Hampshire Governor
Winter 2006. No. 32
This Edition of Hampshire Governor
All the articles from the Winter 2006 edition of Hampshire Governor have been reproduced on this page. You can also view Hampshire Governor in its original format using the following link:
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Hampshire Pilots Project to Find Leaders of The Future
Nearly half the heads and deputies in Hampshire are over the age of 50 and the number of heads taking early retirement is increasing. Sharper accountabilities, workload and too many initiatives are reasons given by heads for leaving headship. There are not enough emerging leaders in the system to take the place of those leaving.
However, the good news is that Hampshire is one of 10 authorities selected to be part of a national pilot for leadership succession planning. The first Hampshire project will start in February 2007.
The County Council already has in place a draft document called ‘Framework for Leadership Growth and Development’ which can be found in the A-Z index on the governors’ website. It contains ideas for nurturing leaders, provided by a number of current Hampshire heads. It also lists the priorities for leadership development this year.
We all know that effective leadership is central to achieving school improvement. Leadership development cannot be left to chance. So what can governors do?First, your school strategic/improvement plans can state explicitly the ways in which future leaders are identified, and how leadership opportunities are provided within and across schools.
Second, you may wish to use the ‘Framework’ document as a basis for discussion about the professional development opportunities for the head and senior leaders.
Leaders of the future may not come from traditional educational pathways and they may not have followed the 20-year timescale of progression from classroom teacher to head of school. This has implications for the recruitment process, and practice nationally and locally will need to adapt to changing circumstances over time.
The national pilot will support Hampshire’s plans in many ways and the outcomes will include a three-year strategic plan, with new strategies for leadership development, recruitment and retention. I would like to hear from schools where there is leadership succession practice that could be further developed by being part of the national pilot. Email carolyn.hughan@hants.gov.uk
CAROLYN HUGHAN
Professional adviser for leadership, HIAS
A Word from John Coughlan
The breadth of subjects covered in this edition serves to reveal the challenge we all face to stay informed about those issues we need to know about.
Since my arrival in Hampshire last year I’ve been impressed by the active efforts taken to ensure that all involved in Children’s Services have an opportunity to become aware of what happens elsewhere. I’ve especially enjoyed my meetings with governors.
Schools and school governors are critical to so many of the outcomes set out in the Children Act and our local Children and Young People’s Plan.
I am committed to ensuring that the department listens to and shares with governors the wider agenda. How we do that without overburdening governors and officer time is the subject of a current debate. I’m meeting with the Hampshire Governors’ Representative Group in November to continue to explore that question.
JOHN COUGHLAN
Director of children’s services
Ron is the South's Governor of Year
Ron Wilkes of Yateley is Governor of the Year in the South of England – official!
In winning the DfES-sponsored award, Ron was hailed as ‘a champion of children’s academic and creative development’.
Ron, who is currently chairman of the governing body at Westfields Junior School, has an impressive record in encouraging learning. He has initiated a programme in which each governor is allocated to a class and works closely with its teacher and pupils.
He has taken part in citizenship and history projects and contributes to the Writing for Results scheme. All this while bringing up five boys.
As a bonus, he has brought his practical skills to bear for the benefit of the school. The evidence of Ron’s 16 years on the governing body is all around, including an outdoor courtyard classroom, specialist library area, log walk, water tower and even a bird box equipped with video camera.
A design engineer who works on aircraft, Ron has used his expertise to design and build new school features, which have in turn encouraged Westfield’s pupils to become more creative, as well as giving them opportunities for active team-building. He is currently involved in an outdoor Tower of Hanoi and a staffroom extension.
When Creating an Extended School Is Specially Challenging
Salterns School in Totton has 50 children aged 2-19 with severe and profound learning difficulties. We have our challenges and our achievements each day, each week and each term. We also take a long-term view on improvement, including implementing the extended school, which in the special school context raises some complex issues.
It’s expected that schools will offer these five core strands of extended services by 2010: childcare, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, all year round; study support and a varied menu of activities; parenting support including family learning; swift and easy referral to specialist services; community use of facilities.
On behalf of all the special schools in Hampshire, I wrote a bid for additional funding for a consultant to help us meet the extended school brief. The bid was successful and a consultant has been appointed. It is part of the consultant’s task to produce a report for each special school on how to make progress in one or more of the five strands.
There are 26 special schools across Hampshire and every one is signed up to this project. But exciting as it and the aims of this whole initiative are, there are concerns from many headteachers about the extra work that this extended brief will demand. It is therefore critical that we secure more funding long term to appoint the managers and support staff needed to lead on this initiative.
NICKY DANDO
Headteacher, Salterns School
Children's Centres
A stakeholders’ group has been set up to ensure ‘joined-up thinking’ on the development of children’s centres and extended services in and around schools. Members come from a wide range of organisations including schools, the Pre-school Learning Alliance and Jobcentre Plus.
Governors are represented by Robin Gray, chairman of Hampshire Governors’ Representative Group.
The County Council’s proposals for the governance of children’s centres are currently out for consultation (see the link from C in the A to Z on the website) with a closing date of
7 February 2007. The intention is for them to be governed by Partnership Boards accountable to the Early Years Education Unit.
Church of England Diocesan Merger
Since 1 October, Winchester and Portsmouth Church of England dioceses have been operating a joint education service. Tony Blackshaw, director of education for the Winchester area, is now director for Portsmouth as well.
There are 106 CE schools now under this very large umbrella. Brian Hay, who has worked for seven years with Portsmouth schools, has been appointed schools adviser for the broader area, with responsibility for governance matters.
Brian said: ‘It is expected that the new organisation will be able to offer a wider range of advice to school staff and governors on RE, inspection, leadership and management, and buildings, as well as governance issues.’
Brian can be contacted on 023 9289 9653 or email brian.hay@portsmouth.anglican.org
Gateway To Better Teenage Education
Nine partnerships of schools, colleges, training providers and other organisations have been established in Hampshire to play joint provision for young people aged 14-19.
Having expressed interest in offering specialised diplomas, some of these partnerships are now undertaking a self-assessment under the Gateway process, to show their readiness to deliver pilot schemes.
The DfES is keen that only the highest quality submissions succeed. Those passing through the Gateway will receive substantial workforce development training. Pilot consortia will be announced by March 2007 and specifications will be ready by September 2007, one year prior to delivery.
An important facet of specialised diplomas is the need for a blend of pratical and applied learning.
There will be mandatory work experience and each young person will have an individiaul learning plan.
PAULA GARVEY
County Inspector/adviser for 14-19 partnerships
Heads Applaud Their Induction
Each year newly appointed headteachers are asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience of induction. For those appointed in September 2005, overall their induction support has been successful and well received.
Governors need to:
• establish a good working relationship with their new head;
• show commitment to the induction process, making the head feel welcomed and supported;
• help shape the head’s role and ensure key tasks are set and prioritised in line with the School Improvement Plans;
• help prepare and support the head in meeting performance targets, by attending to the head’s professional development needs and work/life balance;
• ensure that through headship time the headteacher is enabled to carry out strategic leadership responsibilities.
From the feedback, it is clear that the new heads and their schools benefit from the advice and support governors give at the time of induction.
HEATHER EYERS
Development officer, EPS
References for Aspiring Heads
Applicants for headships are provided with a reference from the director of children’s services, which is drafted by their school’s attached inspector.
But from January 2007 school improvement partners will replace attached inspectors and drafting references will not be part of their brief.
From then, local authority references will still be issued but will be limited to brief confirmation of the candidate’s recent career history and a statement about any issues of health, discipline or capability.
SPECIAL FOCUS ON SCHOOL FEDERATIONS
Why Some Schools May be Better off Joining Forces
The concept of a federation of schools was given legal status in the
2003/04 school governance regulations. In 2004 these were widened to allow mixed-category schools – foundation, voluntary controlled, voluntary aided and community – to federate.
Hampshire has just one federation so far – of a junior school and an infant school in Aldershot (see story below) – but others may follow.
One benefit of a federation is that the headship, if vacant, is likely to attract strong candidates. Others include the opportunity to co-ordinate the targets, policies and curricula of schools sharing a catchment area.
Two people who have advised and helped governing bodies investigate possible federations are Mike Hiscock, governor services co-ordinator in the New Forest, and Brian Pope, school improvement manager at Fleet.
Mike said: ‘A shortage of good candidates for headships is one factor in creating federations, but this need not be the driver. There can be significant benefits for schools.
‘Both schools in a federation are funded as separate entities. While one headteacher for two schools commands a higher salary, this doesn’t equate to two salaries combined. This frees up some resource to set up management and administrative systems.
‘There may be some sensitivities. Because the maximum size of a governing body is 20 and most have 12-14 members, some governors have to be prepared to step down if two are combined.’
Brian emphasised the importance of wide consultation – with parents, staff, other local schools and pre-schools and the wider community – when considering federating.
The County Council is able to provide help not only with the consultation process but with presenting the issues to governing bodies and, where a decision is taken to go ahead, participating in a working party. ‘But the local authority is just a consultee and the governing bodies have to drive the process,’ said Brian.
He said federating could present an exciting opportunity but cautioned:
‘The Aldershot federation fitted very local conditions and all federations should be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
‘It is important for both governing bodies to feel that a federation is not a takeover of one school by another.
Brother and sister Jordan and Molly Devanney from Newport and Belle Vue: different schools, different uniforms, same chairman of governors, Michael Corke, and same head, Clare Painter.
‘Everything we’ve got from the federation has been an advantage’
Newport Junior and Belle Vue Infant are two schools serving the same area of Aldershot. They have two sites less than a mile apart, two budgets, two websites and two telephone numbers but one headteacher and one governing body. They have just set up the first federation of schools in Hampshire.
Back in 2005 the schools were separate and leaderless. ‘Newport’s headteacher had moved on and Belle Vue’s had just retired,’ explains Michael Corke, chairman of the federation governors. ‘We both advertised and interviewed for replacements but didn’t find anybody who was really suitable. The suggestion came from somewhere: what if you joined the two schools together under one head – you might find better quality or more experience. And we found Clare.’
Clare Painter was appointed this September as head of the two schools, which have a combined roll of 457. She came from Rowledge Primary, a village school of 210 pupils near Farnham. ‘Newport/Belle Vue is almost twice the size and there’s the added challenge of leading the first federation in Hampshire, so it was too much to resist,’ she says.
From a governors’ standpoint, says Michael: ‘We were lucky. Both governing bodies were slightly short of numbers and when it came to combining on 1 March 2006 we could accommodate everybody into one governing body. We decided the chair and vice-chair would be one from each school.’
The timescale for the reorganisation was very tight. The two governing bodies started to research and consult on the federation option in September 2005 and six months later it came into being. ‘It was very hard work, with all the meetings we had to hold, but the great majority of the teaching and non-teaching staff at both schools and the parents were in favour.’
One of the first decisions was to have two deputies, one in each school. The fact that the schools are still individually financed helped. ‘We had to pay a more attractive salary to the headteacher than if we had been appointing the head of one or another of the two schools. There is still a saving in having one headteacher but this is offset by having two deputies out of class,’ explains Michael.
Then the policies of each school had to be reviewed and integrated.
Inset days were combined – a popular move with parents who have children at both schools – and the big task began of creating a unified curriculum and system of assessment covering the whole age range from Year R to Year 6.
Clare spends two and a half days per week at each school and is careful to make herself very visible to parents and children, to compensate for being a half-time head at each site. Governing body agendas are longer and meetings now start earlier.
There are still issues being addressed, including admissions policies, setting up a joint ICT network and phone switchboard, and the possibility of a merger of PTAs. The sharing of human resources is expected to increase; already the special needs co-ordinator works across both schools. One deputy head has special expertise in ICT and the other in literacy, and both will benefit the infant and the primary.
‘Everything we have got out of the federation has been an advantage,’
concludes Michael, ‘and both Brian Pope, our school improvement manager, and Governor Services have been incredibly supportive. I would say the federation route is definitely worth a look for other schools.’
The School Library: A Store of Learning
Is your school making the most of the School Library Service? It supports learning in schools by providing:
• library and budget planning;
• self-evaluation support;
• a loan and exchange service;
• purchasing facilities with 18 per cent discount on books and resources; • a training programme and network meetings; • a structured information literacy programme from YR to Y6; • reader development support.
The service is available to all subscribing Hampshire schools – check your Service Level Agreement. For more information go to www.hants.gov.uk/sls
Find out about your school library. How do teachers and pupils use it?
Does your librarian have any training needs? Does the library have an annual budget, provide quality resources, promote reading for pleasure, support independent study?
Research by the Literacy Trust suggests that ‘higher book spending translates into higher pupil performance.’
CHRIS LASSAM
South-west area school librarian
Remodelling Update
An evaluation of the impact of workforce remodelling was carried out last term. It covered sustainability and schools’ capacity for continuing change. Full results are given in a report being circulated to all schools this term.
The evaluation shows there have been many benefits and positive aspects to remodelling initiatives – including a greater focus on teaching and learning and an improved work/life balance for teachers. However, worryingly, this positive impact has not extended to the work/life balance of headteachers which appears to have worsened in many cases.The evaluation also shows that only a limited amount of time has been set aside for senior members of staff to undertake their leadership and strategic planning roles.
Governors need to ensure these statutory requirements become part of the normal working week of senior staff. Governing bodies should urgently take a lead in securing a better work/life balance for heads and adequate headship and leadership time. Education Personnel Services and Governor Services will provide support.
HEATHER EYERS
Development officer, EPS
Performance, Training and Pay
New regulations covering the performance management of teaching staff define how the links must be made between continuous professional development, pay and performance. The stated aims are to:
• establish a clear and consistent process of planning and assessment so that teachers and headteachers understand what is expected of them; • support teachers and heads in addressing their training needs; • create clearer links between performance management and school improvement; • create clearer links between performance management and pay; • provide governors and heads with flexibility to delegate to line managers responsibility for completing the performance review and pay recommendation.
The first performance management plans under the revised arrangements will need to be completed by 31 October 2007 for teachers and 31 December 2007 for headteachers. Performance management in the 2006/07 school year will be conducted under the 2001 regulations.
A programme of briefing and training events is being planned for spring and summer 2007.
Disqualification and Bankruptcy
There has been a minor change to the bankruptcy provisions in the disqualification regulations. People are disqualified if their estate has been sequestrated and this hasn’t been discharged, annulled or reduced or if they’re the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order. The application and declaration forms on the website have been changed to reflect current legislation and should be used by schools rather than old copies.
Take Hassle And Cost Out Of Web
Headteacher Melanie Williams’s attempts to set up a website for Catherington Infant School were getting nowhere. ‘I struggled long and hard with Front Page which has loads of quirks and could not get it to work,’ she says. Eventually Melanie was relieved to hear of Hampshire County Council’s School Website Service, which provides the tools and templates to build a site – at no extra charge – to schools which use the council as their internet service provider.
‘The schools website service is so much easier,’ she says, ‘provided you take it a step at a time and learn as you go along. There’s an extensive choice of pages, so that every school website can look different from the rest. The service has done us and our public relations an enormous favour. There has been lots of outside interest in our school as a result of people finding our site, which we can update weekly.’
So how does it work in detail? Schools are provided with a template with suggestions for content but they are free to replace or remove these if they wish. An extensive user guide is available and three user accounts are provided so that updating of the site can be shared.
More than 90 Hampshire schools are using the service and there has been some very positive feedback. Hampshire’s IT consultant Teresa Edwards says another web service is being developed especially for governors.
‘We are trialling a new facility to give governors a password protected area. This will allow them to publish information that isn’t for general viewing and will make use of the governors’ IDs already provided for accessing the intranet. We hope that this facility will be available to schools using the Schools Website Service later in the year.
For more information go to http://ictinschools.hants.gov.uk/sws or email teresa.edwards@hants.gov.uk
Disability Equality: What You Must Do
Two new publications make it clearer what is required of schools in carrying out their Disability Equality Duty and producing a Disability Equality Scheme.
The general duty includes avoiding negative impact by, for instance, eliminating unlawful discrimination and taking positive steps to meet disabled people’s needs. Equality schemes must include:
• a statement of how disabled people (children, young people and
adults) have been involved in developing the scheme; • arrangements for gathering information on the effect of policies and practices on, in particular, the recruitment, development and retention of disabled employees and the educational opportunities available to and achievements of disabled pupils; • how this information will be used in reviewing the accessibility plan or action plan; • methods for assessing the impact of policies and practices on disability equality; • a plan of action.
Secondary schools are expected to have schemes in place by 4 December
2006 and primary and special schools by 3 December 2007. A DfES resource pack was published in the summer and guidance from the Disability Rights Commission in October. Both are available under D in the Governor Services A to Z index – as is the County Council’s draft disability equality scheme.
Given the short timescale, secondary schools are unlikely to hit the deadline. The County Council’s advice is that these schools should at least be able to say how they will involve local disabled people and children in the development of a Disability Equality Scheme and what school policies and practices they intend to assess, with the target of completing the process by September 2007.
The DRC guidance explains how accessibility plans can be expanded to include Disability Equality Schemes.
As part of the Service Level Agreement for 2007-2012, Property Services will be offering each school an advisory session on how to increase access to education and associated services. More information from marcos. frangos@hants.gov.uk or 01962 813811.
Count on this money advice…
A number of important matters are dealt with in the October edition of Money Matters, the EFS newsletter for Hampshire schools. You can see a hard copy in school or view it on the governors’ website.
Of particular interest are guidance on: consultancy payments to headteachers; governor claims for mileage; appropriate authorisation of headteacher expense claims; unofficial funds; and the results of Internal Audit’s work in 2005/06.
To comply with the new Financial Management Standard in Schools, governing body finance committees should see each issue of Money Matters as it is published. It is the key communication on financial matters for schools and accessing it routinely will enable governing bodies to remain up to date with changing requirements, advice and guidance.
JANET SHERITON
Head of governor services
…And This Too
The use of balances needs to be planned earlier. Governing bodies should consider their use of balances when revising their budgets and drawing up their strategic plans.
As part of new national requirements on the redistribution of excess uncommitted school balances, every school will have to tell the County Council by 1 May what it plans to do with its balances and by when.
This is to enable the council to tell each school by 31 May whether any of its balance will be clawed back and redistributed. Only uncommitted balances above 4 per cent of budget share for secondary schools and the greater of 5 per cent or £25,000 for primary, special and nursery schools will be clawed back.
THOMAS WHIFFEN
Financial strategist
Attendance An Improvement Issue
Governors should monitor school attendance levels as these are increasingly seen, both locally and nationally, as a school improvement issue. The County Council offers a range of support to schools, from ‘truancy sweeps’ to ‘parenting contracts’, and is currently preparing a new attendance strategy.
In year 2005/06, the average level of absence in Hampshire primary schools was 5.27 per cent,compared with 4.95 per cent in 2004/05. For secondaries, the average was 7.57 per cent compared with 7.47 per cent.
On a more positive note, despite the overall increases in 2005/06, the average level of unauthorised absence in Hampshire primaries remained the same while it increased at national level. In secondaries the average fell and although this also happened at the national level, the reduction in Hampshire was greater than nationally.
A flu-type virus last winter is thought to have played a significant part in the rise in authorised absence.
Although the increase in last year’s absence levels reflects the national trend, Hampshire levels remain well below the national averages.There is no room for complacency as Hampshire is currently falling behind the government's target for a further reduction in absence. The average combined level of absence for all primary and secondary schools in Hampshire in 2005/06 was 6.32 per cent and the target for 2007/08 is 5.74 per cent
JAMES R MCGILVERY
County attendance manager
‘Outstanding’ Awards For 25 Governors
Twenty-five Hampshire governors have received certificates for outstanding service this year and many of them attended an official reception hosted by the County Council's executive member for education, Councillor David Kirk.
‘Ofsted reports continue to show that Hampshire's schools are among the best in the country and it is thanks not only to the commitment and hard work of our teaching staff but also thanks to the unique contribution our governors make,’ said David.
At the reception were award winners Councillor Wayne Irish of Quilley School of Engineering, Keith Buckingham of Tadley Community Primary School, Sarah Stubbs of Bramley C of E Primary, Jean Elkin of Oakley Infant, Jane Gibbs of Hazel Wood Infant, Sue Baxter of Ranvilles Junior, Jim Duckham of Bohunt School, Elizabeth Buckland of Bramley CE Primary, Mildred Stocks of Pinewood Infant, Patricia Andrews of Manor Infant, and Sylvia Barns of Applemore College.
Be Safe Not Sorry On Recruitment
Only 49 Hampshire governors have so far completed the full Safer Recruitment online training. The DfES expects the headteacher and one governor from all 538 schools to complete the programme.
In the interest of children’s safety, all governors involved in recruitment of staff are encouraged to complete the shorter public programme (under S in the A-Z index) but national statistics will only pick up registered governors who complete the full programme. The National College of School Leadership has addressed the technical difficulties which discouraged many from pursuing the programme.
Helping Parents
Parents are key to enabling children to achieve the five outcomes of the Children Act 2004. Some parents may need support in their vital role.
Hampshire’s County Parent Development Team (contacts parent.development@hants. gov.uk or 01962 876290) runs three parenting programmes, delivered through the county.
The team works with individual schools in developing relationships with parents. Earlier this year, it published the Hampshire Strategy for Supporting Parents, which is available in the A-Z index.
NICKY JONES
County parent development co-ordinator