School & Academy Governance

1. School & Academy Governance A policy overview 25 June 2013 Chris Caroe, Head of the School Governance Unit

2. High quality governance is crucial To children’s education and life chances To holding heads and schools to account To making the most of dedicated volunteers To the future of schools Yet Ofsted find too many schools have mediocre governance 1

3. We want all GBs to operate as non-executive boards focused on three core functions – as reflected in Ofsted’s inspection criteria Setting strategic direction • clarity of vision and ethos • engaging stakeholders • meeting statutory duties • accountability for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety • strengthening school leadership • performance managing the headteacher • contributing to school self-evaluation Creating robust accountability Ensuring financial probity • solvency and effective financial management • use of Pupil Premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning 2

4. A range of policy ambitions underpin this vision of more ‘professionalised’ school governance To raise the profile of governance and set a clear policy framework To see GB constitution focused more on skills To liberate and empower GBs To build the capacity and effectiveness of GBs To ensure GBs are held to account for their effectiveness 3

5. We have aimed to clarify our policy expectations as governance has continued to rise up the agenda Aim 1: Profile and clarity Higher profile Clear policy • In Parliament • From HMCI and Ofsted • From the Minister • Governors’ Handbook • Core functions • Policy note on payment • Academies Financial Handbook • Response to Select Committee inquiry 4

6. We want GBs to focus on constituting and recruiting to secure the skills they need to carry out their demanding functions Aim 2: Focus on skills • Categories do not guarantee good stakeholder engagement; can inflate size and restrict ability to recruit governors with necessary skills • Considerable freedom for academies – transition to academy status key opportunity to review and refresh GB • From Sept 2012, maintained schools may opt into less prescriptive regulations and so focus more on appointing governors for their skills 5

7. We want GBs to feel liberated and empowered to focus on holding their headteacher to account Aim 3: Liberate and empower Reducing bureaucracy • New regs on Roles, Procedures and Allowances from Sept 2013 • Duties removed or simplified • Less prescriptive model academy Articles Empowering accountability • New sources of objective data • Questions for GBs to ask • National College workshops 6

8. We are committed to continuing, and looking at how we can increase, our support to GBs Aim 4: Build capacity Support, training and advice Governor recruitment • No plans to mandate governor training • Aiming to expand role of National College • GovernorLine contract expires in December 13 • Promoting the importance of clerking • Funding for SGOSS committed to 2015 to enable growth • Lord Nash discussion with employers in Sept on employee volunteering • No plans to start paying governors 7

9. Aim 5: Sharpen accountability Volunteer doesn’t mean amateur, GBs need to be held to account for their effectiveness, under-performance will be addressed Inspection • Explicit focus in every inspection • External review in Category 3 schools • Re-inspection of Category 3 schools within two years Intervention • Warning notices and IEBs • Termination of academy funding agreements • Help for failing schools to find high quality academy sponsor 8

10. GBs will also want to consider the implications of some interesting emerging practice Benefits of MATs, UTs, school sponsors, federations, diocese, etc Is the standalone GB ideal? Is there a role for some professional accountability? • Executive heads / Trust CEOs providing professional challenge and performance management of school leaders 9

11. For more information please visit www.education.gov.uk/governance Questions or comments can be sent to School.Governance@education.gsi.gov.uk