Effective Governance: Question and Challenge © NGA 2013 1 .

Effective Governance:Question and Challenge

© NGA 2013 1www.nga.org.uk


NGA is a membership organisation

• Representing the governors and trustees in all state funded schools in

England

• Our aim to improve the effectiveness of governing bodies by providing expert

and tailored information and advice, and challenge when appropriate

• NGA is one of the organisations named by the National College for Teaching

and Leadership as being able to carry our reviews of governance

Standard governing body membership is £72

GOLD governing body membership is £260

and includes an advice line


Purpose of the session

To develop governors’ knowledge and understanding of how governing bodies

question and challenge by:

1. Understanding the current background and context for governance

2. Identifying the sort of governing body you are

3. Thinking about how you know your school

4. Reflecting on making an impact


1. The current context for governance

We have high expectations of governing bodies.

They are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to

play in making sure every child gets the best possible education.

Governors’ Handbook 2014


The message from government

• The ‘board of governors’ should operate at a strategic level, leaving the head teacher and senior school leaders responsible and accountable to it for the operational day-to-day running of the school.

• The governing body provides non-executive leadership. Its role is to operate as a board akin to the board of trustees of a charity, or the board of directors of a company.

• The board should avoid its time being consumed with issues of secondary importance, and focus strongly on three core functions: o Setting the vision and strategic direction of schoolo Holding the headteacher to account for its educational

performanceo Ensuring financial resources are well spent

DfE advice, January 2014

In other words, they want all GBs to operate as non-executive boards


2. What sort of GB are you?

High support

Low support

High challengeLow challenge

Partners or critical friends

‘We share everything –good or bad’.

Supporters Club

‘We’re here to support the head’.

Abdicators

‘We leave it to the professionals’.

Adversaries

‘We keep a very close eye on the staff!’.

Governing the School of the Future


The eight elements of effective governance

1. The right people round the table

2. Understanding role and responsibilities

3. Professional clerking

4. Good chairing

5. Good relationships based on trust

6. Knowing the school – the data, the staff, the parents, the

children, the community

7. Committed to asking challenging questions

8. Confident to have courageous conversations in the interests of

the children and young people



3. Knowing your school

In order to hold the school to account, you need to know your school.

How do you know your school –

the children, the staff, the parents, the community?


Sources of information

• School self-evaluation • Data – Ofsted data dashboard, RAISEOnline, Fischer Family Trust• HT reports and in year tracking data • Presentations from other staff (particularly middle leaders)• Reports from external advisers and consultants • Surveys and focus groups • Visits to the school • Reports from the headteacher and other staff;• The school’s tracking data;• Information provided by external advisers

… and asking questions!


Questioning and challenge

Governing bodies need to acknowledge that:

• Support tends to be easy whereas challenge is hard

• There is a difference between ensuring compliance and determining a

strategy for improvement

• We need robust external validation of the school’s judgements

• Encouraging senior leaders to be governors at another school means that

they get to understand the complexity and difficulty of the role

• We must focus on gaps, groups, the impact of initiatives/spending decisions

e.g. Pupil Premium and continually ask ‘follow up’ questions

• Staff need to be trained and confident in managing performance and if not,

that it is our responsibility to do something about this

• We should aim to work to improve the wider system


In groups of five:

1. Decide who is going to be:– The HT and DHT– The GB chair and standards’ committee chair– The observer / notetaker

2. Read the role description for your role

3. Read the local authority visit report

4. Conduct a meeting, led by the chair of governors, to explore the implications of the local authority findings and agree what strategic steps now need to be taken.

5. Feedback to the group on the outcomes of the meeting and what you will feedback to the plenary

6. Plenary

Skills practice


Visiting the school

• Individual governors do not have an automatic right to enter the school whenever they wish

• Governors should not visit the school without the agreement of the head

• There should be a policy which outlines:– The reason for visits:

• Governors should know the fabric of their school• Governors should align their monitoring visits to improvement

priorities • Governors should not make judgments on the quality of teaching

– Protocols which must be followed for setting up the visit– Behaviour whilst carrying out the visit– Reporting the visit


The characteristics of strong governing bodies demonstrated in recent Ofsted reports

They understand their role and how it complements that of the headteacher.

They 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.

They want to see and hear from middle and senior leaders about their work - and challenge them on it.

They have the skills and time to be a visible presence in the school.

They set challenging targets for performance at all levels, including in achievement, teaching and senior management work.

They can form their own analysis of the school’s performance without relying on the headteacher.

Because of all these they are ‘exceptionally well informed’ about their school.


Governors in these schools know how to challenge and have the right skills

‘The governors receive regular and comprehensive reports from the head teacher and have also requested that heads of subject areas attend meetings of the governing body where they are challenged to explain any remaining gaps in attainment for different groups of students.’

‘The members of the governing body are extremely well informed and possess a range of skills and expertise to challenge leaders and managers about the performance of the school - there are many established members who are critical friends of the school's leaders and have effectively challenged many aspects of the school's performance including the new curriculum developments.’

‘The governing body has the knowledge and skills to ask the necessary questions, so that governors can effectively hold the school to account.’

‘The Chair of the Governing body is capable and astute. He has used his wealth of business experience to support the school in challenging underperformance.’

‘Governors have an excellent understanding of the link between performance management and the salary structure.’


See:

• Question and Challenge: a step by step guide

This is a ‘how to’ guide with some examples of questions governors might ask

• NGA Knowing your School series (on NGA website):

Questions for governing bodies to ask

This is a longer more complete set of questions with supporting resources detailing the scope and range of issues the questions should be seeking to address

Asking questions


4. Governance making an impact

• Set the vision and ethos, including what the children should leave the school

having learned

• Stay strategic and focused on improvement priorities: leave the operational to

school leaders, and delegate

• Don’t get overwhelmed by compliance and reviewing policies: focus on principles,

delegating procedures

• Recruit good school leaders (a future challenge) … and trust them to recruit good

staff

• Ensure school leaders are equipped to do their jobs, including HR, procurement,

legal advice, and CPD


Reflection

As a governing body, do we understand:

– The importance of knowing our school

– How we should question and challenge effectively thus holding it to

account?


Reviewing the session

The session has covered:

1. Understanding the current background and context for governance

2. Identifying the sort of governing body you are

3. Thinking about how you know your school

4. Reflecting on making an impact

Has it developed your knowledge and understanding of the governing body role

in questioning and challenge?


Evaluation

We take your feedback very seriously.

This link will be sent though to you in the next few days.

Please take a few moments to complete the survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NGA-consultancy-feedback

Thank you

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NGA-consultancy-feedback


www.nga.org.uk

[email protected]

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Effective Governance: Question and Challenge © NGA 2013 1 .

Documents

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appropriate nga

impact slide

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sort of governing body

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governing bodies question