HMI Cathryn Kirby ppt. March 2014

March 2014

Working together to raise standards

Cathryn Kirby

Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector

What inspection tells us

Stark variations in school performance across different local authority areas.

Inequality of access to a good school.

Wide attainment gap compared to other regions of England, particularly for pupils eligible for free school meals.

Effective governance is an intrinsic part of good leadership.

Good governance is not universal.

Common issues with governanceIssues 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.

Since September 2012, Ofsted has significantly increased the focus on school governance

In the best schools inspectors found governors were very well informed

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

The characteristics of strong governing bodies

Understand their role and how it complements that of the headteacher.

A range of skills that brings something extra. Technical knowledge – of education, data,

statutory responsibilities and performance management.

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

Have the time to be a visible presence in the school.

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

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

Being strategic does not mean you lose the focus on day to day responsibilities:

Ensuring school transport is safe for the pupils

Promoting community cohesion

Ensuring there is no discrimination in the appointment or treatment of staff

Checking the performance of pupils with special educational needs

Monitoring the extent of bullying, including homophobic bullying

Ensuring equal opportunities for pupils

Making health and safety checks

Agreeing the policy for sex education

Promoting high standards

Which of these aspects do governors have a responsibility for?

Ofsted’s report: Getting to Good identified four actions initiated by effective governing bodies• Headteachers and local authorities ensured that

all governors were fully committed to the role. In some cases this led to individuals deciding to resign.

• Governors embarked on training programmes, often provided by the local authority, to strengthen their role.

• Partnerships between governing bodies from different schools were established to share good practice.

• Governing bodies worked alongside headteachers on school improvement. Often they were allocated specific aspects of school improvement to check and report on.

More detailed report recommendations provide an agenda for improving a governing body:

The analysis of recommendations suggest that national priorities for improving governance should focus on:

techniques for governors to use in knowing their school independently of the headteacher, for example, when visiting aspects of the school’s workhow to use data to get to their own independent view of achievement, including of specific groupshow to work with the headteacher on the performance management of staff and teaching in particularhow to plan and deliver performance management of the headteacher including setting targets

We have simplified the twenty ‘self-evaluation’ questions from the Parliamentary group:

All Party Parliamentary Group on Education Governance and Leadership

1. Have we completed a skills audit?   2. Do we find and appoint people on the basis of their skills?

3. Do we understand roles and responsibilities?

  4. Do we have professional clerking?

5. Is their budgeted training for governor needs?

  6. Do we know national concepts of good practice?  

7. Is our committee structure effective?

  8. Does everyone contribute and do we review effectiveness?

9. Do we have clear planning with monitoring?

  10. Does strategic planning drive our activities?

11. Do we understand performance data?

  12. How effectively do we performance manage the headteacher?

13. Do we ensure value for money?   14. Do we listen to pupils, parents and staff?

15. Do we report to parents and community?

  16. Do we gain from collaborations? 

17. Do we review the chair’s performance?

  18. Do we plan for succession? 

19. Are chairs re-elected annually?   20. How much have we contributed to school improvement in last three years?

Reviews of governance?

Can be recommended as a result of an Ofsted inspection, or monitoring visit

School can arrange a review of governance at any time

Their Purpose?

To enable the Governing Body to become:

• More skilled, more focused and more effective;

• More aware of the freedoms available and how take advantage of these;

• Clear in its vision and how it can be achieved

• Confident about roles and responsibilities; the right structures, skills and commitment

Principles of review

•Support to improve and not an additional inspection;

•Process of externally-supported self-review;

•Manageable in terms of time and process;

•Led by an experienced and skilled reviewer;

•Flexible to take account of needs and context;

•Robust and evidenced-based recommendations.

Protocols of review

•Reviewer will build confidence and capacity;

•Review based on trust and mutual respect;

•Reviewers use their experience and skills to identify priorities and solutions;

•GB feels ownership of the outcomes of the review.

Inspectors will judge how well governors evaluate:

Pupil progress

The leadership of teaching

The difference made by initiatives

The impact of senior leaders on improving the school’s effectiveness.

When judging the impact of governors inspectors will:

Always seek to meet with governors, or other authority for schools in managed groups, federations or chains.

Expect governors to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

Expect school governors to understand performance data, including the information that their school’s data dashboard presents.

Examine the impact of leaders at all levels, including governors, and evaluate how well the school is led and managed. Add presentation title to master slide | 16