Regional Governance Programme 2014/15 About the programme AoC West Midlands has developed a programme of events for 2014/15 that support the further creation of excellence in college governance across the region. Our programme is supported by funding from The Education and Training Foundation and has been developed in consultation with a regional steering group comprising Governors, clerks and college managers. Seminars and workshops are run on Saturday mornings at college venues across the region and all include input from experienced FE professionals and/or college Governors. We know that there is a wide range of governance experience in colleges and we have hopefully reflected this in the level of knowledge and experience we assume for each event. All seminars include workshop activity where participants are invited to consider issues in detail and to share experience. Seminars begin at 9:00 am and are completed by 12:00 pm. A light breakfast is available from 8:30 am. Network meetings provide a forum for professional exchange in an informal setting. They are an opportunity to consider broader topics with input from external speakers and AoC staff. They also include an update on the major current issues and developments which impact colleges. Meetings are held at colleges across the region and begin with a light buffet at 5:00 pm and usually last for between two to three hours. All the events set out in this brochure are free to attend. 3 Introductory Seminars and Workshops 5 Intermediate Seminars and Workshops 7 Advanced Seminars and Workshops 8 Network Programme 11 2014/15 Diary 2 Development Seminars and Workshops Introductory These three sessions explore the business of governance in further education and the key elements of Governors’ responsibilities. Whilst the sessions are primarily targeted at those who are new to further education, many Governors and Clerks will find the sessions useful as a refresher and to share experience with participants from other colleges on the core aspects of college governance. An Introduction to What’s covered? FE and the role of • A comprehensive overview of the further education system and the Governor the place of colleges within it • The roles of the principal organisations who fund and regulate colleges • The business of college Governance and the responsibilities of college Governors • The essential information required to assess college performance and compare this with other institutions When is it taking place? Saturday 6 December 2014 at Queen Alexandra College, Harborne, Birmingham. Who’s contributing? Steve Sawbridge, Regional Director, AoC West Midlands together with input from an experienced Governor from one of the region’s colleges. 3 Funding and Finance What’s covered? • The economic and financial context in which colleges are operating • How colleges receive funding and the parameters which affect this • Opportunities and strategies to diversify income • Monitoring and assuring financial performance and health • The process for intervention in instances of financial failure • How colleges identify and manage risk When is it taking place? Saturday 28 February 2015 at Queen Alexandra College, Harborne, Birmingham. Who’s contributing? Peter Merry, Finance Director at Walsall College. Curriculum, Quality, What’s covered? and Inspection • The role of Governors in relation to the scrutiny of teaching, learning and assessment • Ofsted’s responsibilities and how it inspects the effectiveness of Governance in relation to teaching, learning and assessment • Essential information and data to support Governors in assessing the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment – including the FE Governance Dashboard • Assessing your own and others’ approaches to the scrutiny of teaching, learning and assessment and how this could be improved When is it taking place? Saturday 25 April 2015 at Walsall College. Who’s contributing? Ian Smith, Senior HMI, Ofsted. 4 Intermediate The three intermediate sessions enable more experienced participants to explore topics in greater detail. The sessions assume some prior knowledge of the topic and are particularly suitable for chairs of relevant sub-committees. Audit and Financial What’s covered? Regulation • Current challenges for further education governance • The responsibilities of governors, the audit committee and the audit committee chair • What happens when it all goes wrong - managing risks and failure • Changes to assurance • How to achieve effective assurance • Equipping the audit committee to meet its responsibilities When is it taking place? Saturday 8 November 2014 at Solihull College. Who’s contributing? The session will be led by Anna Lancefield, Grant Thornton LLP. The legal framework What’s covered? for Governance • Current legislation and the impact on college Governance of the 2011 Education Act • Legal obligations and liabilities • The structure of the Governing Body and opportunities to develop new models and ways of working • The legal implications arising from merger, federation and other organisational models and structures • Good Governance and the FE Governance Code When is it taking place? Saturday 31 January 2015 at South and City College Birmingham, Fusion Centre, Digbeth, Birmingham. Who’s contributing? The session will be led by a legal practice familiar with the FE sector. 5 College Structures What’s covered? and Organisational • An overview of college strategic planning Review • Undertaking an organisational review – what to cover and who to consult • Planning for improvement and financial stability • Getting to the sharp end – the Structure and Prospects Appraisal • Managing outcomes and assessing strategic options • Where next? When is it taking place? Saturday 6 June 2015 at Queen Alexandra College, Harborne, Birmingham. Who’s contributing? The session will be led by a member of the National Subject Specialists team. Image courtesy of Stoke-on-Trent College 6 Advanced These sessions focus specifically on the skills required of Governors for effective oversight of the college and the Executive Team. In comparison with other parts of the programme there is far greater emphasis on skills development and practice. The sessions are particularly suitable for chairs and vice-chairs. Two sessions are currently planned for 2015. Managing What’s covered? Performance • Developing an effective Governing Body – the Governing Body as a Governance Team • Effective leadership • Setting performance outcomes • Dealing with conflict • Appraising the Board and Chair • Appraising the Principal When is it taking place? Saturday 28 March 2015 at University of Wolverhampton Science Park Who’s contributing? The session will be led by a member of the National Leaders of Governance team Scrutiny and What’s covered? Accountability • Roles and responsibilities - the balance between governance and management • Developing an effective Governance model for oversight and assurance across all areas of responsibility • Assessing and challenging performance • Confronting difficult issues When is it taking place? Saturday 4 July 2015 at South and City College Birmingham, Fusion Centre, Digbeth, Birmingham. Who’s contributing? The session will be led by a member of the National Leaders of Governance team. 7 Network Programme Local Enterprise Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are increasingly important stakeholders in colleges’ work. With all the main parties Partnerships committed to further devolution to local areas, responsibility for local spending including on skills will almost certainly become within the remit of LEPs. In the West Midlands, a pilot project is already underway, to look at how the LEP can seek to influence colleges’ adult skills provision through a funding methodology. LEPs are now also responsible for the allocation of skills capital funding. At the same time, LEPs are being challenged to demonstrate impact in line with the commitments made in their Strategic Economic Plans agreed with Government earlier in the year. Many of these commitments relate to jobs growth and increased skills where colleges are major partners. Ninder Johal is well known within the regional business community and is currently President of The Black Country Chamber of Commerce. He’s also a member of The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership as well as being a Governor at Sandwell College. This network meeting will be an opportunity to hear from and discuss with Ninder how colleges can develop effective partnerships with Local Enterprise Partnerships to achieve their shared goals. When is it taking place? Tuesday 2 December 2014 at Warwickshire College Group: Rugby College 8 Images courtesy of Birmingham Metropolitan College and Fircroft College The political landscape The 2015 General Election looks like being one of the most tightly contested in recent times with no party currently looking likely and party policies to achieve an absolute majority. It will also take place against the backdrop of continued spending restraint which both the Conservative and Labour parties are pledged to maintain. Funding for post-16 education and adult skills will continue to be vulnerable to further spending cuts with clear implications for colleges, both in terms of their structures and the provision which they can deliver. AoC has published its own manifesto setting out our ten policy recommendations for skills and education. Chris Walden, AoC’s Director of Public Affairs and Communication will outline some of the major issues for colleges which are