Peterborough Better English Conference

1. Peterborough Better English Conference Governor Monitoring Prue Rayner HMI 20 March 2015

2. ‘Strong leadership and governance are key to ensuring successful education outcomes for young people’. CBI November 2013 Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

3. Sir Michael Wilshaw HMCI is on record as saying that while governance may not always make headlines nationally, it can and does make a profound difference in schools. • He has praised the 300,000 or so school governors in England, acknowledging that they are one of the largest and most hardworking volunteer groups in the country. • “The role of governance in driving up the quality of teaching and leadership in our schools and colleges will be fundamental…and Ofsted will support leaders and governors focusing on improving teaching and learning – I pay tribute to those who bring their skills to the role.” Seminar 4 February 2015 3

4. The report of HMCI 2013/14Common weaknesses in the region’s inadequate schools • low expectations of pupils, in some cases, particularly boys • ineffective support to improve teaching, frequently compounded by inaccurate self-assessment on the quality of teaching • not using data to track pupils’ progress or link teachers’ pay progression with impact on outcomes • not making effective use of the considerable funding to support underachieving and low-income groups • capacity of middle/subject leaders to do their jobs well, particularly when senior leaders do not hold them to account • governors who do not challenge the information they are given or promote improvement at a fast enough pace Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

5. The report of HMCI 2013/14 Schools requiring improvement Where schools requiring improvement do improve they have: • an unrelenting focus on improving teaching • a coherent link between self-evaluation, improvement planning and performance management • governors who play a strategic role, augmented by first-hand knowledge of what is going on in their schools, understand data and, therefore, ask the right questions of school leaders. • Bullet style 2 Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

6. Absolute clarity about the different roles and responsibilities of the headteacher and governors underpins the most effective governance. Protocols, specific duties and terms of reference are made explicit in written documents. ‘ • School leaders and governors behave with integrity and are mutually supportive. School leaders recognise that governors provide them with a different perspective which contributes to strengthening leadership. The questions they ask challenge assumptions and support effective decision making. ‘Governors understand their roles and offer good guidance to those who are new to the governing body’ Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

7. Strategic Leadership

8. Driving improvement – strategic leadership • clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction • contribution to the school’s self-evaluation and understanding its strengths and weaknesses, including the quality of teaching and of pupils’ achievement • provide challenge and hold the headteacher and other senior leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and pupils’ behaviour and safety………or whether they hinder school improvement by failing to tackle key concerns or developing their own skills • monitor performance management systems and understand how the school makes decisions about teachers’ salary progression, including the performance management of the headteacher, to improve teaching, leadership and management • engage with key stakeholders Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

9. ‘Members of the current governing body have high aspirations, high expectations and a clear vision for the school. They were swift to inform inspectors that pupils’ achievement is currently not good enough.’ ‘Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and set clear priorities.’ • Effective governing bodies systematically monitor their school’s progress towards meeting agreed development targets.Governors consistently ask for more information, explanation or clarification. This makes a strong contribution to robust planning for improvement. • Outstanding governors are able to take and support hard decisions in the interests of pupils; to back the headteacher when they need to change staff, or to change the headteacher when absolutely necessary. ‘Governors value staff appraisal, clear processes are in place to set targets for staff including the headteacher. Targets are linked to the key priorities in the SDP and help to focus staff on improvement. Teachers are required to teach consistently well and meet all of their targets in order to qualify for a pay increase.’ Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

10. ‘Governors speak knowledgeably about the range of subjects and courses offered and how what the academy has to offer students has changed in response to their needs.’ ‘Members of the governing body have a thorough knowledge of the quality of teaching because they cross reference the information given to them by the academy with external reports.’ • Governors routinely attend lessons to gather information about the school at work. They visit their schools regularly and talk with staff, pupils and parents. ‘Governors are developing better links with subjects and key areas of the school’s development plan. Their visits to the school support a growing understanding of its strengths and areas for development. Their knowledge is helping to shape strategic thinking.’ ‘’When they visit the school, they pay attention to the school’s priorities.’ Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

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12. Monitoring achievement

13. Driving improvement – achievementDo governors: • understand and take sufficient account of pupil data, new guidance in RAISE online • assure themselves of the rigour of the assessment process • understand the impact of teaching on learning and progress in different subjects and year groups • know in enough detail how well the pupil premium and other resources are used to overcome barriers to learning, including reading, writing and mathematics? Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

14. ‘Governors are well informed and knowledgeable because they are given high-quality, accurate information that is concise and focused on pupil achievement. • Governors use the skills they bring, and the information they have about the school, to ask challenging questions, which are focused on improvement, and hold leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes. ‘Governors check how well pupils are doing, including those supported by the pupil premium, and ask questions if pupils are not doing well enough.’ Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

15. Intended impact of resources • If actions are planned or requests are made, are leaders and therefore governors absolutely clear about what the change in the use of resources is intended to achieve and about how and when this will be measured? • What information might need to be considered if governors were asked for funding to replenish books to develop literacy skills? Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

16. Key considerations for governors • What targets, why? • How do they know/affirm data is accurate? • What constitutes ‘good’ for their school/academy? Cambridgeshire Governors 070315

17. Often forgotten • How do governors inform stakeholders about their impact? Cambridgeshire Governors 070315