With changes from Ofsted, amendments to schoolteachers’ pay and conditions, headteacher appraisal, and the publication of IDSR, I have already spent considerable time this term working with governors and trustees in primary schools around the country.
Based on this work, it might be useful for governors and trustees to consider the following:
o Regardless of whether the school has an ungraded or a graded inspection, the emphasis will be very much on impact. Can the governors or trustees who will meet with an inspector give examples of the impact of their work in providing both challenge and support?
o Are governors or trustees aware of the changes to the inspection process and Ofsted’s responses to its ‘Big Listen’? For example, it may be important that the school understands Ofsted’s complaints procedure or deferral process, both of which have been revised recently. Governors and trustees need to be informed so they are well-placed to support the school through inspection and know how the process works.
o Governors or trustees could help the school by checking that the school website includes the information expected, especially if the school is likely to be inspected soon. By providing a ‘fresh pair of eyes’, missing information can be identified, or information that can be hard to locate moved to make it easily accessible. The links are here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-academies-free-schools-and-colleges-should-publish-online
Occasionally, the systems for uploading the latest documentation to the school website break down, resulting in out-of-date policies or curriculum overviews being online despite being reviewed and revised. Are the most recent documents on the website?
o The latest IDSR (Inspection Data Summary Report) is now available with 2024 SATs data, so ensure governors or trustees are familiar with the key messages, especially those who are members of the Standards Committee or similar. Have governors or trustees provided challenge based on what the IDSR shows as significant about standards, attendance, etc? If outcomes are high, how does the school know this is sustainable? If outcomes are low, what is being done to address this for current cohorts?
o Ensure that governors or trustees on the headteacher appraisal panel have had relevant training. (I have been the external advisor for many schools over the years, and if I had a pound for every panel member who has not undertaken the required training, my collection of vintage vinyl records would be much larger. Just saying…).
o And about headteacher appraisal, ensure the mid-year review meeting takes place. I always advise the panel and headteacher to put a date in the diary at the full review meeting, but the number of times this does not happen is alarmingly frequent. It might be possible for the panel to meet with the headteacher before a full board meeting that falls mid-way through the review cycle, making it easier to arrange.
o Finally, considering the school's strategic plan can be useful. Where do governors or trustees see the school in three years and beyond? What potential challenges are on the horizon, and what are the positive next steps the school will take? This longer-term vision is sometimes lost in the here-and-now details of handling issues and overseeing the one-year school development plan. Don’t forget the strategic element of governance, too.
Continue the Conversation
To book Tim or one of our consultants to work with your school, email us at consultancy@focus-education.co.uk
You can find us on X (Twitter) @focuseducation1 or please contact us by email at customerservice@focus-education.co.uk.
View our full range of publications around Governance
