David MarriottDavid Marriott Limited

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

davidmarriottltd@gmail.comwww.thegovernor.org.uk

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AFTER THIS SESSION

THE PURPOSE OF THE GOVERNING BODY

To make sure the school provides the best possible education for all its pupils

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

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.

PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

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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

PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

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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?

QUESTIONS FOR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN SCHOOLS

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HOW DO HEADS AND GOVERNORS SHARE THE LOAD?

Governors 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

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?

THE GOVERNOR’S ROLE

MANAGING THE WORKLOAD

Scheme of Delegationskills audit and

deploymentcommittees and task

groupsspecialist governorsassociate membersStanding OrdersOnline participation:

guidance for school governors

Guide to the LawCode 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 appendixWe 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.

CODE OF CONDUCT

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.

COMMITMENT

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.

RELATIONSHIPS

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.

CODE OF CONDUCT

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.

BREACH OF THE CODE

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.

7 PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC LIFE

3 KEY ROLES

Provide a strategic view

Act as a critical friend

Provide accountability

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

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

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

SWOT

StrengthsWeaknesses

OpportunitiesThreats

Internal

External

CRITICAL FRIEND

Support

Constructive adviceSounding boardSecond opinionHelp where needed

Challenge

Ask the right questions, of the right person, for the right reasons, at the right time, in the right way

Improve proposalsSeek best solution for

all

WHERE DOES YOUR GOVERNING BODY SIT?

High support

Low support

High challengeLow challenge

Partners or critical friends

‘We share everything –good or bad’.

Supporters Club

‘We’re here to support the head’.

Abdicators

‘We leave it to the professionals’.

Adversaries

‘We keep a very close eye on the staff!’.

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

OFSTED - WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS EVALUATE?

How well learners perform in terms of: the overall standards they attainthe 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

Raw data and league tables

RAISEonlineOfsted reportSchool Self-

Evaluation information

Headteacher’s reportPupil tracking data

(anonymised)

Subject leader reportLink governor reportSchool Improvement

or Development Plan (and related progress reports)

School ProfileSchool Awards (eg

Investors In People, Healthy Schools, Artsmark; Basic Skills)

Curriculum Committee minutes

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

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?

ACCOUNTABILITY

Being accountable forSchool performanceGB’s actions

Taking account ofPerformance dataFeedback from

stakeholdersSelf-evaluation

Giving an accountTo parents and the

communityTo OfstedTo Diocese

ACCOUNTABLE FOR...

School performance

Taking account of:SEFRAISEonlinePM – headteacher

performance managementStakeholder feedback eg

complaints and compliments

GB’s actions

Taking account of:MinutesGB self-evaluation eg

Governor MarkTraining record

GIVING AN ACCOUNT

To parents and the community

School profileReports?

Regular communication:NewsletterWebsitePresence 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