Before we begin :
Short inspections of good schools
The frequency of inspection is proportionate to the
performance and circumstances of schools. From 1
September 2015, all schools judged to be good at
their previous section 5 inspection will receive a
one-day short inspection, carried out under section
8, approximately every three years, as long as the
quality of education remains good. The separate
section 8 handbook explains how these short
inspections will be carried out.
Before we begin :
The judgements:
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overall effectiveness
effectiveness of leadership and management
quality of teaching, learning and assessment
personal development, behaviour and welfare
outcomes for pupils
Question:
• What are three core roles of School Governors?
Key Roles of Governors
• To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic
direction – Strategic Direction Role
• To hold the headteacher to account for the
educational performance of the school and its
pupils, and the performance management of
staff – Challenge and Supportive Role
• To oversee the financial performance of the
school and make sure its money is well spent –
Accountability Role
Other important duties to include:
• Determining how the school's budget is spent
• Hearing appeals and grievances
• Forming policy on the school's curriculum and
collective worship
• Setting standards for pupils' behaviour and
discipline
• Making sure school buildings are welcoming
and safe
• Setting and monitoring the school's aims and
policies
consider:
if the GB is carrying out their statutory duties,
such as safeguarding, and understand the
boundaries of their role as governors
1.Have your governors been appointed to roles?
2. Are you strategic rather than operational?
governance is a thinking role not a doing role
Consider :
How you ensure clarity of vision, ethos and
strategic direction, including long-term planning
(for example, succession)
1. Do you know the School’s Vision?
What Impact are you making towards the
vision and how do you measure the impact?
Update: work effectively with leaders to communicate
the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school
and develop a culture of ambition
Consider :
How you contribute to the school’s self-evaluation
and understand its strengths and weaknesses,
including the quality of teaching, and reviewing
the impact of their own work
1. What are your current priorities?
How do you know the milestones against the
current priorities?
2. What is the school doing well?
3. Do you as a GB self-evaluate?
Consider :
Your understand and take sufficient account of
pupil data, particularly their understanding and
use of the school data dashboard
1. Do you monitor pupil progress over time?
Do you understand the data presented?
2. Are you monitoring different groups?
Can you name the different groups?
Can you name any additional groups?
3. Do you compare against other data? (National)
Consider :
The impact of teaching on learning and progress
in different subjects and year groups
1. Do you monitor Performance Related Pay (PRP)?
Quality of teaching - Progress of Pupils - PRP
2. What evidence do you need?
Consider :
How you 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,
including by using the data dashboard, other
progress data, examination outcomes and test
results; or whether they hinder school
improvement by failing to tackle key concerns or
developing their own skills
1. How do you challenge? Table discussion
Update: ensure that assessment information from leaders
provides governors with sufficient and accurate information
to ask probing questions about outcomes for pupils
Consider:
How are you providing support for an effective
headteacher
1. How as a GB are you supportive?
Update: provide support for an effective headteacher or
are hindering school improvement because of a lack of
understanding of the issues facing the school
Consider :
How are you monitoring performance
management systems, including the performance
management of the headteacher, to improve
teaching, leadership and management
1. Do you have the appointed governors for the HT
Performance Appraisal?
Update: performance manage the headteacher
rigorously
Consider?
How you engage with key stakeholders
1. What does this look like?
Update: work effectively with leaders to communicate the
vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school and
develop a culture of ambition
Consider:
If we are transparent and accountable, including
in terms of recruitment of staff, governance
structures, attendance at meetings, and contact
with parents and carers
1. How do we discharge our accountability?
Update: are transparent and accountable, including in
recruitment of staff, governance structures, attendance at
meetings and contact with parents
Safeguarding
In judging the effectiveness of leadership and
management, inspectors must also judge whether
the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils
are effective, and whether the governing body
ensures that these arrangements are effective.
There is detailed guidance on evaluating
safeguarding arrangements in ‘Inspecting
safeguarding in early years, education, skills
settings’
The Value of School Governance
1. Governing bodies make decisions which are in the best
interests of the children and young people. Keeping the
decision making as close as possible to those that are
affected by the decisions makes for sound and efficient
leadership and governance.
2. Not only do governors bring their own knowledge and
skills to the role, but, in learning how schools are run, they
often develop their understanding of leadership.
3. Good Governance contributes to the growth and
development of a school and seeing tangible
improvements in the attainment (Impact)