School Governance

Sample school development and improvement plan (primary)

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:25 +0100

Sample school development and improvement plan

Written by Kevin Bullock

As well as providing a free sample of a development and improvement plan, this resource will:

Admission appeals: how to avoid litigation

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100

This article expands on Admissions and appeals, the new codes explained, in Education Law Update last month, and critically analyses how admissions authorities and statutory appeal panels should tackle their decision-making in order to avoid potential litigation by parents.

Many readers will be aware that the previous statutory schools admissions guidance has, over the years, led to a number of complaints by parents to the local government ombudsman and has also resulted in applications for judicial review to the High Court.

Governors: getting involved in your school's sport

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100

Not only does PESSCL (PE, school sport and club links strategy) provide the governing body as a whole with a framework and set of targets against which the capacity of a school to deliver high quality physical activity can be measured, but it also provides a professional infrastructure around which individual governors with interest and expertise in the area can make a personal contribution to an important aspect of child development.

A mature governor reflects on 40 years in the education system

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:57 +0100

In perspective, history often looks like a repeating pattern of action and reaction.

Secondary school partnerships: the role of governors

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:57 +0100

Schools and colleges that work in partnership provide a better offer to their students, make faster progress and improve their performance. That is the core message of my study for the Association of School and College Leaders on collaborative working in the secondary school sector.

Governor participation: getting to know your school

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:54 +0100

Even experienced governors often ask how they can play a useful part as individuals.

Legal basics for teachers: Structure and responsibilities of governing bodies

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

(This article includes a quick reference list of categories of governor)

Democratic accountability is a common feature of most public services. School governance is a quite radical approach to such accountability, involving many participants, and based on the twin principles of volunteering and stakeholder representation.

Building Schools for the Future: Involvement for governors

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

Governors, the oft-repeated mantra goes, play a pivotal role in the ‘strategic management’ of schools in England and Wales.

Achievements and failures of 'local management'

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

In 1982 Cambridgeshire set up a pilot scheme for what it called ‘Local Financial Management’ (LFM). Six secondary schools and one primary were allocated, as a lump sum, the money they would have had spent on them by the LEA but were given the freedom to spend it as they wished.

Appointing a headteacher - advice for governors

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:47 +0100

The appointment of a new headteacher is an awesome responsibility and, I scarcely need to say, the most important decision most governing bodies ever have to make.

I know how it feels as I am in the middle of it as I write, but I won’t talk about that except to say that if you are replacing a wonderful head it is the most frightening experience of your life.

Parent governor representatives

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:47 +0100

A research study into the work of Parent Governor Representatives has concluded that the role is ‘both necessary and worth doing’, but the researchers warn that, ‘at present it is hard to avoid concluding other than that PGRs are being sent into battle with one arm strapped behind their backs’.

The report was commissioned by the charity Research and Information on State Education (RISE) and carried out by the Centre for Successful Schools at Keele University, and Create Consultants.

Bringing school governors into Circle Time

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:46 +0100

The Whole School Quality Circle Time Model has now been implemented in hundreds of schools, whose members know that the first focus must be on enhancing the mental health of the adults.

This means all the adults, no matter what their involvement with the school, whether they are teachers, parents, administrators, assistants, school governors or any of the school’s support staff.

Academies: independence and freedom — or state control?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:45 +0100

There seems to be a degree of urban myth developing in relation to academies, evidenced by the stimulus for this article — a recent comment that I heard in the course of my practice that in one area 'there are four or five academies selecting from the same pool of children. Each is supposed to take 25 per cent from each ability band to get an even distribution of ability within the school, but when it comes down to it there is “trading” that goes on between them — within an ability band there is top end and bottom end.'

What are school governors for?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:41 +0100

Schools serving areas of disadvantage face significant challenges. Driving up achievement, managing behaviour and attendance, dealing with crises in the lives of pupils and their families are all more difficult here than in more favoured areas.

In this context, governing bodies can make three powerful contributions:

They can keep their eye on school performance and challenge heads and their staff to do even better.
They can act as sounding boards for headteachers, making available their local knowledge.

Building partnerships to boost creativity

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:41 +0100

‘Partnerships between schools and creative practitioners help unlock the creativity of learners and educators and develop creative approaches to teaching all aspects of the curriculum.’
Lord Adonis, Schools Minister

Creativity is being seen by an increasing number of schools as a process that can increase the motivation of teachers and learners, raising achievement and helping them to meet improvement targets.

Guidance on using biometric technology

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:39 +0100

Governors and headteachers are being urged to be clear and open with parents and pupils about the growing use of biometric technology in schools.

Promoting governor and parent partnership

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:36 +0100

However much – or little – your school encourages parental involvement in aspects of its daily life, there can be no doubting that the school can benefit considerably through developing a close partnership between governors and parents.

Engaging governance: teaching and learning involvement

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

Perhaps one of the first things to consider when working with governors is not what they want from you, but what support they can offer to you and ultimately the learners. Governors bring a wealth of expertise from their life experiences and working environments, many of which are transferrable skills that you can utilise.
When working with governors on curriculum issues, it is important that you inform them of issues that affect your school at present, relative to the school improvement plan and in relation to national/government initiatives. These include:

Effective governance and excellent leadership

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

When I arrived at Firth Park in September 1995, there were three to four governors who ran the governors’ meetings and agenda. The other governors felt disenfranchised and marginalised. Often they did not turn up to meetings or if they did, they contributed little to the discussions.

Governor expectations

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

I often think how much success or failure in key relationships of our lives depends on having appropriate expectations of those we live or work with, and indeed of ourselves.

Often success also depends on making expectations explicit, even negotiating them. Too high and disappointment is followed by resentment. Too low and we debase and demoralise each other and performance suffers.

Extended services – the inside story

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

Hengrove Community Arts College is a mixed school for students aged 11-19. It is located in South Bristol and serves one of the most deprived areas in the country.

Just over three years ago (January 2004) it went into special measures. At that time the key issues facing the college included to:

Creative collaboration in fundraising

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:33 +0100

As school leaders we are often placed in a dilemma as to whether an additional source of funding allows us to carry out a genuinely worthwhile project. For example, many school managers have received grants for reasonably large amounts, often through Pathfinder projects, announced this to staff and then realised that the funds are so tightly directed that there is no additional revenue to pursue any other objectives.

Expectations of governors

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:30 +0100

I often think how much success or failure in key relationships of our lives depends on having appropriate expectations of those we live or work with, and indeed of ourselves.

Often success also depends on making expectations explicit, even negotiating them. Too high and disappointment is followed by resentment. Too low and we debase and demoralise each other and performance suffers.

Extended services – the inside story

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:30 +0100

Hengrove Community Arts College is a mixed school for students aged 11-19. It is located in South Bristol and serves one of the most deprived areas in the country.
Just over three years ago (January 2004) it went into special measures. At that time the key issues facing the college included to:

improve attitudes and behaviour;
improve standards of oral skills, literacy and numeracy;
increase the proportion of effective teaching and learning;
continue efforts to improve attendance and punctuality.

Ensuring race equality in education

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:30 +0100

‘Education has a key role to play in eradicating racism and valuing diversity.’ This was one of the conclusions announced by Sir William Macpherson in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry published in 1999.

Requirements to teach excluded pupils

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:30 +0100

From September 2007, maintained schools in England became responsible for providing full-time education for excluded pupils from the sixth day of their exclusion.

This change in the law stems from the recommendations of Sir Alan Steer’s report on school behaviour and discipline which found that a fixed period exclusion is often an ineffective sanction as some pupils may view it as an extra holiday. At present local authorities are only required to provide education for excluded pupils from the 16th day of their exclusion.

The rise of the career of a deputy headteacher

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:27 +0100

‘Are you a headteacher yet?’ How often have deputies heard this question from friends, family and former colleagues? The assumption is that all deputy heads are in a ‘waiting bay’; on hold until the right opportunity presents itself. While this might be true for some deputies, many are more than happy to work to their strengths.

Adapting behaviour policies to new powers

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:26 +0100

The guidance observes that it has long been established that rewards are more effective than punishment in motivating pupils and that praising and rewarding positive behaviour encourages others to act similarly. It says, therefore, that the school behaviour policy should not only specify what sanctions are available to staff but also how positive behaviour will be reinforced through praise and rewards.

Welsh education reaches a new milestone

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:26 +0100

School funding
The principal concern governors in Wales have remains the level of school funding. Unlike in England, almost all the funding schools receive comes through the LEA, and the amount is still largely at the discretion of the LEA.

Differences between primary and secondary governance

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:26 +0100

Recently I met a brave parent governor who believed in seeing the job through to the end.

When her child moved on to secondary school she again stood as a parent representative in the hope that she would enjoy it as much, feel just as involved, be just as sure of doing a relevant and rewarding job. Sadly she was disappointed.

She had felt part of the primary school:

A fresh look at reporting and accounting

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:26 +0100

The headteacher will be the source of much – but not all – of this information; governing body committees and individual governors with delegated powers, and working parties, have a responsibility to report clearly to the full governing body. And governors have a major responsibility for requesting and using information to the greatest effect.

Governor briefing: changes in the focus of education

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:19 +0100

by Joan Sallis

One is the movement towards making designated schools into centres of whole community concern for children from babyhood, with all the agencies which serve the family collaborating to achieve the best possible environment for the health, happiness and learning of the individual. The other is the unmistakable spontaneous movement of schools themselves into a whole-child approach to learning – body, mind and spirit all needing to be nurtured.

Appointing heads remains a crucial role

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:19 +0100

By Nick Bannister

That’s a key recommendation in a study from the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), produced in partnership with governor organisations, which recommends that all involved in the recruitment process – governing bodies, headteachers, advisers and consultants – adopt a set of simple steps that will give schools a much better chance of retaining a head once appointed.

The economic benefit of going green

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:17 +0100

The government has signalled its intention to raise the profile of sustainability for schools over the next few years. While sustainable development comes from a realisation that we cannot continue to manage the earth’s natural resources in a careless manner (see definition below), it also has key financial implications for schools.

It's harder to stop than to start!

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:13 +0100

During the summer, the Department of Health issued a consultation paper on raising the age for the legal purchase of tobacco from 16 to 18. The consultation went to local authorities, health bodies and voluntary organisations but not to schools, so you may not have heard about it.

Exploring new models of governance

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:13 +0100

He concluded that : ‘Governance does appear to be here to stay and still has important responsibilities and work to do but may not be allowed to continue in its present form, given governmental pressures. No one should pretend that the existing model is perfect or a sacred cow.’

Leaving the scene: but the play must go on

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:13 +0100

‘From now on [choosing my successor] is the most important decision I’ll make. It occupies a considerable amount of thought every day.’

Jack Welch, CEO General Electric, nine years before his retirement. Quoted by Collins and Porras.

Seeking strengthened leadership and capacity

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

One of the more contentious aspects of the 2006 Education and Inspections Bill, recently passed into law, was the proposal to make possible the establishment of trust schools. The key concern was that, having control of their own admissions, they could potentially disrupt local admissions procedures with a consequent negative impact on the communities that they currently serve and on other local schools.

Exclusions: guidance and legislation from the top

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

Legislation may come and go. Children will be educated (or not), grow up and produce the next round of pupils. Rules will be agreed, broken and sanctions administered. Whatever might change, concern about children’s behaviour remains.

Mixed messages on inclusion policy

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

In its report on Special Educational Needs (1), the Education and Skills Select Committee expressed concern about what the government meant when it used the term inclusion in relation to education policy, and what the implications of its views on inclusion were for local authorities, schools, and for parents of children with special educational needs. This concern was expressed as follows:

Permanent exclusion of a pupil with SEN

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

ANSWER: A useful recent case is W (A Minor) v Independent Appeal Panel of London Borough of X and Governing Body of Y School [2005] ELR 223, which looks at the meaning of ‘exceptional circumstances’.

M, a pupil with SEN, was a pupil at a school whose behaviour policy said that being in possession of a weapon would result in immediate, permanent exclusion.

The importance of windows on the school

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

One might conclude from studying these that we had our finger on the pulse of schools: making key appointments, framing the agenda, monitoring standards, setting targets, promoting good behaviour and occasionally providing an informal ‘fair trial’ for staff and students in trouble. The reality for many typical school governors falls ludicrously short of this fantasy despite their goodwill, their commitment and the skill of their trainers.

Headship and the teaching conundrum

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:07 +0100

The role of the headteacher is extremely complex, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities. As we develop into an ever more litigious society, it could be argued that the responsibilities have become too onerous – hence the large number of unfilled headteacher vacancies.

Governors and head: make it a relationship that works