1. roles and responsibilities
David Marriott
David Marriott Limited

2. After this session
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3. The purpose of the governing body
To make sure the school provides the best possible education for all its pupils

4. A corporate body
Individual governors have no power or right to act on behalf of the GB, except where the whole governing body has delegated a specific function to that individual
Governors should act at all times with honesty and integrity and be ready to explain their actions and decisions to staff, pupils, parents and anyone with a legitimate interest in the school
Decisions demand collective responsibility: the majority view must be supported publicly – otherwise, resign

5. Principles of corporate governance
Rights and equitable treatment of shareholders: Organizations should respect the rights of shareholders and help shareholders to exercise those rights. They can help shareholders exercise their rights by openly and effectively communicating information and by encouraging shareholders to participate in general meetings.
Interests of other stakeholders: Organizations should recognize that they have legal, contractual, social, and market driven obligations to non-shareholder stakeholders, including employees, investors, creditors, suppliers, local communities, customers, and policy makers.
Role and responsibilities of the board: The board needs sufficient relevant skills and understanding to review and challenge management performance. It also needs adequate size and appropriate levels of independence and commitment to fulfil its responsibilities and duties.
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6. Principles of corporate governance
Integrity and ethical behaviour: Integrity should be a fundamental requirement in choosing corporate officers and board members. Organizations should develop a code of conduct for their directors and executives that promotes ethical and responsible decision making.
Disclosure and transparency: Organizations should clarify and make publicly known the roles and responsibilities of board and management to provide stakeholders with a level of accountability. They should also implement procedures to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of the company's financial reporting. Disclosure of material matters concerning the organization should be timely and balanced to ensure that all investors have access to clear, factual information.
Source: the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, an attempt by the federal government in the United States to legislate several of the principals recommended in earlier Cadbury and OECD reports
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7. Questions for Corporate governance in schools
Who are our shareholders/ stakeholders?
What are our obligations to them and how well do we fulfil those obligations?
Does the GB have sufficient relevant skills and understanding to review and challenge management performance?
Is it an adequate size and are there appropriate levels of independence and commitment to fulfil its responsibilities and duties?
Is integrity a fundamental requirement in choosing our chair, vice chair, clerk and GB members (where we have a choice)?
Do we have a code of conduct for us and our leadership team that promotes ethical and responsible decision making?
Do we clarify and make publicly known the roles and responsibilities of the GB and school management to provide stakeholders with a level of accountability?
Have we implemented procedures to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of the school's financial reporting?
Is the disclosure of material matters concerning the school timely and balanced to ensure that all interested parties have access to clear, factual information?
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8. How do heads and governors share the load?
ensure school runs effectively, providing best possible education
challenge and support school to do better
take strategic view, set up policies, plans and targets
monitor and evaluate results
delegate enough power to head to run school effectively
accountable to parents and LA for how school is run
appoint head and deputy
Head
organises, manages and controls the school day-to-day, inc all staff
expects GB to challenge and support school to do better
discusses main aspects of school life with GB
accountable to GB for how school is led and managed and its performance

9. The governor’s role
One morning in the school playground a small group of parents approaches you and asks you to sort out a problem for them
Their children’s teacher has gone on maternity leave, replaced by a newly qualified teacher
They feel that the new teacher isn’t doing as good a job as her predecessor
They want you to “do something about it”
What do you do next?

10. Managing the workload Scheme of Delegation skills audit and deployment
committees and task groups
specialist governors
associate members
Standing Orders
Online participation: guidance for school governors
Guide to the Law
Code of Conduct

11. Code of conduct General
We understand the purpose of the governing body and the role of the headteacher as set out above
We are aware of and accept the Nolan seven principles of public life: see appendix
We accept that we have no legal authority to act individually, except when the governing body has given us delegated authority to do so, and therefore we will only speak on behalf of the governing body when we have been specifically authorised to do so.
We have a duty to act fairly and without prejudice, and in so far as we have responsibility for staff, we will fulfil all that is expected of a good employer.
We will encourage open government and will act appropriately.
We accept collective responsibility for all decisions made by the governing body or its delegated agents. This means that we will not speak against majority decisions outside the governing body meeting.
We will consider carefully how our decisions may affect the community and other schools.
We will always be mindful of our responsibility to maintain and develop the ethos and reputation of our school. Our actions within the school and the local community will reflect this.
In making or responding to criticism or complaints affecting the school we will follow the procedures established by the governing body.

12. Commitment
We acknowledge that accepting office as a governor involves the commitment of significant amounts of time and energy.
We will each involve ourselves actively in the work of the governing body, and accept our fair share of responsibilities, including service on committees or working groups.
We will make full efforts to attend all meetings and where we cannot attend explain in advance in full why we are unable to.
We will get to know the school well and respond to opportunities to involve ourselves in school activities.
Our visits to school will be arranged in advance with the staff and undertaken within the framework established by the governing body and agreed with the headteacher.
We will consider seriously our individual and collective needs for training and development, and will undertake relevant training
We are committed to actively supporting and challenging the headteacher.

13. Relationships
We will strive to work as a team in which constructive working relationships are actively promoted.
We will express views openly, courteously and respectfully in all our communications with other governors.
We will support the chair in their role of ensuring appropriate conduct both at meetings and at all times.
We are prepared to answer queries from other governors in relation to delegated functions and take into account any concerns expressed, and we will acknowledge the time, effort and skills that have been committed to the delegated function by those involved.
We will seek to develop effective working relationships with the headteacher, staff and parents, the local authority and other relevant agencies and the community.

14. Code of conduct Confidentiality
We will observe complete confidentiality when matters are deemed confidential or where they concern specific members of staff or pupils, both inside or outside school
We will exercise the greatest prudence at all times when discussions regarding school business arise outside a governing body meeting.
We will not reveal the details of any governing body vote.
Conflicts of interest
We will record any pecuniary or other business interest that we have in connection with the governing body’s business in the Register of Business Interests.
We will declare any pecuniary interest - or a personal interest which could be perceived as a conflict of interest - in a matter under discussion at a meeting and offer to leave the meeting for the appropriate length of time.

15. Breach of the code
If we believe this code has been breached, we will raise this issue with the Chair and the Chair will investigate; the governing body should only use suspension as a last resort after seeking to resolve any difficulties or disputes in more constructive ways;
We understand that any allegation of a material breach of this code of practice by any governor shall be raised at a meeting of the governing body, and, if agreed to be substantiated by a majority of governors, shall be minuted and can lead to consideration of suspension from the governing body.

16. 7 principles of public life
Selflessness: holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
Integrity: holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties.
Objectivity: in carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
Accountability: holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
Openness: holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands this.
Honesty: holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
Leadership: holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

17. 3 key roles Provide a strategic view Act as a critical friend
Provide accountability

18. Strategic view
Decide what you want the school to be like in the future – vision
Set suitable aims and objectives
Agree priorities, policies and targets
Strategic and development plans
Evaluate progress towards the vision

19. Food for thought… Top layer: looking into the future: long term
Middle layer: strategic plan: medium term
Bottom layer: the school improvement plan: short term

20. Education trends less money
decentralisation of education, curriculum and testing; revision of the National Curriculum
increasingly diverse range of schools with significant autonomy - Academies and Free Schools; two tier system?
new forms of school leadership and organisation (including federations, chains of schools, all-through schools)
parental choice and influence
accountability to a range of bodies and groups
performance management and professional development
recruitment and retention issues, alternative staffing patterns, shortage of school leaders, alternative leadership models
the impact of technology – social networking; mobile phones; cloud computing
lighter touch Ofsted inspections

21. SWOT
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Internal
External

22. Critical friend Support Constructive advice Sounding board
Second opinion
Help where needed
Challenge
Ask the right questions, of the right person, for the right reasons, at the right time, in the right way
Improve proposals
Seek best solution for all

23. Where does your governing body sit?
High support
Partners or critical friends
Supporters Club
‘We’re here to support the head’.
‘We share everything –good or bad’.
Low challenge
High challenge
Evidence for judgement?
Abdicators
Adversaries
‘We keep a very close eye on the staff!’.
‘We leave it to the professionals’.
Low support

24. Monitor and evaluate What?
school performance data
policies, plans, improvement strategies
resources and the budget
the school (or learning) environment
our own performance as a governing body

25. Ofsted - what should schools evaluate?
How well learners perform in terms of:
the overall standards they attain
the standards attained by different groups such as girls and boys, those from different ethnic groups, and those with different special needs
the progress made by different groups of learners over time
outcomes from learners’ personal development and well-being

26. Sources of information
Raw data and league tables
RAISEonline
Ofsted report
School Self-Evaluation information
Headteacher’s report
Pupil tracking data (anonymised)
Subject leader report
Link governor report
School Improvement or Development Plan (and related progress reports)
School Profile
School Awards (eg Investors In People, Healthy Schools, Artsmark; Basic Skills)
Curriculum Committee minutes

27. Questions about the data
how do our results compare overall and by subject with those of previous years? (are they rising, holding steady, or falling? Have we met our targets?)
how do they compare with national standards?
how do they compare with similar schools?
how well do different groups of pupils progress? (key stages, year groups, gender, ethnicity, special educational needs, high attainers?)
how do different subjects compare with each other?

28. Accountability Being accountable for School performance GB’s actions
Taking account of
Performance data
Feedback from stakeholders
Self-evaluation
Giving an account
To parents and the community
To Ofsted
To Diocese

29. Accountable for... School performance Taking account of: SEF
RAISEonline
PM – headteacher performance management
Stakeholder feedback eg complaints and compliments
GB’s actions
Taking account of:
Minutes
GB self-evaluation eg Governor Mark
Training record
Key Message: the RIG Guidance
clarifies key elements the revised Performance Management arrangements, and
highlights the importance of Performance Management in meeting the needs of both the individual and the school
PM provides an assessment of the overall performance of the teacher/head teacher’s
The STPCD* provides for how the outcomes of PM form the basis of pay and career progression
Professional Standards – define the professional attributes, knowledge, and understanding and skills for teachers/head teachers at each career stage. These cover:-
QTS(Q)
Main scale teachers who have successfully completed induction (I)
Post threshold teachers (P)
Excellent teachers (E)
Advanced Skills teachers (A
Professional development - professional responsibility of teacher/head teachers to be engaged in effective, sustained and relevant professional development throughout their career and to contribute to the professional development of others
Ongoing part of daily activities rather than a separate activity adding to workload
* STPCD - School and Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document

30. Giving an account To parents and the community School profile Reports?
Regular communication:
Newsletter
Website
Presence at school
To Ofsted
Ensuring the governing body provides effective challenge and support so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities are met
Fulfil statutory responsibilities
Shape the direction
Challenge and support leaders