Governing Board Newsletter September 2017

For the attention of all Derbyshire governors and clerks to governors

This newsletter contains information to help you in your role as a school governor, trustee or clerk to governors. Please discuss the contents at your next governing board meeting.

If you encounter any problems with links in this newsletter, please copy and paste into your browser.

The information in this newsletter is correct at the time of publication. Academies – please also refer to your Articles of Association.

Governing boards given power to remove elected members

New regulations came into force on 1 September enabling governing boards to remove elected (i.e. staff or parent) governors in the same way as they can appointed governors. The power is given in the School Governance (Constitution and Federations) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 , which amend the 2012 Constitution Regulations and the 2012 Federation Regulations. The procedure is the same as has existed for removing appointed governors:

1. The proposal to remove someone must be included in the agenda of a meeting. 2. The person putting the proposal gives their reasons, and the governor in question has the chance to reply. 3. A vote is taken with the person concerned absent from the room. 4. If the resolution is passed by a majority of those present, the removal must be confirmed at a subsequent meeting not less than two weeks later, with the matter again as an agenda item. 5. If the decision is confirmed at the second meeting, by a simple majority vote, the dismissal is immediate.

Anyone so removed will be barred from serving as a governor of any school for a period of five years from the date of their removal. Please also see updated statutory guidance which also includes details of the appeals procedure. – link below .

UPDATED – constitution of The DfE has published the Competency Framework for Clerking - new governing bodies of maintained non-statutory guidance setting out the competencies required to schools: deliver professional clerking to school governing boards and multi Updated statutory guidance is now academy trusts.

available which includes new powers to remove elected governors. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi Preparation for Inspection for Governing Boards cations/constitution-of-governing- The difference between section 5 and section 8 bodies-of-maintained-schools inspections – see appendix B.

Generic email addresses SAFEGUARDING UPDATE If you have been allocated a chair@ or clerk@ school email address, please ensure it is activated and that you access your Advance notice that your school will shortly emails on a regular basis to avoid missing alerts and important be receiving guidance from the Child information form the Governor Support Service. protection Manager regarding the contents Please update Governor Support if you elect a and policies required in a safeguarding new chair or vice-chair portfolio and a model child protection and [email protected] safeguarding policy. or telephone 01629 535769

DOCUMENT RETENTION PERIOD FOR SCHOOLS The following guidance has been produced by Derbyshire County Council to assist schools in the management of their records. The guidelines outline the recommended retention periods for schools based on legislation and common practice. See full details at http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/ in Resources / Human Resource (Advisory) – useful information section.

Description of Retention Action Trigger for Disposal Action Records retention/disposal action Principle set of signed Retain at school for 6 Date of meeting Transfer to Derbyshire Record minutes years Office Inspection copies of Retain for 3 years Date of Meeting Destroy minutes Agendas No retention required Conclusion of meeting Destroy

Reports Retain at school for 6 Date of report Transfer to Derbyshire Record years Office Annual parents meeting Retain at school for 6 Date of meeting Transfer to Derbyshire Record papers years Office Instrument of Retain at school for the Closure of school Transfer to Derbyshire Record Government duration of its operation Office

Trusts and Retain at school whilst End of operational use Transfer to Derbyshire Record Endowments operationally required Office

Action Plans Retain for 3 years Expiration of action plan Destroy

Policy documents Retain while policy is Expiration of policy Transfer to archives when policy is used operationally no longer operational

Complaints files Retain for 6 years Resolution of complaint Review

Annual reports required Retain at school for 10 End of the calendar Transfer to Derbyshire Record by central government years year that the record Office was created in

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Derbyshire Governor Strategic Briefings – Autumn 2017

Don’t forget to reserve your place on one of our 4 governor briefings around the County this autumn:  Monday 2 October – Buxton Community School  Wednesday 4 October – The William Allitt School  Monday 9 October – Highfields School, Matlock (Lumsdale site)  Wednesday 18 October – Parkside Community School, Chesterfield

All sessions run from 6.30pm to approximately 8.30pm and are free of charge.

Please ensure you book your place beforehand so that we can ensure adequate packs are available and we adhere to health & safety requirements.

Please book your place either via Derbyshire S4S website in the training section or email [email protected] or telephone 01629 539279

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SESSIONS – provides training and information for governors undertaking PM for headteachers and approving performance-related pay increases for all teaching staff:

Venue Date Buxton Community School Tuesday 26 September County Hall, Matlock Thursday 28 September The William Allitt School Tuesday 17 October

Please book your place either via Derbyshire S4S website in the training Section or email [email protected] and we will reserve your place subject to school approval.

Specialist Online Safety Training for Governors

This comprehensive training session will cover the following areas:

The statutory responsibilities of the governing board in relation to online safety as described in KCSIE (2016) including policies and procedures, staff training, reporting functions, filtering and monitoring and school education Understanding Sexting including when to deal with it 'in house' and when your DSL should escalate to Starting Point or the police Understanding what HMI consider best practice when considering Online Safety especially within ‘Leadership and Management’ and ‘ Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare’ Ensuring you evidence best practice in preparation for Ofsted

Training sessions for governors are planned at the following venues in the Autumn term:

Morley Hayes Golf Club, Morley 21st November 2017 Casa Hotel, Chesterfield 23rd November 2017

Cost: £49 per delegate. All sessions will run from 18.30pm until 20.30pm For more information or to book a space please contact [email protected] or call Traci Good on 07837 806202. Training provider approved by Derby City and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board

Further training and development information is available in our Autumn programme which is now available to view at http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1401 and also attached to this newsletter as Appendix A .

All bookings can be made via our Derbyshire S4S website in the training section.

Either search by course code or via the calendar on the right hand side of the screen. Select the appropriate course and make a booking. The booking will then be added to your school’s shopping basket (unless the course is free of charge, in which case the request will be checked out) and the appropriate person in school will alerted with a request to complete the checking out process.

On completion of the checking out process, you will receive an email to confirm your place on the course.

Derbyshire School Governors’ Association Changes and updates to Governor (DSGA) Support website http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1218 The DSGA represents the views of Derbyshire School Governors and is open to all Derbyshire School  Governing board self-evaluation and notes Governors. Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of  Guidelines and pack for the election of parent the month (excluding July to September and December) and staff governors from 7-9pm at County Hall, Matlock. (located on the Guidance and Advice page) However, if your school is able to host a meeting, this  Clerks’ Handbook would be a welcome opportunity to rotate the venue  Autumn term model agenda and briefing notes around the county. If so, please contact the DSGA via Located on the main governor support resources page and their website http://www.dsga.org.uk/ updated Autumn 2017. Available to all Derbyshire maintained schools and other schools subscribing to the Derbyshire entitlement package.

[email protected] 01629 535769

Website: http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1218

Please see over for:

 Appendix A - Training and Development programme  Appendix B - Preparation for Inspection for Governing Board

4 PUBLIC

Version 1.2: updated July 2017 APPENDIX A

Governor Training Programme – Autumn 2017 The following training

The following training opportunities may be available at a venue of your choice subject to minimum/maximum numbers. For all enquiries, please contact the Governor Support Service at [email protected] or telephone 01629 535769.

This programme may be subject to change. Please refer to the version published on http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Page/1401 for the latest information.

Governor Strategic Briefings These briefings are designed to support your work as an effective Governing Board and we hope you will encourage at least one Governor to book a place on this briefing. Venue Date Time Cost Code Buxton Community School Monday 2 October 18:30 – 20:30 FoC AU1701 William Allitt School Wednesday 4 October 18:30 – 20:30 FoC AU1702 Highfields School, Matlock (Lumsdale site) Monday 9 October 18:30 – 20:30 FoC AU1703 Parkside Community School Wednesday 18 October 18:30 – 20:30 FoC AU1704

Chairs’ and Clerks’ Briefing This annual autumn briefing gives the Chair and Clerk to Governors the opportunity to receive updates on information at a county and national level. Venue Date Time Cost Code Room 1, County Hall, Matlock Tuesday 7 November 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1705

Welcome to Governance (Induction session for new governors) – Lunch provided This is a full day course covering the role of the governing body, governors and school improvement and how governing bodies work. Venue Date Time Cost Code Room 1, County Hall, Matlock Saturday 4 November 09:30 – 15:30 £216 /£240* AU1706 Parkside Community School, Chesterfield Saturday 18 November 09:30 – 15:30 £216 /£240* AU1707

Performance Management This course provides training and information for governors undertaking Performance Management for Headteachers and approving performance-related pay increases for all teaching staff. Venue Date Time Cost Code Buxton Community School Tuesday 26 September 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1708 Room 1, County Hall, Matlock Thursday 28 September 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1709 The William Allitt School Tuesday 17 October 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1710

Welcome to Clerking The session will include: - Effective meeting preparation and agendas - Procedural aspects of the beginning of the meeting - Recording the business of the GB - Preparing required for taking minutes - How to record actions in relation to the role of the GB - Increased delegation of the role of Committees Venue Date Time Cost Code Members Room, County Hall, Matlock Tuesday 14 November 17:00 – 20:00 £130 /£150* AU1711

Exclusions This training offers governors and clerk to governors the opportunity to learn about the Department for Education’s latest guidance on pupil exclusion. The presentation informs governors of their role in the process, and the role of the new Independent Review Panel. The training will also include activities to help governors and clerks gain a good understanding of the process.

5 Venue Date Time Cost Code Room 1, County Hall, Matlock Tuesday 21 November 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1712

Finance An ideal opportunity to expand your knowledge of Schools Finance. Suitable for new and experienced governors. The course covers the following aspects of schools finance:  School Budget Calculation Sheet / Pupil Numbers  Budget Monitoring  Sources of Income  Virements and Transfers  Budget Planning and Preparation  Detail Codes  School Financial Value Standard (SFVS)  Annex 1 and 5 Venue Date Time Cost Code Room 1, County Hall, Matlock Thursday 9 November 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1713

SEN&D After completing this course, participants should be more aware and have a better understanding of the following:  The key roles of people involved in SEN&D provision and funding arrangements.  What it is like to be a SEN&D Governor.  SEN&D terminology and what is expected. Venue Date Time Cost Code

Members Room, County Hall, Matlock Wednesday 15 November 18:00 – 20:00 £81 /£90* AU1714

Welcome to Chairing – information to be published at a later date.

*prices in italics refer to non-maintained schools not purchasing the ‘Derbyshire Entitlement’ package.

All prices quoted are correct at the time of publishing.

All of the above sessions are bookable via the Derbyshire S4S website: http://www.services.derbyshire.gov.uk/ ALL PLACES MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT MATERIALS AND REFRESHMENTS ARE AVAILABLE SESSIONS ARE SUBJECT TO MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM NUMBERS SO PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

For Audit training requests, please contact: [email protected] or telephone 01629 538826

For Safeguarding training requests, please contact: [email protected] or telephone 01629 531933

6 APPENDIX B

Preparation for Inspection for Governing Boards

The difference between section 5 and section 8 inspections

Outstanding schools are currently largely exempt from inspection unless there are safeguarding or parental issues to which Ofsted is alerted or the school’s outcomes fall dramatically over a period of time.

Section 8 Inspections:

Good schools will receive a short, section 8 inspection usually within three years of the previous inspection. This is a one day inspection usually led by one HMI. In these inspections judgements will be made about the capacity of the leadership team, including governors, to sustain improvement (is the school continuing to be a good school?) and the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding procedures. If attainment and progress has remained strong, safeguarding is effective and the leadership team articulates robust, aligned information about school improvement and self-evaluation it is likely that “good” will be retained. If there is insufficient evidence to make this judgement or the inspector thinks that the school could be “outstanding” the inspector will convert to a section 5 inspection.

Section 5 Inspections:

A section 5 inspection is a two day inspection. Schools who have a previous “requiring improvement” Ofsted judgement will automatically receive a section 5 inspection within two years. If a new headteacher is appointed within the two year period an extension up to 30 months can be requested. If a section 8 inspection converts to a section 5 inspection, this will usually take place the following day but with a new inspection team.

Key Lines of Enquiry in Inspection Inspectors will always check on how the school has addressed the issues from the previous inspection report. They will also develop key lines of enquiry from their review of:

- the inspection dashboard - the school website - any complaints reported to Ofsted - Parent View - a google search

Therefore senior leaders and governors should maintain a regular check to ensure that:

- It is known what the inspection dashboard reports as the strengths and weaknesses of the school and what the school is doing to address any weaknesses - the website fully meets statutory requirements - the comments on Parent View are monitored - any Ofsted complaints have been effectively addressed and there is supporting evidence to show this - there is nothing on a google search that in any way compromises the school and if there is this is appropriately addressed - Inspectors will also follow key lines of enquiry that emerge from their analysis of school documentation (e.g. the Self Evaluation Summary and School Improvement Plan) and from discussions with the Headteacher, governors and senior leaders.

Expectations of Governance Ofsted make a clear distinction between the strategic role of governors and their involvement in the day to day activities of a school. They state that governors should avoid routine involvement in operational matters.

7 In all types of schools, governing boards need to have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:

 ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction  holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff and  overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

Governance handbook January 2017 Further information for governors in inspection can be found in: The Governance handbook January 2017 pages 123 – 124 The School Inspection Handbook August 2016 pages 39 -40

In order to evidence the above in inspection governors need to know the school very well so that they can demonstrate and evidence robust accountability and clear vision. There should be an ongoing, planned programme of prearranged visits that each have a clear focus so that governors can see whether the school is implementing the policies and improvement plans they have signed off and how they are working in practice. This also helps the golden thread of aligned messages to inspection teams about the shared impact of leadership and governance. Governor visits to school also provide an opportunity to talk with pupils, staff and parents to gather the views of a range of stakeholders. Information from school visits should be recorded on a simple note of visit that provides an evidence trail.

Governors can prepare for inspection by:

1. reading the inspection handbook so that there is a clarity about how inspectors evaluate schools 2. preparing evidence to share with inspectors. It is a good idea to compile an inspection file to show the governing board’s impact on pupil progress and attainment especially those in receipt of pupil premium funding 3. making sure that there are ongoing systems and structures in place that allow governors to monitor school performance and that these are recorded in the minutes of meetings. Comprehensive, accurate minutes of meetings are a good way of evidencing the challenge and impact of governance 4. agreeing a group of governors who will be “always prepared” to hold the meeting with inspectors

Questions governors should be regularly asking:

Leadership and Management  What is our vision for the school and is this shared by all stakeholders and evident in all we do?  What issues does the school face? What are the school’s strengths and weaknesses? How do we know these? How are the weaknesses being addressed?  Is the school website up to date and fulfilling statutory requirements?  Have all governors read at least part one of the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education document and signed to show this has been read?  Is pupil premium funding appropriately allocated and what is its impact?  Is the Y7 Catch Up funding appropriately allocated and what is its impact?  Is the sports funding appropriately allocated and what is its impact?  Is Headteacher performance management appropriately implemented and monitored?  Has staff performance management taken place and is that effectively monitored? How is underperformance addressed?  How do we challenge school leaders? What probing questions do we ask about pupil outcomes, assessment arrangements, safeguarding etc?  How are our finances managed?  How are staff recruited and who has undertaken safer recruitment training?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the governing board and how can the weaknesses be addressed?  Is governor and staff training up to date?  What are the key areas for improvement on our School Improvement Plan?

Quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment  Is the overall culture of the school one of high expectations for teaching, learning and assessment?

8  How is good and outstanding work recognised? What does the work in children’s books look like and tell us?  What are the main barriers to learning in school? For example, lack of specialist teaching, inadequate accommodation, tight budget, challenging pupil intake, limited parental aspirations  What is the quality of teaching like throughout the school? How do we know?  What does assessment look like in our school? Is it making a positive difference to progress?  What is the impact of CPD on the quality of teaching, learning and achievement?

Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare  Is the overall culture of the school one of high expectations for pupil behaviour, welfare and safety?  Is attendance in line with or above the national figure?  What is the policy for reducing absence particularly persistence absence and what is the impact of this policy in improving attendance?  Are there any gaps between the attendance of all pupils and groups of pupils? If there are, how is the school addressing this?  Has the school made any fixed term or permanent exclusions and why? Is the number of these very low? If high why is this?  Does the single central register meet statutory requirements and is it up to date? Does a named governor regularly check and sign this and is this minuted at governor meetings?  What are the child protection procedures and are these appropriate?  Are health and safety procedures in place and regularly monitored and by whom?  How do governors check on site security?  How does the school promote British Values?

Outcomes  Is strong progress being made by all pupils and by groups of pupils throughout school? Can this be shown from all points of entry in all year groups?  What proportions of pupils, in each year group, are working within/above/below national age related expectations?  Is end of key stage attainment in line with/above/below national outcomes? What are the trends?  Are there any identified gaps between the performance/progress of all pupils and groups e.g. disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEN, boys, more able pupils? What actions are being taken to address these gaps?  Do any identified weaknesses in data transfer into priorities in the School Improvement Plan?  What is the impact of the pupil premium funding?

If governors can answer these questions and are aware of the likely key lines of enquiry in inspection they will be well prepared for a conversation with an Ofsted inspector!