Holding your school to account

1. Holding your school to account David Marriott

2. Spot the connection 1

3. Spot the connection 2

4. Spot the connection 3

5. “Corporate governance has been gaining more predominance around the world over the last decade.  However the last year or so…has seen an unprecedented interest in some of the areas that are central to corporate governance: • executive remuneration; • boards of directors, independent non-executive directors; • internal controls and risk management; • the role of shareholders.” • Chris Mallin • Feb 2009 How could this have happened?

6. Rights and equitable treatment of shareholders • Interests of other stakeholders • Role and responsibilities of the board • Integrity and ethical behaviour • Disclosure and transparency • 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 Principles of corporate governance

7. 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)? Questions for corporate governance in schools

8. 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? Questions for corporate governance in schools

9. "If local democracy had worked, if local governing bodies had worked in the most challenging schools and for the most disadvantaged children, we would never have needed academies" • "Often governing bodies are the problem, actually“ • Sir Michael Wilshaw • Head of Mossbourne academy, Hackney

10. “The new theology of the Coalition government is autonomy and choice…Governors are more important in a more autonomous system. Their ability to challenge and lead is the key.” • Sue Hackman • Chief Adviser for School Standards, DfE • 13.10.2011 Autonomy

11. Being ACCOUNTable • Taking ACCOUNT of • Giving an ACCOUNT Accountability

12. Accountability • Being accountable for • Effectiveness: school performance • Efficiency: value for money • Taking account of • Performance data • Feedback from stakeholders • Self-evaluation • Policies, plans, improvement strategies • School environment • GB’s actions • Giving an account • To parents and the community • To Ofsted • To Diocese

13. Accountable for... • Effectiveness: • school performance • Taking account of: • Self evaluation (inc GB) • RAISEonline • Headteacher performance management • Stakeholder feedback eg complaints and compliments • Policies, plans, improvement strategies • School environment • Efficiency: • value for money • Taking account of • Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) • Financial reports to GB • Finance committee minutes • Financial benchmarking • Value for Money tools

14. 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

15. 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 Abdicators Adversaries ‘We keep a very close eye on the staff!’. ‘We leave it to the professionals’. Low support

16. Holding the school to account? Head’s roles • organises, manages and controls the school day-to-day • expects GB to challenge and support school to do better • discusses main aspects of school life with GB • reports to GB on how school is managed • So…the head is the “chief executive” • So…holding the school to account means holding the head to account, in practice Governors’ roles • 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

17. The right relationship • “Governing bodies should be the key strategic body in schools, responsible for the overall direction that a school takes. In that respect, governors are also therefore the key body for school improvement.’ • Lord Hill, 2011 • The headteacher is accountable to the governing body – both for the functions performed as part of the headteacher’s normal role, and for powers delegated by the governing body • A Guide to the Law for School Governors, 201

18. A partnership of equals?

19. “Heads love mediocre governing bodies” • John Dunford • Whole Education • Ex head and chair of ASCL Test your strength

20. Knowledge is power Just add information…

21. How do you know how well your school is doing? • Doing…in what sense? • How well should it be doing? • How do we know? • What should we be looking for? • Where might we find it? • What questions should we ask? • Who can we ask? • How do we know if the answers are reliable and honest? • What do we do if we find they’re not?

22. Data analysis • Validation of self-evaluation • Triangulation • Asking questions - teachers, parents, youngsters, governors, head… • Observation • Comparison • Work sampling • Discussion between inspectors How does Ofsted do it?

23. 2009 Ofsted old and new • Overall effectiveness • How effective and efficient are the provision and related services in meeting the full range of learners’ needs and why? • What steps need to be taken to improve the provision further? • Achievement and standards • How well do learners achieve? • The Quality of Provision • How effective are teaching, training and learning? • How well do programmes and activities meet the needs and interests of learners? • How well are learners guided and supported? • Leadership and Management • How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? 2012 report on ‘the quality of education provided in the school’ and must give priority to: the achievement of pupils at the school the quality of teaching in the school the quality of the leadership in and management of the school the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school. Inspectors must consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; and the extent to which the education provided by the school enables all pupils to achieve, in particular disabled pupils and pupils who have special educational needs.

24. What are our values? POLICIES What is our vision? What are we trying to achieve? PLANS Who do we ask and how? What is the evidence? SEF Where do we get the information? DATA To whom are we accountable? Inc PROFILE How do we know it’s happening? REPORTS VISITS What kinds of achievement do we value? How do we contribute to planning for it? SDP + PERF. MGT + RESOURCES

25. Sources of information • Raw data and league tables • Value Added (VA) data – RAISEonline • Pupil tracking data (anonymised) • Ofsted report • Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) • Headteacher’s report • 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

26. New National Curriculum • New assessment regime and methodology • Progress measures • EBacc and its effects • How well deprived groups do • What happens when they leave? • New floor standards • Value for money – results vs expenditure • What are your internal school performance indicators? What’s next?