What is outstanding Governance? Jo Matthews Jo Matthews - AoC National Leader of Governance.

What is outstanding Governance?

Jo Matthews

Jo Matthews - AoC National Leader of Governance

Outcomes of the session

• To review various views of outstanding/good governance –Ofsted/FE Commissioner/ Higgs review of NED’s

• To reflect on how well you hold the senior team to account

• To assess how well you do against the views of outstanding governance

• To share some practice from across the sector


The Dynamics of Governance

People• What skills and experience you have on the board, and

what other expertise you need. How well you work as a team with the senior leadership.

Position• Where the institution is on the journey to/or maintaining

outstanding – key priorities for governance and a risk based approach

• A sustainable strategy. Knowing where you are going - what your institution will look like in ten years. Who you serve now and who you want to serve in the future. Meeting the needs of learners and responding to the diversity of your communities.Jo Matthews - AoC National Leader of

Governance

What your role is one sentence?

Task one


‘Boards are social systems. The most effective boards invest time and energy in the development of mature relationships and ways of working. It’s not rules and regulations; it’s the way people work together’.

Jeffrey Sonnefield – Professor Harvard Business School

My take:

• Holistic governance / systems governance

• Taking charge of the agenda

• A risk based approach to governance

• Inquiring and ‘what could be..’

• ‘Trust and Verify’

• Annual review of board business and skills


Core skills of good governance

• An environment that enables robust debate – effective team working

• Listening skills

• Asking powerful questions

The architecture of questions:-

Construction

Scope

Assumptions


A powerful question:

• Generates curiosity• Stimulates reflective discussion• Is thought provoking• Surfaces underlying assumptions• Invites creativity and new possibilities• Generates energy and movement• Evokes more questions


Governance questions :

Ones that can:

• Link the discussion to the overarching strategy or performance indicator• Test assumptions• Test the systemic impact of a decision on the whole• Make connections between financial or resource decisions and the impact on teaching learning and assessment• Validate the decision• Evaluate the impact of actions• Identify areas of risk• Invite the board to consider an alternative• Identify an area for development• Generate a future scenario

.....................................................and so onJo Matthews - AoC National Leader of Governance

An Effective Board asks all these sorts of questions to balance support and challenge

StrategyStretchScrutinySupport

Stewardship


FE Commissioner

‘College governors must take greater ownership of their college, driving the strategic direction forward and challenging the Principal and senior leadership team on the quality of teaching and learning and the institutes financial position.’

15 days


FE Commissioner

• Good relationships between governors and the Principal

• Governors triangulating data to verify reports• Succession planning – new and fresh thinking

on a regular basis• Keeping governors ‘fit for purpose’


• Clarity• Connectivity• Confidence• Complacency ( lack of)• Consistency• Cohesion• Challenge• Creativity• Celebration• Care


Financial

• Financial forecasts, not for the first time, are significantly different to the actual outturn

• Management accounts show significant swings from month to month or large variationsfrom the summer to the end of year

• Borrowing as a percentage of turn over exceeds 60% (40% would seem to be areasonable affordable target)

• Staff costs are in excess of 65% of turnover (Circa 60% would be a reasonable target)

• Creditor days are in excess of 45-60 at any one time


Organisational

• Board papers are late or tabled• Data provision and management information

are poor and the Board does not receive aregular Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboard of relevant information

• A mid-morning walk around finds a high number of empty classrooms and class sizesbelow 15


Quality Improvement• Average student attendance rates are below 85%-90%• Success rates (Retention * Achievement) are 5% below benchmark and

not improving• Teacher observation grades of good or better, independently verified, are

below 80%• Student surveys/focus groups show levels of satisfaction below 90%• Quality Improvement plans or post inspection action plans do not state

clearly for each issue the college's starting position, the targeted outcome, actions that will be taken to achieve that outcome, milestones along the way, monitoring arrangements and the individual responsible for overseeing delivery.


General• Board members are generally discouraged from formally meeting

and discussing thecollege's performance with students and staff

• Minutes and ensuing actions from senior management team meetings are notpublished or do not cover the key issues faced by the college (e.g. financial health andquality improvement)

• Restructuring is an annual rather than an occasional occurrence• Increasing levels of sub-contracting are being used to cover

shortfalls in recruitment• The college does not know the destinations of more than 10% of

its students


Task 2

• Using the list, assess your college. Score out of 10.

• What questions are created by this assessment?


Creating Excellence

• Dealing with the right things, asking powerful questions and have the right balance between challenge and support.

• Expected to horizon scan to ensure long term sustainability and be responsible for public accountability, serving the public good and ensuring high standards.

• Able to demonstrate corporate agility


Creating Excellence

• Too much or too little information can be a significant risk to a board functioning effectively

• Paper-base intelligence can take a board only so far – needs a sophisticated blend of soft and hard evidence

Are you getting the right information to address your strategic priorities?


Reflective questions

• Do I have the level of understanding needed to ask searching questions of senior managers?

• Am I provided with structured, accurate and up-to-date performance information that relates to strategy?

• Do I understand the local and national environment within which the college is operating?

• Do I analyse and reflect on my own performance, both as a member of the team and as individual board member and have a commitment to my ongoing development?

• What is my role in relation to Teaching, Learning and Assessment, and challenge?

• Where does the assurance come from that all strategic issues are on track, or factored in to future planning?

• Do I and the governing body drill down where necessary into the assurances given by senior managers?


Task 3

• Individual review


Ofsted’s view of common features of outstanding governance:

Governors who: Understood their roles and responsibilities Set a clear strategic direction and vision Were well informed Challenged managers vigorously on college performance Set demanding targets Monitored progress against them vigorously Were well served by strong and independent clerks Ensured productive partnerships and collaborative arrangements

were identified which benefited learners Ensured strong links with employers, industry and the local

community Were willing to be rigorous in realigning the curriculum and cutting

courses


• use insight and understanding to set the long-term vision• set aspirational but realistic goals •champion learners, commit to provide a high quality learner experience• not be complacent• be enterprising and open minded • work as one body, not as individuals • build open & trusting relationships with the Principal and SMT• be challenging and supportive• resist any temptation to manage!• hold senior officers to account

Ofsted - A good board will:


Outstanding - Swindon College

The college’s strategic priorities are sensible, clearly focused and provide a good template against which progress can be evaluated. Governors receive comprehensive reports from senior managers on key aspects of the college’s performance, and are increasingly adept at interpreting these reports to ask searching questions of college leaders. Governors recognise their responsibility for monitoring all aspects of learners’ experience, and are improving their understanding by touring teaching areas while lessons are taking place.


Walsall College - Outstanding

Governors are very well informed and provide excellent support to senior leaders. They ask the right questions to ensure managers are sufficiently held to account and their skills and experience are very well matched to the developing needs of the college. Governors meticulously monitor outcomes for learners and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the college.


Outstanding -Blackpool and Fylde College

Governance is outstanding. Governors are particularly effective in ensuring that that the college is led and managed well. The college benefits from the governors’ wide range of skills and experience in education and business. Governors know the college well. They receive regular and appropriately detailed reports on the college’s performance, and this enables them to support and challenge the leadership team successfully. Governors are involved very actively in the life of the college. For example, the chair listens to discussions at student forums and quarterly, wider management events when the college’s strategy is debated. Governors undertake a wide range of relevant training that enhances their ability to undertake their role successfully.


Outstanding - Exeter College

Governors provide excellent support and challenge to senior leaders. They possess an exceptional wealth of relevant expertise and comprehensively represent the interests of the region and local community. Governors take a leading role in setting and reviewing the strategy, financial priorities and improvement objectives. They hold leaders to account and ensure that the college has the capacity to continue to improve.


Outstanding - Weston College

Governors know the college well, are very involved in its life and very well informed about the learners. They support leaders constructively and challenge when appropriate. They ensure leaders and managers continue to strive for excellence and success for learners based firmly on excellent teaching and assessment. Governors involve their learner representatives effectively, and both listen to, and act on, the views of learners.


Outstanding colleges share some of the following characteristics:

• forward-looking governors and senior management teams sharing a clear vision and direction with a genuinely ‘collaborative approach’

• strong governance and accountability - governors are skilled and ask discerning questions

• governance, leadership and management are seen by staff as very decisive, prompt and effective in taking action

• engagement with staff is genuine and leads to sustainable changes rather than short-term quick fixes which are imposed


Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 2009 -- best practice boardroom behaviour being characterised by:

• a clear understanding of the role of the board• the appropriate deployment of knowledge, skills,

experience and judgement• independent thinking• the questioning of assumptions and established views• challenge which is constructive, confident, principled and

proportionate• rigorous debate• a supportive decision-making environment• a common vision• the achievement of closure on individual items of board

business.

Higgs Review of NED’s

Successful NED’s demonstrate:

• A degree of self knowledge; they know who they are and how they are perceived by others.

• Team spirit, with low ego and a desire to make others successful rather than themselves.

• Strong and effective relationship management skills. Being an NED is a unique role. You come together a few times a year with people from different backgrounds, agendas and styles and need to be able to fit in quickly and contribute


• Ease and comfort in handling ambiguity• Self confident style yet ability to demonstrate

humility• Willingness to take the tough decisions• Lack of embarrassment about asking the

simple questions• Patience and the ability to ‘seed and water’

and idea


• Intelligence, incisiveness and an ability to identify the key issues and priorities quickly

• Financial literacy and good analytical skills based on data and fact combined with an experienced ‘sense of smell’

• Ability to independently balance the challenge and supportive nature of the role


Ability to think strategically– Brains - strong analytical skills and the ability to

understand complex issues– Bravery – strong in questioning and perseverance

if not happy with the response– Balance – be pragmatic, the world is not a perfect

place

And know what not to do……..


New Code of Governance

1. Formulate and agree the mission and strategy including defining the ethos of the college.

2. Be collectively accountable for the business of the college taking all decisions on all matters within their duties and responsibilities.

3. Ensure there are effective underpinning policies and systems, which facilitate the student voice.

4. Foster exceptional teaching and learning.5. Ensure that the college is responsive to workforce trends by

adopting a range of strategies for engaging with employers and other stakeholders.


6. Adopt a financial strategy and funding plans which are compatible with the duty to ensure sustainability and solvency of the college.

7. Ensure that effective control and due diligence takes place in relation to all matters including acquisitions, subcontracting and partnership activity.

8. Meet and aim to exceed its statutory responsibilities for equality and diversity.

9. Ensure that there are organised and clear governance and management structures, with well-understood delegations.

10.Regularly review governance performance and effectiveness.


Reflective questions:

• What are you holding SLT to account for?• How do you prioritise your responsibilities? Do you take a risk

based approach to what you spend your time on?• How do you use the expertise of the board and hold each

other to account?• How do you regularly monitor the performance of the

college? What do you ask for to verify your trust in the senior team?

• How well do you understand the whole college performance and the impact of each part on the learner experience?

• In your college's current position, how well do you balance scrutiny, challenge and support?

• How do you verify the data and reports and 'touch' the learner experience?


What is outstanding Governance? Jo Matthews Jo Matthews - AoC National Leader of Governance.

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