1. Clerks’ Briefing
Spring 2016

2. OFSTED Gary Perkins Head of School Improvement

3. Activity: The Clerk’s Role in Ofsted Inspection of Governance

4. Governing Body Annual Planning Cycle

5. Annual Governance Statement

6. A requirement of the EFA Academy Accounts Direction
Annual Governance Statements: Academy Trusts
A requirement of the EFA Academy Accounts Direction
Must include the following:
Scope of Responsibility
Governance
Review of Value for Money
Purpose of the system of internal control
Capacity to handle risk
Risk and control framework
Review of effectiveness

7. Take advice from your Trust
Annual Governance Statements: Local Governing Bodies of MATs
May be required to publish accounts, and include a Governance Statement
May be required to publish a statement on the maintained schools model (see next slide)
Take advice from your Trust

8. It is good practice to publish a governance statement which includes:
Annual Governance Statements: Maintained Schools
It is good practice to publish a governance statement which includes:
“The governance arrangements which are in place, including the remit of any committees
The attendance record of individual governors at board and committee meetings and
An assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the board and any committees with details of any particular challenges which have arisen”

9. Activity: Audit of Governing Body Procedures

10. Updates and General Information

11. Governance Handbook
The DFE Governors’ Handbook has been re-issued and renamed the Governance Handbook:
Covers all types of school governance: maintained, academy trust, local governing bodies
Outlines roles, responsibilities and legal duties for all state schools in England
An emphasis on the value of collaboration, whether through federation or multi academy trusts
Makes it clear that local governing bodies (LGBs) in multi school structures are wholly advisory unless governance functions are delegated to them through a scheme of delegation
An emphasis on the skills and knowledge necessary for effective governance, and that boards should “actively recruit, develop and retain high calibre board members”

12. Publication and Review of SEND Information
The following information should underpin a school’s provision for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Local Offer. This is published by the LA and gives information about the support for pupils with SEND which is available in schools in the area
SEND Information Report. This is information about the provision in the individual school. It must be published, updated and reviewed annually and approved by the full governing body
SEND Policy. This outlines the vision, values and aims of the school’s SEND provision. The SEND Information Report (above) details how the SEND Policy is implemented in school. There is no statutory requirement to publish the SEND Policy as a separate stand-alone document

13. New DFE Guidance on Parental Complaints
New guidance has been issued for dealing with parental complaints: (
Aimed at maintained schools, not academies (although academies could use it as a good practice model, within certain parameters – see below)
The advice suggests three formal stages for dealing with complaints. Where a complainant is dissatisfied with how a headteacher has dealt with a complaint the next stage of escalation is to a governors’ complaints panel
Advice is included about dealing with unreasonable (vexatious) complaints
Academies should refer to the Independent School Standards when setting their Complaints Policy and should note the requirement for complaints panels to include a member who is “independent of the management and running of the school”

14. Prevent Duty
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act requires certain authorities, including schools, to “have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism”
In schools, this is part of the wider safeguarding duty and is consistent with schools’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, the duty to promote fundamental British values, and to promote community cohesion
Schools need to ensure that their safeguarding procedures take into account the risk of radicalisation, including exposure to harmful content online
Staff should receive training in identifying children at risk and what action to take if they have a concern. Many schools are cascading a summary of this training to governors
Head of Inclusion Claire George is the LA lead for Prevent

15. Financial Efficiency Tool from DFE
This tool has recently been launched by the DFE to provide schools with an indication of their efficiency compared with similar schools
The tool is an excel spreadsheet which needs to be used with an accompanying user guide
It enables users to assess how a school compares to statistically similar schools in terms of value added and income

16. Home-School Agreement
Under the Deregulation Act 2015 schools are no longer required to adopt Home School Agreements and associated parental declarations.
Schools can decide how they maintain these relationships, and can continue to implement Home School Agreements if they wish

17. Governor DBS Checks
DBS and Barred List checks are a requirement for Academy Governors
Currently, governors of maintained schools do not need DBS checks unless the governing body decides to make this a requirement
The Government has consulted on a proposal that all governors in maintained schools should be DBS checked in the future
If the proposals go ahead checks will be compulsory for all new governors from 1st April 2016 and for existing governors from 1st September 2016

18. Governor Information on School Websites
Problems?
Advice?
Anything to share?

19. Agenda reminders for Spring 2 and Summer 1
End of Year Financial position (maintained schools)
Budget (maintained schools)
Spending priorities for next year
Staffing Structure for next year
Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS)
Anything else?

20. Any other Business: Questions, good practice, anything to share?

21. Dates of next briefings
Tuesday 14th June :30am