused on improvement and hold leaders
  to account for pupils achievement.

19
Learning from the best

• Providing support and challenge
• All of the outstanding governing bodies visited
  struck the right balance between supporting
  leaders and providing constructive challenge.
• Three key elements to getting the balance of
  support and constructive challenge right
• understanding roles and responsibilities
• using knowledge, skills and experience
• asking pertinent questions based on knowledge,
  information and understanding of the school.

20
Learning from the best

• Working efficiently
• Role of the clerk and the chair of governors
• Strong team working between the chair, clerk and
  headteacher
• Delegation of work for example to committees
• Systematic monitoring and evaluation of progress
  towards meeting targets
• Engaging others
• Parents
• Pupils
• Wider community

21
Learning from the best

• Making a difference
• Strengthened leadership by
• providing an external view
• having high aspirations
• approving and monitoring priorities
• supporting the development of leadership
  potential
• using skills and expertise to complement those of
  the leadership team
• supporting the appointment and retention of
  staff.

22
Learning from the best

• Governing body self-review
• Why are we doing this?
• What are we trying to achieve?
• What difference have we made?
• Challenged own performance
• Reviewed systems, structures and terms of
  reference
• Considered committee membership
• Seeking and sharing best practice
• Governor recruitment, induction and training

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Reflection

• Thinking about what you have heard so far this
  morning, discuss and note
• ACTIVITY
• What are your strengths as a governing body?
• What do you do well?
• What do you need to do better?

24
Sharing improvement stories
25
Barriers and finding solutions

• ACTIVITY
• In pairs, discuss and note on one side of your
  paper any barriers that might hinder your
  improvement.
• Give your paper to another pair on your table.
• Read the barriers noted by the other pair and
  identify some possible solutions.

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Roles and responsibilities the governor
handbook
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Knowing your schools data and more
28
Knowing your schools

• Knowing your school really well is crucial if you
  are going to be able to support, challenge and
  strengthen leadership so that the school becomes
  at least good.
• ACTIVITY
• On your table discuss how you go about knowing
  your schools.
• What could you do to know your school better?
• What information might you consider?
• What could be the barriers to getting to know
  your school better?

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Knowing your schools data

• In March 2013 HMCI wrote to all chairs of
  governors
• Good governance makes a profound difference to
  schools and their pupils. In a world of school
  freedom and autonomy, you are more important now
  than you have ever been. As Chief Inspector, I
  want to support you to use your powers to drive
  up standards. This is why I recently launched the
  new Data Dashboard for schools.
• Take a moment to read the rest of the letter
  which is on your table.
• ACTIVITY
• Look at the Data Dashboard on your table and
  discuss
• What appear to be the strengths in the school?
• What appears not to be going so well?
• What questions would you ask the school leaders?

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Knowing your schools data

• Data Dashboard gives you some headline
  information.
• To support governors further, RAISEonline has
  been changed. Tables that governors might find
  particularly useful to look at, in addition to
  the Data Dashboard, are now highlighted.
• ACTIVITY
• Look at the RAISEonline on your table and
  discuss
• What appear to be the strengths in the school?
• What appears not to be going so well?
• What questions would you ask the school leaders?
• What other data would you want to know about?

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Knowing your schools data

• Schools have more information than what is
  published in the Data Dashboard and RAISEonline.
• ACTIVITY
• On your table consider
• How well do you know about the attainment of
  pupils when they join the school?
• What do you know about their learning and
  progress in different subjects and year groups as
  they move through the school?
• Do you know how well all groups of pupils achieve
  such as the most able and those eligible for
  the Pupil Premium funding?

32
Knowing your schools more than data

• Data are only part of the picture, although an
  important part.
• Other sources of information are important to
  consider if you are going to know your school
  well.
• ACTIVITY
• Make a list of other sources of information you
  use.
• What is included in the headteachers report?
• Is there anything missing?
• How does your governing body use other
  information?

33
Knowing your schools more than data

• Governors have a key role in engaging with
  stakeholders but who are your stakeholders?
• ACTIVITY
• Agree four groups that you see as key
  stakeholders in your school.
• Consider whether you think you engage with these
  groups
• very well
• quite well
• not well.
• If you said Not well to any of them what
  actions will you take to improve the situation?

34
Governors have a key role in engaging with
stakeholders
The headteacher has proposed to your governing
body that there should be a new approach to
setting homework. Rather than homework being set
on a daily or weekly basis by subject, there
would be a plan of longer learning projects for
pupils to work on over the term. What stakeholder
engagement issues does this proposal pose?
Two letters in your local paper appear to
criticise your school one from a shopkeeper
complaining about children smoking in town in
school uniform and another from an employer,
complaining about standards of numeracy. Does
this have anything to do with governors?
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Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability
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Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability

• Governors must use the wide range of information
  they have about their school to ask probing
  questions, challenge underperformance and hold
  leaders to account for improvement if all pupils
  are going to achieve as well as they should.
• ACTIVITY
• Look at the examples of questions asked by
  governors in School governance learning from the
  best, paragraphs 11, 12, 21 and 22.
• What do you ask questions about and who do you
  ask questions of?
• Think of examples when you have asked probing
  questions that have challenged leaders to explain
  more.
• Can you think of an occasion when you did not ask
  questions that on reflection you now think you
  should have?
• What stopped you asking the questions?
• What will you now do differently?

37
Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability

• Performance management procedures should be up to
  date, rigorous and well understood by staff and
  governors.
• Leaders must have accurate information about the
  quality of teaching.
• Teachers performance objectives need to be
  closely linked to pupils achievement and the
  schools priorities
• There should be clear links between teachers
  objectives and the training and development
  opportunities that they receive.
• Governors must understand their responsibility
  for performance management.

38
Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability
The National Governors Association says
Governing bodies, with their over-arching
responsibility for performance management, should
ensure that they not only receive reports about
whether performance management has been carried
out, but also an assessment of the impact it has
made and the correlation between the performance
management statements and pay.

• ACTIVITY
• Consider whether your governing body does all the
  activities indicated here
• Do you know if staff are supported and challenged
  to improve?
• Is staff training improving teaching and
  achievement?
• If not, do you know why?
• Is good performance rewarded and underperformance
  tackled?

39
Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability

• Governors need to be strategic.
• A high-quality school improvement plan is a key
  strategic tool for governors to
• monitor the progress that the school is making
• hold leaders to account.

40
Using what you know support, challenge and
accountability

• Strategic planning
• ACTIVITY
• How are you involved in the schools
  self-evaluation and improvement planning process?
• How do you know which of the priorities is the
  right one?
• Does the plan have measurable, achievable targets
  and milestones?
• Is the plan manageable?
• Does it include CPD for staff and governors?
• Do you have a systematic approach to monitoring
  the progress of the plan?
• How do you know that actions in the plan are
  really making a difference?

41
Support and training available for governors
42
Planning next steps
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Planning next steps

• Consider what you have heard and discussed today.
• ACTIVITY
• Now look at your own school improvement plan.
• Make any suggestions or amendments to make it a
  really useful, strategic accountability tool for
  your governing body to help drive improvements.
• Identify what further training and support your
  governing body needs.
• Plan what you are going to do to strengthen
  governance and by when.
• Who will be accountable for making sure things
  actually happen?

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Further reading
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Further reading keep up to date
Unseen children access and achievement 20 years
on, Ofsted (130155), 2013 www.ofsted.gov.uk/resou
rces/130155 . The most able students are they
doing as well as they should in our non-selective
secondary schools?, Ofsted (130118), 2013
www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130118. The Pupil
Premium how schools are spending the funding
successfully to maximise achievement, Ofsted
(130016), 2013 www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130016
. Getting to good how headteachers achieve
success, Ofsted (120167), 2012
www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120167. Schools that
stay satisfactory, Ofsted (110151), 2011
www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/110151. School
governance learning from the best, Ofsted
(100238), 2011 www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/100238
.