Re-imagining Christian Education Conference Governance presentation

Governance in the 21st Century: Faith informing professional engagement

MIKE SIMMONDSEducation Consultant

A project of

Governance in the 21st Century:

Faith informing professional engagement


• a governing body is "A sprawling committee and proliferating sub-committees.”

• Governors are, “Local worthies who see being a governor as a badge of status not a job of work.”

• Meetings have, "Discussions that ramble on about peripheral issues, influenced by fads and anecdote, not facts and analysis.”


EQUIPPING CHRISTIAN GOVERNORS FOR THEIR ROLE IN CHURCH SCHOOLS

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CONTEXT

The ‘hidden givers’:

A study of school governing bodies in

England

PROJECT REPORT

Chris James, Steve Brammer, Michael Connolly, Miles Fertig, Jane James and

Jeff Jones

UNIVERSITY OF BATH


THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

83% of governors come from professional or managerial

occupations and nearly 40% having experience of an

education-related occupation (Scanlon, Earley & Evans, 1999).

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

Academy IndependenceProfessionalisation of governance

Foundation Governors

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SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE


Good governance is characterised by, "smaller governing bodies, where people are there because they have a skill, not because they represent some political constituency. They concentrate on essentials such as leadership, standards, teaching and behaviour.”



“an effective governing body makes a difference and standards of attainment are more likely to be higher. (Ofsted, 2002).



“I’ve already said our new inspection arrangements will focus much more on governance than ever before, and there will be a subsection under leadership and management to say important things about governance.”

Chief Inspector of Schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw,



Chair of governors part of the leadership, not only of the school, but also within the parish and diocese

The Way ahead (Archbishops’ Council, 2001)



The findingsThe ‘hidden givers’: a study of school governing bodies in England

The role of the chair – a significant educational and

community leadership responsibility

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CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

survey of evangelical Christians suggested that 9% serve as governors compared to 0.7% of the population

How many and what impact?




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“foundation governors must preserve and develop this.

They must also ensure compliance with the trust

deed, if there is one” (Guide to the Law, 2012).

“role of Church School governors is expanded to ensure the school is both inclusive and Christian in nature” (Archbishops Council, 2012).




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Maintaining Ethos Protecting Christian

Distinctiveness

Training and supportneeds


A CALLING TO A DISTINCTIVELY CHRISTIAN ROLE

Encouraging vocationDefining ‘distinctive Christian Character

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“the school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils”.

‘distinctive’ means ‘characteristic or ‘authentic’.

Tim Elbourne (2009)



Encouraging vocationDefining ‘distinctive Christian CharacterDefining the purpose of education

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www.purposed.org.uk

http://purposed.org.uk/


“Knowledge is power. The moral purpose that animates the work we all do”

16 June 2011



How does faith inform strategic decisions?

What in the Christian story results in distinctiveness?

Chairs and ‘servant leadership’


THE TRAINING CHALLENGEMissionary Context

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School is a part of the ‘Churches mission to the

nation’ (Archbishops’ Council, 2001).


THE TRAINING CHALLENGE

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“As guardians, their (Foundation governors) role must be enhanced; as well

as training and support improved by, amongst others, the Diocesan Boards of

Education.” Chadwick Report (2012)


MAKING PROGRESS, PROVIDING SUPPORT

“A Church of England College of Higher Education might be expected to offer: In its continuing professional development courses, the college might be expected to provide for the needs of head teachers, teachers and governors of Church Schools.” The Way ahead (Archbishops’ Council, 2001)



1. A review of governance in church schools and the compilation of good practice, especially focusing on Chairs of Governors and Foundation Governors

2. The establishment of a nationally agreed training package for Foundation Governors on their role as guardians of the Christian foundation;



3. An online community developed specifically for Foundation Governors.

4. The development of a web presence to equip Christians who are school governors (possibly building on the existing www.transforming governing.org.uk website) .



5. A resource for clergy in training, to enthuse and inspire them in their role and of their schools

6. A resource for churches (perhaps based on Grove Books Education series).



The governors role in Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

The effective Christian who is a governor in a non-Church School


More overt recognition of the importance of school governance

Commitment to more fully resourcing the training, enrichment and facilitation of foundation governors in particular.

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Canon Charles Smyth, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, on 150th Anniversary of the Foundation of The National Society, 12.10.61

“it is the task of the Church in every century

to serve its generation according to the will of

God.”

Re-imagining Christian Education Conference Governance presentation

Education

Transcript of Re-imagining Christian Education Conference Governance presentation